Register HERE

Details: 

Join us for a field walk at Kapai Park, the property of John Cresswell in Branxholm, TAS.

-          Damien Odgers from Bayer CropScience will provide insight and experience on Serenade Soil Activ, a new biological soil ameliorant from Bayer based on the unique Bacillus amyloliquefaciens QST 713 strain which is being trialled in potatoes & other crops.

-          Tasmanian potato farmer John Cresswell will also share his experience with cropping rotations and their influence on potato pathogens in the soil, assessed through PREDICTA Pt DNA analyses. 

For further details, contact Frank 0459 700 876.

Date: Thursday 26 August 2021

Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm (including Q&A)

REGISTER HERE

What's happening with mushrooms in China?

Join Dr Chen Liangcheng, from Sylvan International Biotechnology Co., Ltd. China division, to discover the answer.

It is said that the mushroom industry is divided between two worlds - China and the rest of the world.  It is because the mushroom industry in China is unique in its size, history, research and development. 

China is the largest producer and consumer of mushrooms in the world and, similar to the mushroom industry in the West, is undergoing a period of consolidation, with many new and modern farms emerging while traditional farms are receding. 

The mushroom industry in China has involved many people from different backgrounds, and these people might begin to play a more important role in the international mushroom community.

There are many varieties of mushrooms in China that consumers have enjoyed for a long time and the way mushrooms are prepared and marketed in China will be interesting for us to discover in Dr Chen’s presentation.

Dr Chen Liangcheng

Born in Fujian, China, LC Chen started his mushroom career with Sylvan in 1996 as the representative to China, being responsible for developing the Chinese market and introducing western cultivation technology to China. He gained experience in the cultivation of button mushrooms, enoki and king oyster, among others.

Chen obtained his doctorate in agronomy, majoring in mushrooms, at Jilin Agricultural University under the guidance of Prof. Li Yu, an academician of engineering in China.  He developed optimised cultivation conditions for Flammulina velutipes in bags and feed additives from mushrooms for enhancing animal immunity in his research. 

Being in the mushroom industry for over 25 years, and knowing what is going on in the industry in both China and abroad, Chen has been invited to speak on the development of the Chinese mushroom industry at conferences around the world. 

Currently, Chen works as the Deputy General Manager of Sylvan China, in charge of R&D as well as spawn production. 

Date: Thursday 12 August 2021

Time: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm AEST (includes Q&A)

REGISTER HERE: [Everyone who registers will receive a link to the recording.]

Introducing Lise Korsten:

Sixteen years ago, Lise started the South African button mushroom research group at Pretoria University.

A pathologist by profession, her research has focussed on the microbial friends and foes of mushrooms. These range from the human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes to cobweb disease and beneficial microbes in compost.

Lise is passionate about food security and food safety. Mushrooms may be where these intersect, offering communities a way to safely grow nutritious, healthy food. However, distance and politics have created many challenges. The South African industry has had to be self-sufficient, developing local casing materials and compost supplies, conducting their own research while battling difficulties in transport and logistics.

In this webinar, Lise will discuss the impact her research team has had on this fledgling industry, her vision for the future of African mushroom production and building international collaborative platforms for knowledge sharing and research.