The present work evaluates of harvested mushroom and viability of Agaricus bisporus growth in several casing materials based on spent mushroom substrate. The experiment consisted of eight casing layer, which six were made with spent mushroom substrate. The results confirm the usefulness of reincorporating the spent substrate in new cultivation cycles as an ingredient of casing mixtures. In general, biological efficiency was high, three of the SMS based-casings surpassing the threshold value of 100 kg 100 kg )1 of compost. The high electrical conductivity of mixtures containing a large proportion of spent substrate limits the extent to which it can be used, although mixing it with other materials (such as peat) reduces these values to acceptable levels. In short, it makes economic and environmental sense to reuse spent mushroom substrate as an ingredient of alternative casing materials.

For the first time the evolution of the color of 13 paprika pepper varieties, some of them with chlorophyll-retaining genes, is studied, from the moment the fruit is considered completely formed until harvesting, i.e., during ripening. The final quality of each variety was evaluated by determining the extractable color by the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) and the tint. The use of the chromatic attributes L*, a*, and b* suggested by the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE), i.e., of the CIELAB space, made it possible to follow the evolution of color which takes place during fruit ripening and to identify the chlorophyll-retaining varieties. Saturation (S*) was the most suitable attribute for distinguishing the different phases of ripening. Keywords: Paprika pepper; chromatic coordinates; evolution of color

Defatted almond meal (DAM) is an useless biomass waste obtained after oil extraction. The substrate designed for mushroom cultivation is achieved through a controlled composting process from agricultural by-products (chicken manure and wheat straw). This work shows the potential of DAM as efficient compost supplement for culturing the species Agaricus bisporus (J.E. Lange) Imbach and Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm. Supplementation during A. bisporus cultivation results in larger mushrooms with a firmer texture and higher dry matter and protein contents in comparing with the non-supplemented substrate. In P. ostreatus, supplementation at a dosage of 15 g kg -1 provided a yield improvement up to 31.8%, compared to the control without supplement. The supplementation with DAM supposed equivalent or better yield than the commercial supplements. Therefore, the technique developed assessed good agronomic potential for application of DAM at the commercial scale in P. ostreatus cultures, adding value to a worthless organic by-product.Reciclagem de farinha de amêndoa desengordurada com resíduo de biomassa para uma nova suplementação nutricional em cogumelos comestíveis cultivados RESUMO. A farinha de amêndoa desengordurada (DAM) é um resíduo de biomassa inútil obtido após extração de óleo. O substrato designado para o cultivo de cogumelos é formulado através de um processo de compostagem controlado utilizando subprodutos agrícolas (cama de frango e palha de trigo). Este trabalho demosntra o potencial da DAM como um suplemento de composto eficiente para o cultivo das espécies Agaricus bisporus (J.E. Lange) Imbach e Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm. A suplementação durante o cultivo de A. bisporus resulta em cogumelos maiores com textura firme e elevado teor de matéria seca e proteína, em comparação com o substrato não suplementado. Em P. ostreatus, a suplementação utilizando a dosagem de 15 g kg -1 proporcionou um aumentono rendimento para 31,8%, em comparação com o substrato nãosuplementado. A suplementação com DAM proporcionou rendimento equivalente ou melhor do que os suplementos comerciais. Portanto, a técnica desenvolvida avaliou o bom potencial agronômico para aplicação de DAM na escala comercial em culturas de P. ostreatus, agregando valor a um subproduto orgânico sem valor.Palavras-chave: farinha de amendoa desengordurada; rendimento; qualidade; Agaricus bisporus; Pleurotus ostreatus; resíduos reciclados.

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The aim of this study was to develop a systematic quality index for application in the cultivation of Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Imbach mushrooms, based on the physical, chemical and biological properties (indicators) of the compost and casing layers (factors). The relative importance (weight) of each of the factors and indicators, their normalized scores, the quality index values and the correlation with the mushroom yield were evaluated. Three casings (soil + peat moss, Dutch commercial casing, and peat moss + spent mushroom substrate) and two composts were used. The resulting quality index is reliable and useful for identifying problems and can also serve as a rapid tool for possible intervention when problems occur. There was little difference between the two composts used, both of them showing high factor index values. Although the peat + spent mushroom casing presented certain limitations because of its high electrical conductivity, the other two casings showed satisfactory factor index values.