G. L Khajuria
The mushrooms are as varied and countless as are our flowering plants, herbs and shrubs from lowest strata to higher ones. These are both palatable and non-palatable, poisonous and non-poisonous fungi mostly manifesting their wild existence. These mostly subsist on Dead, Dying and Diseases(3D’S) trees both in standing and felled from of logs in the forest. These as well exhibit their growth in a multihued form at various sites in and around the forest areas. Some of the palatable mushrooms exists on coniferous trees such as kail and chir in the form of beehive and most of them are palatable.
In rainy season, some forms of fungi emerge out from ground, and around termite mounds when there is lightning and thunders which are spoken as ‘khumbaan’ in dogri parlance. This variety of fungi is highly serving as multimedicinal properties in one form or the other. These exists both in wild and local habitation of rural areas. The tribal people are expert in identifying both the palatable and non-palatable mushrooms and they mostly relish on such mushrooms as their favorite and delicious dish.
Around 2,000 species of mushrooms have been identified, out of which as many as 25 have been classified as edible. In delicacy, mushrooms are difficult to resist and that is why this variety forms the predominant part amongst other dishes displayed during important functions, particularly marriages menues. Its delicacy mushrooms are peerless and non-resistible. These form the prominent part for the vegetarians in breakfast, lunch or dinner and are evergreen dish which in a way is not ignorable.
Mushrooms are of delicious taste and can be taken in a variety of ways: Mushroom with tea, coffee, in toasts with sauce.
The significance and awareness regarding nutritive value of mushrooms still remains obscureand unidentified. These warrant awakening, promotion, propagation to encourage their cultivation, and this is not only by the farmers alone, but any person who is having an inclination towards gardening, floriculture and horticulture etc.
Modern field in home gardening within and around home is, of course, much ahead than ever before. People of all ages are keenly enthusiastic in raising multihued variety of ornamental plants (Flowering-cum-foliage).
Globally, mushroom cultivation took its initiation far back around 17thcenturay in France. Now these have become a leading industry in many other countries like US, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Britain, Australia, Italy, Canada, Korea, China, Taiwan, and Japan and so many other countries. In a sense, mushroom cultivation has taken a worldwide phenomenon. Apart from vast, interest in its cultivation, it improves the economy in a bigger way as thus yielding hefty dividends for professional cultivators.
In our country, the full potential of mushrooms cultivation remains to be tapped as yet. In many parts of our country, mushroom cultivation is viable due to the ideal atmospheric conditions eg: in the Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, mushrooms can very conveniently be cultivated in nine months of the year under natural conditions.
The availability of technical know-how has, however, made the mushroom growers to cultivate not only in their backyards but indoors under proper climatic conditions.
In the recent times, the technology of mushroom cultivation has been considerably improved and diversified to cover a wide range of species suited to different geographical areas of the country.
At present, three varieties of edible mushrooms are being cultivated on commercial basis. These varieties are European mushroom(Agaricusbisporus), oyster mushroom(Pleurotusspp) and the paddy straw mushroom (Poluartellspp). The scientific know-how for their cultivation on commercial basis have however, been for its initiation. The temperate valley of Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, W.Bengal, Tamil Nadu are ideally suitable around the world.
In winter, mushrooms can conveniently be grown in the plains of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu.
In order to ensure good cultivation of mushrooms, complete darkness is no pre-requisite as the mushrooms don’t need sunlight at any stage in their cultivation. Manure is oftenly used in wooden trays which should be carefully kept on cemented floors with overhead roof and water availability nearby.
As stated earlier, many mushrooms have been found perched upon Kail and other coniferous trees in the forest. These are exhibited on decaying/decayed stumps which are of umbrella- shape and come under a wide range of fungi and come under a distinct type such as load stools, buff balls and these are found associated with lichens and ferns, yeast and are non-flowering being evolved much earlier than flowering plants.
Owing to the fact that there is lacking chlorophyll, these subsist on decayed matter which is abundantly found on the ground of forest areas.
Mushrooms are meat-eaters too. Biologistics have found that mushrooms trap microorganisms and other insects whom they can capture/trap and conveniently consume. This is the magic of nature which nature alone can well understand. How a vegetarian becomes non-vegetarian and vice-versa is much beyond human imagination. Like us and other bio-forms, the meat-eating mushrooms have, of course, been provided by nature certain enzymes which help in the digestion and assimilation of their intakes. That way these mushrooms act as scavengers in the wide varied biodiversity for which they have their own role to play with in a broader spectrum in balancing the ecosystem and the worldwide sustainability.