Temitomyces heimii– A Nutritious and Medicinally Important Wild Edible Mushroom of Similipal Forests, Odisha Boosting Tribal Health and Economy

Abstract

Mushrooms are consumed worldwide because of their nutritional, medicinal values as well as pleasant taste and flavour. Wild edible mushrooms are source of livelihood for poor and landless people which they consume and sell the surplus mushrooms in the nearby market. Many people are not aware about the edibility of wild mushrooms which are generally confined to the tribal areas. However, tribals are aware of the edible mushrooms due to their age-old traditional uses and fond of hunting mushrooms during rainy season. The present paper deals with availability, collection, consumption pattern of wild edible mushrooms by tribals communities, along with preservation and economical contribution of Termitomyces heimii, a popular wild edible mushrooms profusely growing during rainy season of the Similipal, state of Odisha, India. Similipal has a greater diversity of mushrooms throughout the length and breadth due to its varying soil and climate conditions. T. heimii collected the tribal people from near forest area in 4-5 different times in huge quantities during July to October. It partly consumed and rest of the mushroom are sold in the market at a price of Rupees 300/- to 400/-. Termitomyces were more frequently available in Sal (Shorea robusta) forests. Many traders visit forest fringe villages and collect this mushroom from local collector’s and sell it in the marker with profit. Due to its taste, the mushroom has got very high demand in this locality that, it is sold within 5-6 hours after reaching to market. It is assessed that mushrooms worth 14 lakhs are sold in Baripada alone a nearly town of Similipal. The valuation T. heimii alone made by the authors during the field assessment showed that, the entire of Similipal is contributing economically nearly 1.2 crore value of mushrooms as contribution towards livelihood of tribal people. In interior areas tribal people preserve the mushrooms after drying it and consume later during after the season is end. During the study, a survey was conducted in villages adjoining to the forests and local markets to assess the quantities of mushrooms collected from forest and the value of selling valve on the market. Exercise was conducted to know the traditional preservation practice of this mushroom by tribals. From the present investigation, it is concluded that T. heimii is an important wild edible mushroom from Similipal which provides, nutrition and economic boost to the tribals in Similipal region. This promising species can be explored for its domestication in view of its preferred food value as well as a livelihood support of the rural poor people.