"DIFFERENT TO ALL OTHERS"

CULTIVATION OF DESERT MUSHROOM,

PODAXIS PISTILLARIS (L.) Morse
By
M. Mithal Jiskani
Assistant Professor (Plant Pathology)
Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam.

Mushroom is a form of plant life but has no green coloring matter or chlorophyll. It is being recognized as fleshy fungi, sometimes tough, umbrella like sporophore (fruiting body). It produces microscopic spores, which serve as a mean of reproduction, but are not same as that of plant seed. Naturally, the mushrooms grow in places like fields, woods, forests, water channels, manure heaps, bands, grassy grounds and or in the plains. The mushrooms are also observed during the rainy season on the manure heaps and dump places with abundance of humus as saprophyte and primary decomposer or on living trees or plants as parasite.

Undoubtedly, it is hard to say that how many kinds of fungi or even mushrooms are? There may be several kinds or species of mushrooms. Some are edible while others are extremely poisonous. The majority is unattractive for eating (commonly called in-or non-edible) because of poor flavor, taste, texture or small size and sometimes due to unattractive color and shape. Still other species are poisonous to some people and harmless to other and a few or not only edible, but delicious too. Poisonous mushrooms are known to be poisonous because someone ate them and become ill or died. Mostly white mushrooms are known to be edible, because people have eaten them regularly in quantity with out ill effect.

It is also pertinent to mention here that according to Litton (1975), 90 to 95 percent of all deaths in Europe resulting from mycetismus (mushroom poisoning), which have been attributed to a single species of Amanita, namely Amanita phalloids, the so called ?death cup? mushroom. It is also true that, there is no taste, other than eating to determine whether an unknown mushroom is edible or not! Hence, any one who gathers wild mushrooms for eating must be absolutely certain of the identity of every single specimen picked.

However, there are over 2,500 mushroom varieties grown in the world today. The cheapest, edible and commercial one, the button mushroom. Agaricus campestris, which is grown in more than 70 countries, producing a crop with a value of over many billion dollars (Raven and Johnson, 1992). The most important use of mushroom is an article of food.

The people of Sindh, mostly of the desert and mountain (Thar and Kohistan) areas are much familiar with the business of Desert mushroom, Podaxis pistillaris, commonly known as KHUMBHI (Fig.1). It observed in plains, meadows, coniferous forest etc. during rainy season (after summer and winter rains). It is really very much relished by the people, because of its delicacy and deliciousness, as well as its medicinal value. This mushroom contains 21.06% crude protein, 1.71% ether extract, 24.13% ash and 12.23% crude fibber (Khan, 1986).

There are various ways by which it is consumed, mostly as a fresh in breakfast. The local Hukmah (Hakims) use it in different ways for treatment of different food deficiencies and illness. Some times it is used with butter for bandage of broken bones.
 

Fig.1. Desert mushroom, Podaxis Pistillaris	Fig. 2. Desert mushroom of various ages on sale point

CLASSIFICATION
According to Alexopolous and Mims (1979) Podaxis pistillaris belongs to order Hymenogastrales, Subclass Holobasidiomycetidae and Class Basidiomycetes, but Dring (1973) placed it in order Podaxales. Smith (1973) recorded its family as Agaricaceae. While Bessey (1964) give its systematic position as Class Basidiomyceteae, subclass Eubasidiae, ?Gasteromyceteae?, orders Lycoperadales, family Podaxaxeae.

CHARACTERS
This mushroom is quite common, found in a variety of habitats and easy to recognize. Mostly, it found on ground, is tall and erect. It has a slender woody stipe (stem), which penetrates the gleba (oval to egg shaped fruiting body is called a gleba, is the fertile portion enclosed a distinct outer wall (peridium). The peridium consists of one or more layers. It may be firm, hard, soft, and papery or may even disappear during the development of the spore fruit. The peridium may open naturally after spores are mature. The gleba is fleshy first (consists of more or less fleshy mycelial growth) and become powdery after maturity. The stem extends into a gleba, therefore the pileus (cap) has failed to expand like other mushrooms, but it remains attached to the stem. The basidia are borne in cluster on short branches of hypha. The spores are not forcibly discharged from the cap, like other mushrooms, but simply fall off after the peridium is broken or has weathered away. Different specimens of various ages, grown under extremes of habitats, look like different species, but actually are only one species, Podaxis pistillaris (fig.2). According to Arora (1986), the cap is 2-15 cm high and 1-4 cm broad, oval to cylindrical; surface dry, pure white to tan, yellow-brown, or brown; typically breaking up to form shaggy fibrils or scales which may eventually wear away to reveal the smooth under-surface; eventually tearing radially or irregularly. Whereas, the stem is 4-15 (26) cm long, 0.2-1 (1.5) cm thick, equal above, the base usually swollen, solid or hollow; white and discolored with age.

CULTIVATION
Most of the people are of opinion that rain is a seed of desert mushroom, gifted from almighty Allah. Only Arora (1986), claimed that ?I have personally worked with this mushroom and have had no problem? (?!). Actually, the dark brown to black powdery mass, developed in mature mushrooms, is a huge quantity of spores, which are not seeds, but serve as a mean of seed.

Preliminary experiments have been conducted on the artificial cultivation of Desert mushroom, Podaxis pistillaris, at Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam. The results reveal that it can also be easily grown as that of other cultivated mushrooms with a little difference. It does not need tissue culture or artificially prepared spawn, but spores produced in mature mushroom, in shape of dark brown powder, can directly be used for sowing purpose. Further, the results show that there is no need of agricultural or industrial waste, nor a process of soaking, boiling or sterilizing of such material is required. On the other hand, it can be simply cultivated on flat bed of soil. Only the need is that select sandy to sandy loam soil in the surrounding of thick grove of trees and or gardens, or ordinary shed must be prepared, because direct sun rays are dangerous for this mushroom too. Ditches, caves, hut, hovels, cottage, sheds or shelters, bee-hive shaped huts, thatched or matted roofs as well as cellars, garages, kitchens, bathrooms or any other extra rooms of a house or so, can be used as a shed for mushroom cultivation.

However, small 4x5 feet sized beds may be prepared with about 9 to 12 inches layer of soil and than one soaking dose of irrigation water may be applied. After a day, the mushroom powder (spores of matured mushroom), not old than one year, may be broadcasted on the prepared bed. The same may be mixed with the help of log stick, spade or so, on 2 to 3 inches upper surface of the bed. It must be kept in mind that the beds should be under shade (of trees or artificially prepared thatches etc.). The water must be sprinkled just after mixing of the spores and twice a day on the following days, so that the beds remain moist.

No doubt, humidity, temperature and light affect primary as well as remaining growth stages of the mushroom, hence, the crop may take different period (days) in different seasons. Normally the crop may appear within 30 days. Initially, the roots like threads, (or well-developed hypha) develop from the spores, in orders to search for food, which are actually microscopic, but some times are visible. These threads transmit into mushroom, which initially appears very small and milky in color, which may vary in shape and size, on the beds, but become normal in shape and size, within one or two-three days, depending upon the environmental conditions.

HARVESTING
The mature mushrooms (but before production of spores) can be picked by twisting at the base of stem, and lifting from the bed. This mushroom also yields the crop in flushes, therefore, care must be taken during harvesting (picking), so that no any portion of harvested mushroom may remain on the bed. The subsequent flushes depend on the proper watering, humidity, temperature and light. Sometimes, other saprophytic mushrooms as well as lower fungi and different microbes cause damage to the crop and bed as well. Therefore, the cropping area must be kept cleaned and safe to public, domestic animals, birds etc.

REFERENCES

1. Alexopoulos, C. J. and C. W. Mims. 1979. Introductory Mycology. 3rd. Ed., New York. Pp. 632

2. Arora, D. 1986. Mushrooms demystified. 2nd Ed., Berkeley: Ten Speed Press: 725-26. http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0898151694/002-5088736-8940217. In: The pages maintained for the Arizona Mushroom Club by Scott Bates, contact at: azmushclub@aol.com this page was last modified on December 10, 1998.

3. Bessey, E. A. 1964. Morphology and Taxonomy of fungi. Hafner Pub. Co. New York.

4. During, D. M. 1973. Gasteromycetes. In ?The Fungi. Vol. IVB?. G. C. Ainsworth, F. K. Sparrow, and A. S. Sussman (Eds.), Academic Press New York.

5. Khan, S. M. 1986. Mushrooms, in ?Plant disease? by A. Hafiz. PARC, Islamabad. 552pp.

6. Litten, W. 1975. The most poisonous mushrooms. Scientific American 232:91 ? 101.

7. Raven, P. H. and G. B. Johnson. 1992. Biology, 3rd Ed. Mosby-Year Book, Inc. 11830 Westline Industrial Srivers, Louis, Missouri 63146, USA/

8. Smith, A. H. 1973. Agaricales and related Secotioid Gasteromycetes. In ?The Fungi. Vol. IVB?. G. C. Ainsworth, F. K. Sparrow and A. S. Sussman (Eds.), Academic Press New York.