The effect of insulated covers on mushroom compost-stack temperatures

Temperatures were recorded throughout cross-sections of mushroom compost stacks, and the effect of insulating part of the stack was studied. The mean temperature throughout the total cross-section in the insulated part of the stacks was 5° C higher than in the uncovered part of the stacks. Isotherms were drawn on scaled diagrams at 10° C intervals. The areas between the isotherms were calculated and presented as cumulative frequency curves based on percentages of the total cross-sectional area; this was a useful way of assessing areas of the stack within optimum temperature ranges for different groups of microorganisms.The functions of temperature gradients in compost stacks and the possible value of covering compost stacks were discussed.