Research Initiated at Udaipur Agriculture University for Cultivating Desert Mushrooms in the Laboratory

The Maharana Pratap Agricultural and Technology University in Udaipur has commenced research on cultivating desert mushrooms in the laboratory as part of a national initiative. The project is being conducted under the All India Coordinated Mushroom Research Project, which is overseen by the Directorate of Mushroom Research, Chambaghat Solan (Himachal Pradesh), a division of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi.

Dr. Narayan Lal Meena, Associate Professor and Project In-Charge, informed that, in alignment with government objectives, a survey was conducted from June to August this year across various forests, wildlife sanctuaries, and desert regions of Rajasthan. Areas surveyed included Desuri’s Nali, Pali, Jodhpur, Pokhran, Jaisalmer, Tanot, Pakistan Border, Phalodi, Siyana, Ahor, Balotra, Jhalor, Sirohi, Sadar, Kumbhalgarh, Gogunda, and roadside areas of Udaipur. The aim was to identify and collect various mushroom species.

During the survey, the research team collected a total of 100 mushroom species from different genera. The cultivation of these mushrooms has now begun in the mushroom laboratory at Udaipur. The focus is particularly on desert-adapted and nutritious mushrooms such as Phelorania inquinans, Podaxis pistillaris, Telostoma species, Blue Oyster, Wild Milk Cap, Brown Oyster, White Oyster, Tricholoma sulphureum, and Agaricus species.

As these desert mushrooms, including Phelorania inquinans, Podaxis pistillaris, and Telostoma species, have not been cultivated in laboratories until now, the research team, including Dr. N. L. Meena, Avinash Kumar Nagda, and Kisan Singh Rajput, has intensified efforts to cultivate them artificially. These mushrooms are valued for their nutritional and medicinal benefits. In western Rajasthan, people collect these mushrooms from sandy dunes after the first rains and sell them in the market for INR 400-500 per kilogram. They are also used to prepare nutritious dishes, providing essential nutrients and contributing to overall health.

Successful research and cultivation could lead to a mushroom production revolution not only in western Rajasthan but across the entire country.