Morchella esculenta Fr.: biodiversity, sustainable conservation, marketing and ethno-mycological studies on medicinal fungus from Kashmir Himalayas, India
755 / 225
Authors
-
MONIKA THAKUR
Amity Institute of Food Technology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh -201303, India
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6903-9323
Abstract
Abstract
Morchella esculenta, commonly referred to as “kann gitch†in Kashmir, is the costliest and the most sought after macro-fungi in the world. This study documents the ethnomycological data on the collection, appearances, consumption, myths associated, ethnic use in food and medicine, marketing and storage of morels found in Kashmir region. The production and export of these morels have also been documented in the present study. This indigenous technical knowledge of M. esculenta was gathered by PRA technique. A total of 56 respondents (recommended by locals and knowledgeable elders) were interviewed. The data collected was analyzed using Index of Cultural Significance (ICS), Fidelity Level (FL), Use value (UV) and Informant Consensus Factor (FIC). It was found to be used in various traditional recipes and in treating various ailments like Pneumonia, respiratory problems, fever, cough, cold, etc. The price of dried morels ranges from $ 310-620 per kilogram. Its skyrocketing price is attributed to its production only in the wild and declining yield. Therefore, extensive attempts should be made to domesticate this valuable fungus on a large scale and to exploit its underutilized nutritional and medicinal potential.
Key words: PRA technique, Index of Cultural Significance, Fidelity Level, Use value, Informant Consensus Factor.
Â
References
References
Batra, L. R., S. W. T. Batra. 1963. Indian Discomycetes. Univ Kansas Sci Bulletin 44:109-256.
Boruah, P., P. Kailta, D. Bordoloi, P. Gogi and R. K. Adhikary. 1997. Some fleshy fungi of ethnobotanic use from north east India. Advances in Forestry Research in India 16:165-171.
Canales, M., T. Hernandez, J. Caballero, A. Romo de Vivar, G. Avila , A. Duran and R. Lira. 2005. Informant consensus factor and antibacterial activity of the medicinal plants used by the people of San Rafael Coxcatlan, Puebla, Mexico. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 97:429-439.
Chang, S.T., W.A.Hayes. 1978. The biology and Cultivation of edible Mushrooms, p. 819, Acad. Press: New York.
Charaya, M.U., R.S. Mehrotra. 1999. From Ethnomycology to Fungal Biotechnology: A Historical Perspective. In: Singh J, Aneja KR. eds. From Ethnomycology to Fungal Biotechnology: Exploiting Fungi from Natural Resources for Novel Products, p. 1-10, New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.
Deshmukh, S.K. 2004. Biodiversity of tropical basidiomycetes as sources of novel secondary metabolites. In: Jain PC, eds. Microbiology and biotechnology for sustainable development, p. 121-140, CBS Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi.
Egli, S., M. Peter, C. Buser, W. Stahel and F. Ayer. 2006. Mushroom Picking Does Not Impair Future Harvests- Results of a Long-Term Study in Switzerland. Biological Conservation 12(2):271-276.
Friedman, J., Z. Yaniv, A. Dafni and D.Palewitch. 1986. A preliminary classification of the healing potential of me¬dicinal plants, based on a rational analysis of an ethno-pharmacological field survey among Bedouins in the Ne¬gev Desert, Israel. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 16:275-287.
Fries, E.M. 1753. Species Plantarum (in Latin): 1178–79.
Garci a-Pascual P., N. Sanjuan, R. Melis and M. A. Mulet. 2006. Morchella esculenta (morel) rehydration process modeling. J. Food Eng: 72:346 – 353.
Ghosh, R. N., N. C. Pathak. 1962. Fungi of India-1 Morchella, Verpa, and Helvella. Bulletin. Nat. Bot. Gardens (Lucknow) 71:1-19.
Grainger, T. 1946. Ecology of the Larger Fungi, Trans. Br. Mycol. Soc.: 29:52-63.
Hamayun, M., S. A. Khan, H. Ahmad, D.H. Shin and I. J. Lee. 2006. Morel collection and marketing: A case study from the Hindu-Kush mountain region of Swat, Pakistan. Lyonia J. Ecol. Appl.11 (2):7- 13.
Harsh, N. S. K., B. K. Rai and S. S. Ayachi. 1993. Forest fungi and tribal economy- a case study in Baiga tribe of Madhya Pradesh. J. Trop. Forest 9:270-279.
Harsh, N. S. K., C. K. Tiwari and B. K. Rai. 1996. Forest fungi in the aid of tribal women of Madhya Pradesh. Sustainable Forestry 1:10-15.
Heim, R., R. Cailleux, R. G. Wasson and P. Thevenard. 1967. Nouvelle investigations sur les Champignons Hallucinogenes [New Investigations on Hallucinogenic Mushrooms]. MuseÌum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris.
Heinrich, M., A. Ankli, B. Frei, C. Weimann and O. Sticher. 1998. Medicinal plants in Mexico: Healers’ consensus and cultural importance. Social Science and Medicine 47:1859-1871.
Huffman, D. M., L. H. Tiffany. 2001. Spring morels and false morels of midcontinental U.S. Bioscene. 27(4):3-11.
Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department. 2013. Digest of Forest Statistics, (Divisional Forest Officer, Statistics Division), Srinagar.
Jandaik, C.L., S.R. Sharma, 1995. Present status of Morchella in India. In K.L. Chadda and S.R. Sharma eds. Advances in Horticulture, p. 171-194. Malhotra Publishing House, New Delhi.
Kaul, T.N. 1976. Common edible mushrooms of Jammu and Kashmir. Mush. Sci.1:517-529.
Kaul, T.N., M. L. Khurana, J. L. Kachroo, A. Krishna and C. K. Atal .1981.Myco-ecological studies on morel bearing sites in Kashmir. Mush. Sci. 11:789-797.
Kumar, S., Y. P. Sharma. 2010. Morel trade in Jammu and Kashmir- need for organized commercialization. Everyman’s Science: XLV (2):111-112.
Lakhanpal, T. N., I. Sai and M. Thakur. 2016. Biodiversity of wild edible, mycorrhizal and nutraceutically important mushrooms. In: Sharma S, Singh M, Prasad S, Rathore H. eds, p. 8- 37. Mushrooms of India. IIT Delhi.
Lakhanpal, T. N., O. S. Shad. 1986a. Studies on wild edible Mushrooms of Himachal Pradesh (N.W. Himalayas)-I. Ethnomycology, Production and Trade of Morchella species. Indian J. Mush. 12-13:5-13.
Lakhanpal, T.N., O.S. Shad. 1986b. Studies on wild edible Mushrooms of Himachal Pradesh (N.W. Himalayas)-II. Ecological relationships of Morchella species. Indian J. Mush. 12-13: 15-20.
Lakhanpal, T. N., O. Shad, M. Rana. 2010. Biology of Indian mushrooms, p. 266. I.K. International Publishing House.
Munjal, R. L., A. D. Sharma and C. Jandaik. 1977. Edaphic factors in relation to growth of Morchella species. Indian J. Mush. 2:49-50.
Negi, C. S. 2006. Morels (Morchella spp.) in Kumaun Himalaya. Nat. prod. Rad. 5(4):306 – 310.
Paliwal, A., A. Bohra, U. Pillai and D. K. Purohit. 2013. First report of Morchella –an edible morel from mount Abu, Rajasthan. Middle East J. Sci. Res. 18(3):327-329.
Pandey, G., B. K. Singh. 1978. Indian Mushroom Sciences I 383-388.
Persoon, C. H. 1801. Synopsis Methodica Fungorum 2: 618.
Phillips, O., A. H. Gentry. 1993. The useful plants of Tambopata, Peru: I. Statistical hypotheses tests with a new quantitative technique. Economic Botany 47:15-32.
Prasad, P., K. Chauhan, L.S. Kandari, R.K. Maikhuri, A. Purohit, R.P. Bhatt and K.S. Rao. 2002. Morchella esculenta (Guchhi): Need for scientific intervention for its cultivation in Central Himalaya. Current Science 82(9):1098-1100.
Rai, B.K., S. S. Ayachi and R. Arvinder. 1993. A note on ethnomycomedicines from central India. Mycologist 7:192-193.
Rana, M. 2002. Ethnobotanical Studies on the Morels of District Kinnaur (H.P.) (M.Phil. Dissertation). Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, India.
Rathore, M. 2001. Studies on Some Wild Edible Mushrooms of Chamba (Himachal Pradesh) (M. Phil. Dissertation). Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, India.
Shad, O. S. 1989. Biological studies on Morchella species (morels) of Himachal Himalayas (Ph.D. Thesis). Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, India.
Sharma, M. 2001. Studies on Some Wild Edible Mushrooms of Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh). (M.Phil. Dissertation).Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, India.
Sohi, H. S., S. Kumar and P.K. Seth. 1965. Some interesting fleshy fungi from Himachal Pradesh. J. Indian Bot. Soc 54:69-73.
Sydow, H., E. J. Butler. 1911. Fungi Indiae Orientalis part III. Ann. Mycol. 9: 372-421.
Thakur, M. 2015. Wild mushrooms as untapped treasures. In: Natural Products: Recent Advances, p. 214-226. Write and Print Publications. New Delhi.
Turner, N. J. 1998. “The importance of a roseâ€: Evaluat¬ing the cultural significance of plants in Thompson and Lillooet Interior Salish. American Anthropologist 90:272-290.
Wakode,D. D. 1983. Distribution of Morchella in time and space with special reference to Melghat forests, Science and Cultivation of Edible Fungi. Symposium conducted at Regional Research Laboratory, Sanatnagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Waraitch, K. S. 1976. The genus Morchella in India. Kavaka.4:69-76.
Wasson, R. G. 1980. The wondrous mushrooms, p. 248, Mc Graw Hill Book Co., New York.
Wasson, V. P., R. G.Wasson. 1957. Mushrooms, Russia and History. Pantheon,New York.
Downloads
Submitted
Published
Issue
Section
License
I/We have taken permission from the copyright holder to reproduce the matter not owned by me and acknowledged the source.
I/We permit editors to publish the said paper in the journal or in any other means with editorial modification, if any.
In case of publication of the article in the journal,
I/We hereby assign copyright to the Mushroom Research Journal for its publication in any form/language including all media (print and electronic, or presently unknown), and exclusive right to use the matter for the life of the work (no time restriction on re-use of matter).Â