We, as Mushroom Matter, had the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes at GTL Europe, a leading player in the world of mushroom cultivation and composting. What struck us immediately was the company's humble and down-to-earth approach. Without too much adornment, they demonstrate professionalism and focus on delivering tailor-made solutions that help shape the future of their customers.

Mission and Vision

GTL Europe stands for innovative, tailor-made total solutions that take mushroom cultivation and composting to the next level worldwide. This goal is driven by their technical expertise and commitment to long-term customer relationships. Ruud Keunen, Sales Manager at GTL, puts it aptly: ‘Where we can add value, that's where we deliver.’ At the heart of their business is being a long-term partner and always working together to realise their customers' growth ambitions.

The origins of GTL Europe - Geraedts + Thilot + Lemmen

In 1996, Jack Lemmen saw an opportunity in the market, there were no companies offering complete turnkey solutions for compost companies and nurseries. ‘Customers were getting bigger and bigger and their needs were changing. There was more demand for custom-made systems that were not only technically sound, but also looked ahead to the future,’ says Ruud. This led to the creation of GTL Europe, which has since pioneered in providing integrated systems that perfectly fit their customers' vision.

Innovation and sustainability

During our visit, it became clear that a stable and progressive partner for the mushroom market. As Ruud puts it, ‘There is always a solution to be found, and that is exactly what we excel at. We are a stable partner that thinks with our customers and develops long-term visions.’

GTL has therefore invested heavily in automation. A good example is their picking optimisation system, which supports pickers in selecting mushrooms. Thanks to the machine's tiltable design, pickers work more ergonomically.

GTL is motivated to innovate by constant developments in the mushroom market. For example, the kilogram price of mushrooms is much higher than that of other fruits and vegetables, which increases the pressure on the production process. Staff availability also plays an important role - it is increasingly difficult to find sufficiently qualified staff for the various tasks in the process. Competitiveness also requires constant improvement and innovation to keep up with market demand. All this has prompted GTL to invest further in new technologies to improve both productivity and workload.

In addition, GTL has developed automatic packaging, which explores new packaging solutions to improve the entire production chain. This type of innovation, coupled with their experience, makes GTL a pioneer in the industry.

Turnkey projects

Another important part of GTL Europe's work is their focus on turnkey projects. From initial ideas to the complete installation of systems for mushroom cultivation and composting, GTL takes care of the entire process. Ruud explains: ‘Our projects usually last between 12 and 14 months, depending on the size and complexity. We make sure that everything is tailor-made so that it fits perfectly with the client's requirements.’ The focus on customisation ensures that GTL clients always get the best solution that works well not only now, but also in the long term.

Human relationships

What we found special is the human side of GTL Europe. Ruud and his team pride themselves on the long and stable relationships they maintain with customers. ‘We find it important that we are not just another supplier. We want to be a real discussion partner. And that's not just about technology, but mainly about understanding the customer's vision and making it a reality together.’ These long-term relationships are the backbone of the company, and it appears that GTL Europe invests in both technology and the people they work with.

Departments and expertise

GTL Europe has four main departments: Constructions, Equipment, Controls and Engineering. These departments work closely together to provide tailor-made solutions covering the entire process of mushroom cultivation and composting. From design and engineering to installation and commissioning, GTL is involved every step of the way. They offer customer-oriented designs, technical expertise and a broad knowledge of laws and regulations surrounding the sector.
We were impressed by their down-to-earth outlook, broad market knowledge and guts to invest. What also struck us is that at GTL, long tenures are the rule rather than the exception. There is also plenty of room for young talent, a great development in the mushroom sector.

A nice detail: all meeting rooms are named after the hometowns of their employees. GTL is an inspiring company in every sense and you will hear and see more from them on our platform Mushroom Matter!


        

     

Dry Bubble Disease is a common fungal disease of the commercial white and brown mushroom Agaricus bisporus. Understanding more about the biology of the fungus that causes Dry Bubble Disease may help growers control this disease. With the difficulty in obtaining new or maintaining existing pesticide registrations, the struggle to control this disease will continue for many years. This fact sheet aims to give growers basic biology and practical information about this disease.

Factsheet by David M. Beyer

Dry Bubble Disease is a common fungal disease of the commercial white and brown mushroom Agaricus bisporus. Understanding more about the biology of the fungus that causes Dry Bubble Disease may help growers control this disease. With the difficulty in obtaining new or maintaining existing pesticide registrations, the struggle to control this disease will continue for many years. This fact sheet aims to give growers basic biology and practical information about this disease.

Factsheet by David M. Beyer

Dry Bubble Disease is a common fungal disease of the commercial white and brown mushroom Agaricus bisporus. Understanding more about the biology of the fungus that causes Dry Bubble Disease may help growers control this disease. With the difficulty in obtaining new or maintaining existing pesticide registrations, the struggle to control this disease will continue for many years. This fact sheet aims to give growers basic biology and practical information about this disease.

Factsheet by David M. Beyer

AR neemt zowel de onderneming als de locatie van P.G. Kusters Land- en Tuinbouwbenodigdheden B.V. over.
J. Kusters Fruitteelt en Landentuinbouwcursussen.nl vallen buiten de overname.

Vergelijkbare focus

De huidige aandeelhouders van P.G. Kusters hebben geen opvolging en hebben daarom besloten de onderneming en de locatie te verkopen. John Kusters: “We kennen AgruniekRijnvallei Plant B.V. (AR Plant) al jaren en herkenden een vergelijkbare focus op kwaliteit en service. Dat zijn belangrijke factoren geweest in de keuze om ons familiebedrijf onder te brengen bij AR Plant en zo te zorgen voor continuïteit voor onze medewerkers en klanten.”

Wat houdt de overname in?

Omdat het tijd kost om alles zorgvuldig te regelen blijven de klanten van P.G. Kusters in eerste instantie zakendoen met P.G. Kusters en kunnen ze hun producten via de vertrouwde kanalen bestellen. De locatie in Dreumel blijft geopend. De vijftien medewerkers komen automatisch bij AR in dienst.

Uitbreiding portfolio en werkgebied

Door de overname van P.G. Kusters breidt AR zowel haar portfolio als werkgebied uit. Arjen van Nuland, algemeen directeur AR: “Ik ben blij dat P.G. Kusters Land- en Tuinbouwbenodigdheden nu onderdeel is van AR. Ze hebben een uitstekende reputatie. De komende periode gaan wij gezamenlijk aan de slag om de activiteiten van P.G. Kusters in onze organisatie te integreren. We doen er alles aan om de synergievoordelen te benutten.”

Op de foto van links naar rechts: John Kusters (algemeen directeur P.G. Kusters), Silvia de Vree-Kusters (financieel directeur P.G. Kusters), Arjen van Nuland (algemeen directeur AR) en Richard ter Beek (algemeen manager AR Plant).

Dry Bubble Disease is a common fungal disease of the commercial white and brown mushroom Agaricus bisporus. Understanding more about the biology of the fungus that causes Dry Bubble Disease may help growers control this disease. With the difficulty in obtaining new or maintaining existing pesticide registrations, the struggle to control this disease will continue for many years. This fact sheet aims to give growers basic biology and practical information about this disease.

Read the full factsheet here.

By David M. Beyer, Penn State University

We are very happy to announce David M. Beyer, Professor of Mushrooms, to our platform. To start, David briefly explains about his background and involvement in the mushroom industry.

For almost 45 years I have been involved in the mushroom industry, first and always as a student of mushroom science and then as a commercial mushroom grower.

I worked 12 years growing mushrooms at the largest mushroom company in Canada with a tray farm, 3 shelf farms and a Dutch-style bulk tunnel farm. As Director of Growing, I provided technical assistance and training to the growers at all 5 farms.

For the past 34 years I have worked at Penn State as the director of the mushroom extension program for the North American commercial mushroom industry. My previous commercial growing experience provides practical insight into the development and organization of my educational programs that address the changing needs of the industry.

My research program involves all aspects of mushroom growing from composting, compost nutrition for the mushroom, disease management (IPM), and cultural factors affecting mushroom yield, size, and quality. I have developed and conducted several customized grower educational programs for mushroom farms and suppliers.

Why is casing soil used? There are two main reasons: 1. the Pseudomonas putida bacterium; 2. to regulate evaporation. Mushrooms will not grow without evaporation. The casing soil structure, through the depth of casing and on the surface, is the factor that determines how much water can absorbed and released. This is also known as the water buffer. How can growers influence this effect?

Properties
Casing soil is made up of peat. Peat consist of many small and larger pores which act as communicating structures that affect the flow of water. The very tiny (micro) pores absorb water very slowly, but retain it for a long time. The larger (macro) pores can absorb water faster but release it again very quickly. In good casing soil, both properties are necessary: rapid absorption of water: during mycelium growth and after harvesting, and slow release: during pinhead formation and out grow, and when the mushrooms are harvested.

Air
What is the secret of casing soil? Ensure that the moisture content of the casing soil is good. With “export” casing soil, you have to apply enough water and mix the casing with a loader or bobcat. Ask the supplier for instructions and follow them correctly. This has already been done with casing soil delivered in bulk and ready to use. Casing soil is sensitive to structure loss just before it is applied. If the casing soil is compacted or compressed, the “air” will be squeezed out. This effectively closes off the very crucial micro pores. The casing soil will feel harder. During transport and filling avoid compacting the casing soil too much, for example when using augers, over-filling the hopper on the filler or in front of the levelling axle during filling.

Soft
Casing soil should feel nice and soft. Straight after filling, push your finger into the casing soil. You should be able to plunge your finger in easily and without resistance. Experience will teach you how to feel the difference. A good layer of casing soil after filling is about 6 cm thick. The amount ordered is much less, around 4.5 cm. The rest is air, and these air pockets can largely be filled with the water necessary for the mushrooms to grow!

Mark den Ouden
Mushroom Office
Master class course Mushroom composting and growing is 18 – 23 February, there are still some seats available! Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ASAP if you want to join! Next course will be 29 April – 4 May.