Summary:

The Champignon Farm partners with Unitronics to develop cutting-edge environmental control paradigms that result in extremely high yields per square meter of fresh mushrooms of the highest quality. Precision control and automation by UniStream and Vision PLC+HMI—and communications supported by Unitronics’ UCR routers—enables the farm to significantly reduce growth cycles, ensuring faster time-to-market. These products not only enhance productivity but also conserve water and energy, maintaining the highest standards of quality.

About the Company: the Champignon Farm

Founded in 1982 as a family business by Rosa and Yitzhak Davidian, the Champignon Farm is now the largest producer of fresh mushrooms supplied year-round to the Israeli local market. This growth was made possible by dedication to innovation; the company worked closely with Unitronics’ distributor RDT to perfect automated environmental control at optimized costs.

The Challenge

Strict, automated control was required to enable the Champignon Farm to produce fresh high-quality mushrooms that are firm, solid, and perfectly colored. Their goals included:

• Automating the preparation of the growth substrate
• Fine-tuning environmental control and irrigation to support each stage of mushroom development, shorten time to harvest, and allow additional harvest from the same growth substrate
• Reclaiming and recycling the considerable quantities of water released from mushroom transpiration

Additionally, seamless communication with third-party sensors and devices was essential, along with remote access to manage the system efficiently.

How Unitronics PLCs Shape the Future of Mushroom Farming

At Champignon Farm, innovation meets tradition to redefine mushroom cultivation. Eran Kobi, Operations Manager at the Champignon Farm, partnered with Unitronics’ distributor RDT, selecting Unitronics’ UniStream and Vision PLC+HMI controllers to automate different aspects of the application, and Unitronics’ UCR routers for communications support.
The resulting streamlined processes eliminated manual intervention and set the stage for exceptional mushroom yields.

Automated Substrate Preparation: Setting the Foundation for Growth

At the heart of mushroom cultivation lies the perfect substrate. A UniStream PLC + HMI controls the headfilling machine, preparing and placing the growth substrate onto nets.

1. Conveyors feed compost that has been inoculated with mushroom mycelium and peat casing into the machine.
2. The machine’s pneumatic lifts automatically raise the headfiller’s outlet to the height of the shelves in the grow house where it dispenses the compost on top of the casing.
3. UniStream relies on data from ultrasonic sensors to automatically maintain the correct balance of compost to casing, load the completed substrate onto netting, insert irrigation pipe, and then to compact the substrate to the correct height.
4. Thus loaded with substrate, the nets are automatically winched into position along the growing room’s shelves in the grow house. The machine cuts the net and pipe when the shelf is full, and moves to the next shelf.

Environmental Control: Cultivating the Perfect Conditions

Mushrooms are living, breathing organisms that demand care at every step. Doubling in size every 24 hours, their 12–15 day growth cycle requires constant precision for uniform growth. Unitronics controllers optimize conditions for consistent substrate colonization, ensuring uniform size, quality, and overall yield.

Temperature Control with Chillers: Cooling for Success

As mushrooms grow, their metabolic activity generates heat. UniStream PLCs control chillers, that keep the grow rooms at ideal temperatures.

• Heat Dissipation: During colonization, the chillers maintain 20–24°C (68–75°F), preventing overheating.
• Growth Trigger: A controlled temperature drop to 14–18°C (57–64°F) initiates fruiting, setting the stage for robust mushrooms.

Water Management: Irrigation and Recycling

Champignon Farm ensures every drop counts with innovative irrigation and recycling techniques.

• Dry Harvest, High Profits: Vision350 controllers irrigate the substrate from below, using automated control developed for the V350 in cooperation with RDT of Unitronics and drip equipment with Netafim. This method keeps the mushrooms dry; this is crucial because fresh, dry mushrooms can be harvested 24/7. Traditionally, mushrooms are irrigated from above via sprinklers--this required significant time lost in waiting for the mushrooms to dry before they can be harvested. Mushrooms picked wet are sent to the cannery, at much lower profits.
• Water Reclamation: 1000 growing meters can require 1000 liters of water in irrigation in 24 hours. Mushrooms constantly transpire (release) water vapor. UniStream controllers reclaim up to 5 cubic meters of water daily, recycling transpired vapor to meet irrigation needs. This sustainable practice slashes water waste and aligns perfectly with the mushrooms' growth cycle.

Ventilation: Balancing the Atmosphere

Mushrooms, like green plants, metabolize organic matter and emit CO₂ and water.

Excessive CO₂ concentrations inhibit growth, while optimal levels of humidity promote it. Dampers controlled by V350 regulate the CO2 level, for example by opening them to enable air from the outside to enter the grow room and lower the CO2 level. The V350 also receives sensor input data for current humidity and pressure, and regulates humidity by controlling fans accordingly.

Seamless Communication: Smart Connectivity Across the Farm

Unitronics’ proprietary UCR routers ensure smooth communication across systems.

• Advanced Protocols: MODBUS, MQTT, and SQL server enable efficient data flow between Unitronics controllers, sensors, and other components
• Remote Access: UCR routers allow authorized staff to access the HMI and Webserver applications of the Unitronics controllers, and enables secure remote access for program editing and download, troubleshooting, etc

Summary:
Beyond Tradition: the Shift to Modern Mushroom Farming

Partnering with Unitronics enables Champignon Farm to leverage advanced automation solutions, and achieve higher efficiency, sustainability, and profitability in mushroom cultivation.

From automated substrate preparation to water recycling and precision environmental control, the farm now operates at peak efficiency. These modern, cutting-edge automation technologies have transformed fresh mushrooms from a luxury item to an affordable, daily commodity.