Mycelial Composting Tube Mycelial Composting Tube is a tube made from waste generated during the olive tree cultivation, capable of incorporating microbial agents.
- Nationality
- Spain
- Designer
- Chu-An Chuang
About Project
The Mycelial Composting Tube is a biodegradable structure made from agricultural waste, representing an innovative approach that transforms waste into a circular resource rather than simple disposal.
Globally, more than 750 million olive trees are cultivated across 11.5 million hectares, with over 44,000 farms in operation. This process generates vast amounts of branches, leaves, pulp residues, and by-products from oil extraction, much of which is discarded. Combined with inefficient fertilizer use, this leads to soil degradation and heavy environmental burdens.
The Mycelial Composting Tube was designed to address these challenges. Farmers fill the tube with shredded branches, leaves, and olive by-products, then inoculate it with mycorrhizal fungi and white-rot fungi. These microbes break down the organic matter, creating symbiotic relationships around the roots and improving nutrient absorption. As the process unfolds, soil health improves and crops become more resilient to drought and disease. Over time, the tube itself biodegrades, reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers. Farmers can deliver nutrients precisely when needed, reducing labor demands.
The system’s social impact is also symbolic: it reduces agricultural waste, restores soil vitality, lessens environmental pollution, and lowers farming costs while increasing productivity. In the long term, it mitigates the environmental burden of traditional agriculture and establishes a sustainable model for olive cultivation. More than a green technology, the composting tube embodies a circular design that benefits agriculture, the environment, and local communities alike.