COMPANION CROPPING STROPHARIA MUSHROOMS WITH HEMP FOR NUTRIENT RECOVERY AND ECONOMIC RETURN

The long-term goal of the proposed project is to build a working knowledge of the waste stream generated by medical hemp farmers and identify waste management strategies that provide economic and environmental returns to small and medium-sized farms. The goal is approached with four specific objectives: (1) Quantify waste streams produced by medical hemp at partner farms, (2) Evaluate the effectiveness of SRA for nutrient recycling and availability to plants, (3) Assess the impact of each recycling strategy on plant disease and yield, and (4) Perform a cost-benefit analysis to assess the feasibility of mushroom companions as an economically viable option compared to other fertility and recycling strategies.