More encounters with mushrooms-Goa today, October 2008

More encounters with mushrooms
Nandkumar Kamat
(Published in october 2008, Goa Today, Panaji, Goa)
During past 22 years I had many interesting encounters with the world of mushrooms. I was just a student of Ph.D. when Dr. Sangam and Mrs. Tosha had contacted me in 1990 to discuss their plans to start commercial production of button mushrooms (scientifically known as Agaricus bisporus) about which I had no knowledge then. My research was focused on wild local edible mushrooms-none of which had been cultivated before. Button mushrooms were then not popular in Goa. The government was promoting Oyster (Pleurotus species) and paddy straw (Volvariella species) mushroom cultivation programmes. These were mostly centrally sponsored. There would have been a ‘ mushroom revolution’ in Goa by now if all those ( an estimated 5000 persons since 1986-7) who attended the free mushroom cultivation training camps were to take their training seriously. But only a few attempted to cultivate the mushrooms successfully. I remember a progressive farmer from Dabhal, Nirankal, Mr. Prakash Samant who used to visit me for consultancy. Mr. Samant had seen a programme on Doordarshan and began experimental cultivation of Oyster mushrooms in 1990-1. He was encouraged by the good yields and then immediately began marketing the small crops at ‘Sahakar bhandar’ in Ponda and Panaji. The rate for a kilogram of fresh oyster mushrooms was Rs. 60 in 1992. Later he began facing contamination problems and could not get quality spawn. I was impressed when he took me to his cottage level mushroom farm inside his kulagar. Unfortunately despite my modest technical assistance, after a few years Mr. Samant had to give up this enterprise. Then there was this enterprising couple-Mr. and Mrs. Shaila Hoskote who began oyster mushroom cultivation in their apartment in Taleigao. Mr. Hoskote even added value to the mushrooms by pickling them and selling the pickles in local market. By 2000 at least ten to fifteen small scale mushroom cultivators were selling small quantities of fresh oyster mushrooms in local market. But as the popularity of button mushrooms grew, many left the business as it became a risky and unremunerative economic activity. As for Dr. Kurade, after initial setbacks, he established himself firmly in the button mushroom production business after 1994-5. Dr. Kurade’s button mushrooms is now an established and popular brand in Goa and south India. He responded positively when I made an offer to have an MOU for research and development collaboration with Goa University. This MOU has been mutually beneficial. We would be aiming to acclimatize new species of mushrooms by conducting trial cultivation at his Bhatpal mushroom factory. We aim to domesticate local edible species of Pleurotus, Volvariella, Auricularia, Agaricus and the medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum. Although I was successful in achieving a great scientific breakthrough in domesticating the local Termitomyces species during my research work ( there was a lot of excitement about it in a National Mushroom conference, Thiruvananthpuram, 1991 when I presented the findings) practically it is very difficult if not impossible to cultivate this species since it needs a mutualistic partner-the mound building termites (Odontotermes, Macrotermes, Microtermes) for fruiting. If this was not the case then it would have been the first species in the world which scientists would have attempted to domesticate. The record for largest gilled mushroom is held by a Zambian Termitomyces species-Termitomyces titanicus. It grows to a diameter of upto one metre and each single mushroom can weigh more than a kilogram. So imagine visiting a futuristic mushroom farm which produces these titanic species and carrying home dozens of edible umbrellas. During August-November we find the smallest species of Termitomyces in Goa-the ‘shiti’ or “shitol/xitol/ olamis. These sprout in hundreds and many a times in most unlikely places. Knowledgeable mushroom hunters who spot them, gather in basketfuls and immediately cook a delicious meal. My encounters with mushrooms brought me face to face with some strange experiences. Once past midnight my telephone at Santa Cruz rang. On the other side was Mr. Suhas Thakur Dessai, a teacher and progressive horticulturist from Lamgao, Bicholim. Apparently from the excitement in his voice I could see that he was describing a bioluminescent mushroom-possibly Lampteromyces japonicus. He described its’ bluish light emission from a jackfruit tree. He was prepared to travel to St. Cruz to hand over the specimen to me. I persuaded him to postpone his visit till morning. Next day he visited our microbiology department to present the rare specimen. Nothing could be done on it because it was spoiled. Thereafter I investigated the phenomenon of “devacharachi chud’. During August to October people see- “shining wood’ in the forests. This is noticed especially by the night trekkers. When one walks in the forest after a few showers, suddenly there is magical light around-a faint bluish to yellowish green glow emitted by trees. This glow comes from a natural phenomenon of bioluminescence-from the mycelium in the wood and the live mushroom species. People could not explain this phenomenon easily because there was ignorance about bioluminescence. Today we have mushroom cultures in laboratory which can made to glow in the dark. The ‘Devacharachi chud’ had a mycological explanation. During 1987-88, a person who had camped in forests near Dudhsagar waterfalls found a shining piece of wood. He rushed to press and next day a story about “radioactive wood at dudhsagar ’ was splashed in the daily on first page. I sent a letter to the editor explaining the bioluminescence phenomena. Wood can never be radioactive. On another occasion an employee of local mining firm brought a piece of wood to our laboratory. He had found it in Sanguem forest at night in September. We obtained a pure bioluminescent fungal culture from the wood. Today there is tremendous knowledge about bioluminescence and bioluminescent mushrooms. I also developed a peculiar spiritual connection with the topic of my research. It so happened that during my surveys sometimes I used to come back empty handed. Once after traveling 20 kms. inside a forest, I could not get a single mushroom specimen. Only an hour was left for darkness to fall and get back to our base camp where the hired vehicle was parked. I sat on a moss covered rock and made a strong mental wish to mother earth that she should not be so hard on me and she should bless me with mushrooms. I was literally talking to myself. I knew that it was irrational on my part as a scientist. Perhaps it was stupid. But as I gathered my gear and started walking towards the base camp- I found a wooden log fully covered by wild Pleurotus species. Then a little further there were other mushrooms. By the time I reached the base camp I had collected more than 20 samples, at least 15 species. Subsequently, my faith in mother earth became stronger and stronger as SHE showed me her natural bounty. I could find rarest of the species all of a sudden. It was a miracle when my brother, Rajendra called me to sample a huge crop of Termitomyces species at Bondir, Santa Cruz, recently just after Ganesh Chaturthi. Interestingly, just on the day of Ganesh chaturthi itself, I had just peeped out in my garden at Our university quarters and was amazed to discover a carpet of “shiti/Shitol olamis”. I consider the emergence of Termitomyces species at Santa Cruz near my house as a miracle because never in my memory, at least for past 45 years, I had seen this rare species anywhere in Santa Cruz. Initial investigations have revealed that it may turn out to be a novel species which I would like to name after my beloved father who is no more in this world. Over past three years I have also seen a new trend-with changing climate and few unseasonal showers new species of mushrooms are appearing. On April 6th, the caretaker from our vice chancellors’ residence called me to check mushrooms on the lawns. These turned out to be a novel species of Boletaceae-never seen in our campus or anywhere in Goa before. Thanks to generous support from western ghats secretariat, planning commission, Government of India, I could survey and catalogue with excellent help from my project assistants Ms. Kumud Phadte and Ms. Nikita de Silva the mushroom diversity of Goa’s western ghats. Highlights of this work have been published in Economic surveys-2005, 2006, 2007 a prestigious and useful publication of Goa government. My students did some interesting work for their M.Sc. dissertation projects. Notably, Ms. Asavari Kulkarni who works for M/S V.M. Salgaokars was successful in cultivating the wood ear or judas’s ear mushroom-Auricularia species on drumstick wood and paddy straw. Dr. Harshala Gad worked under me to discover the secret of Termitomyces mushroom genetics. Ms. Rajshree Patil showed that polystyrene foam- Thermocol could be decomposed by mushroom cultures. Ms. Paramjit Kaur prepared new strains of button mushrooms which gave excellent yields in Dr. Kurade’s factory. Ms. Kumud and Ms. Nikita helped me in cultivating a new, local strain of Oyster mushrooms which can be easily cultivated outdoors. Ms. Amisha Shirodkar worked on Calcium biomineralization and obtained excellent results from Ganoderma lucidum cultures. Ms. Jyoti Kalngutkar meticulously worked on mushroom cultural taxonomy and found exciting forms. Ms. Chinchu Remanan was first student from Asia to isolate yeasts from beetles feeding on mushrooms. Ms. Suchita Naik catalogued the toxic, hallucinogenic and medicinal mushrooms of Goa. At present Ms. Charmaine Desouza is working under me to catalogue mushroom diversity of Panaji and suburbs whereas Ms. Yvrone Rodrigues is cataloguing the biodiversity of lesser known mushroom species. Within a year or two we would be able to have a satisfactory scientific picture of the world of mushrooms in Goa. The knowledge would be suitably disseminated with peer reviewed research papers, popular articles, monographs, brochures, handbooks and mushroom cultivation kits. Attractive CD/DVD ROMS and video clips would be brought out capturing all the magic of Goa’s beautiful mushrooms. Obviously such scientific and research endeavor needs strong and sustained public support and encouragement. My encounter with mushrooms may continue till mother earth blesses me with HER bounty. I owe everything to her.