Traditional Knowledge on Mushroom Consumption Habits of Amhara Region in Four Selected Districts - Mecha, Fogera, Bahirdarzuria and Zege

Volume 1 - Issue 1

Birhanu Gizaw*, ZerihunTsegay, GeneneTefera and Endegena Aynalem

Received: January 16, 2018;   Published: February 01, 2018

DOI: 10.32474/CIACR.2018.01.000104

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Abstract

Population growth coupled with increase in demand for food, domestication and scientific cultivation of wild edible mushroom is alternatives means to alleviate food shortage and malnutrition. The purpose of this study was to assess traditional wild mushroom consumption habit in four selected districts of Amhara region, Mecha, Zege, Fogera and BahirDar Zuria. In this study 115 adult individuals 81 males & 34females were selected and used as information source. Data were collected using structured open and close ended questionnaire, interview as well as personal observation. The study result indicated that (90.43%) of the Mecha, Zege and Bahirdar Zuria Woreda residents have awareness about wild mushroom consumption and its various benefits. About 9.57% of the residents do not have an awareness especially Fogera district. Wild mushroom collection was done mainly from cultivated farmland (65.21%) followed by termite nests (14.78%), uncultivated land (13.04%), forest vicinity (5.21%). All family members, children, women and men were involved in mushroom collection. However, none of the inhabitants was found to cultivate mushrooms artificially in scientific ways due to various reasons, 63.48% respondents said lack of awareness on artificial mushroom cultivation method. 33.04% respondent said non-availability of the well-known mushroom species, 3.47% responded due to religion pressure. All the inhabitants have stated the status of wild mushroom distribution has been sharply decreasing from time to time since the past two decades.

They mentioned the cause of reduction are climate change (49%), urbanization (13.51%), chemical pollution (12.57%), over overgrazing (9.57%), unknown reason (13.91%) followed by deforestation (8.79%) reported by the respondents. From the current study, it is concluded that the majority of inhabitants like eating wild mushrooms traditionally and well aware about the current decrease in wild edible mushrooms distribution, they have neither cultivated nor are aware about the possibility of cultivating mushroom artificially, implying that there is an urgent need to initiate and create awareness among the inhabitants to adopt cultivation and conservation of such very important non-timber forest product in order to protect the decreasing status of the wild mushroom. As well as to decrease the lake Tana basin ecosystem destruction, Furthermore, such awareness and cultivation process could also be important to use the mushrooms for serving to diversify agricultural activity and supplement diet as well as income generation in the long run for the local farming community. It is requiring to domesticating wild edible mushroom through exploration and conservation of this bio resource fungi of the country at national fungal culture collection center.

Keywords: Cultivation; Mushroom; Pollution; Species; wild

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