Traditional Knowledge on Mushroom consumption habits of Amhara region in four selected districts; - Mecha, Fogera, BahirDarzuria and Zege
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 infour selected districts of Amhara region, Mecha,
Zege, Fogera and Bahir Dar Zuria. In this study 115 adult individuals 81
males & 34 females 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 Fogeradistrict. Wild mushroom collection was donemainly from
cultivated farmland (65.21%) followed by termite nests (14.78%),
uncultivated land (13.04%), forestvicinity (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 cultivationmethod. 33.04% respondent said non-availability of
the well-known mushroom species, 3.47% respondeddue 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; WildIntroduction
Phylum Basdiomycota and Ascomycota are most
terrestrial abundant fungi that have a great role to the environment and
human kinds. Nowadays, interests are growing for biotechnological
cultivation of Basidiomycetes mushrooms for food, bioactive molecules in
pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Mushrooms have been attracting
attention of mankind since ancient times, in its nutritional, medical,
biotechnological properties and environmental applications. Today,
approximately 14000 described mushroom species from 1.5 million fungi
estimated, Out of which only 5-6 dozen edible mushroom have so far been
artificially cultivated and commercially exploited all over the world
addressing food security and medicinal
application [1]. Currently, mushroom farming is being practiced in more
than 100 countries and its production is increasing at the rate of 7 per
cent per annum. The use of mushrooms as food is probably as old as
civilization itself [2]. Mushrooms have also used as therapeutic foods,
useful in preventing diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis,
cancer, Hypoglycemic [3], Antitumor [4] Antioxidant [5]
Anti-inflammatory, Antiallergic [6], Antiviral activity [7],
Hypocholesterolemic [8]. And they are also engineers of forest ecosystem
in maintaining and establishing of climax community through their
capability in decomposition of lignocellulose waste in releasing
essential nutrient and composting of forest soil. Mushroom cultivation
and its research is a recent activity in Ethiopia started in 2001.
The, food, medicinal, economic value and environmental role of
Mushrooms have not been exploited so far. However, currently,
there is increasing interest and production depending on 2- 4
exotic mushroom strain like Lentinusedodes, Agaricusbisporus,
Pleurotusspp endeavors in some parts of the country [9]. Also the
community indigenous knowledge on mushroom consumption
habit regarding with medicinal and nutritional use were not
assessed and collected in order to adapt artificial cultivation in
small and large scale in the community. However, households
in rural area and some ethnic group consume indigenous
wild mushrooms traditionally by picking fruiting body where
seasonally emerging. However internationally wild mushroom
is domesticated and improved variety are recognized and
utilized at industry scale in medicinal, nutritional and ecological
manners very well. The Ethiopian wild indigenous mushrooms
are not still explored, screened, identified and characterized to
domesticate for home cultivation. As well as different species of
wild mushroom and their habitat are not studied well. Therefore,
there is little information available on wild mushrooms species
of Ethiopia, especially collected from southern part like Kaffa
and Asosa. Agaricuscampestris, L. sulphureus, T. clypeatus, T.
microcarpus#1, T. aurantiacus, T. letestui and Termitomycesspps
[10]. Therefore this study is designed in aiming to assess wild
mushroom consumption habit in four selected districts of Tana
basin area in Amhara region specifically in Mecha, Zege, Fogera
and BahirDarZuria in later to bring domestication for home
cultivation in combating food insecurity and malnutrition,
income generation, and to study wild mushroom distribution
in different ecology and environmental application in turn to
protect Tana basin ecosystem indirect destruction.
Materials and Methods
Study area
The study was conducted Amhara region in Tana sub basin
area in four selected districts particularly Mecha, Fogera,
Bahirdarzuria, and Zege about 580km away from Addis Ababa
capital City of Ethiopia towards northern western Ethiopia.
Tana Sub basin is found in the Amhara region. Geographically,
the basin is located between North latitude 1210691.00m to
1410799.77m and East longitude 253026.62m to 417182.92m.
Its elevation is ranges 1327-4109 meter above sea level. The
basin has a total area of 1,579,096.9 hectares. The largest lake in
Ethiopia, Lake Tana is found in the sub basin. Parts or the whole
of 29 Woredas and four administrative zones are encompassed
in the subbasin (Figure 1)
Data collection, sampling procedure and sample size
In order to document and assess mushroom consumption
habits and utilization practice in four district of amhara
region both primary and secondary data were purposively
collected. Structured and semi-structured open and close ended
questionnaire was designed to collect information across the 115
listed elder informants. Both interviews in the village and field
visit were made together. The questionnaires mainly focused
on informants background and experience, their knowledge
and use of wild mushrooms, period of mushroom consumption
and frequency of collection, role of different media in creating
awareness about mushrooms, status of mushroom in the past
years, ability to distinguish edible from poisonous mushrooms,
habitats and locations of mushroom sites, attitude and practice
of mushroom cultivation (if any) and factors that initiate and
hinder mushroom consumption and cultivation. Accordingly,
about 10% (115) of elderly traditional resourceful inhabitants
(81 males & 34 females) of the kebele/village were identified
and interviewed to solicit their local knowledge and attitude
towards edible mushrooms. The sample size was determined by
following Daniel (1995) procedure, and then a simple random
sampling was used to select and collect information from the
target 115 adult individuals purposively selected total elder
house hold heads:
Key informant interview
Purposively the researcher selected 9 respondents who can
be able to provide detail information regarding on the farmers
traditional Knowledge on wild edible mushroom consumption
practice and utilization in the study area. These include four
leaders from district agriculture and rural development bureau
and 5 elder leaders.
Results
Socio-economic characteristics of the selected households (socio demographic data)
The study covered 23group informants having 115adult
individuals in 4 districts Amhra Regional state. From all
studyparticipants 29.57% were females and 70.43% weremales.
The age groups of interviewed farmers in this study were
different age ranges; 20-40 years (59.14%), followed by 41-
50 years (18.27%), 51-60 years (15.54%) and above 61 years
old (6.09%). In general 77.41% of the population involved in the study was the age in between 0-50years old. With regard
torespondenteducational status 81.74% illiterate, 13.9%
primary school and 4.34% secondary school. With regard to
ethnic group, family size, respondent’s income source, farm size,
marital status, occupation summarized in Table 1.
Awareness on mushroom consumption and utilization practice inthe study area
One hundred four (90.43%) respondents of Mecha, Zege
and Bahir Darzuriadistrict have awareness about mushroom
consumption and utilization practice, few respondents especially
from Fogera districts (9.57%) did not have information about
mushroom consumption in their area elsewhere. Respondents
were asked about contribution of various information source
about use and mushroom consumption. About 67.82%
respondents replied that they have got knowledge about wild
mushroom from elderly person followed by friends (10.43%)
and agricultural centers (3.48%) respectively, similarly, media
such as radio accounted only about (8.7%) (Figure 2). Among
respondents who had reasons for eating mushroom (86.08%) of
them said that they eat mushroom because of it has good taste,
(5.22%) eat mushroom because of its high nutritional value and
(6.08%) of the inhabitants responded that mushrooms may be
substitute fish and meat, and others (2.61%) of respondent they
do not know the reason why they eat mushroom (Figure 3).
Frequency and sites of mushroom collection in the study district
Respondents (87.83%) mentioned that the collection of
mushroom depends on seasonal variation. This study revealed
that, the wild edible mushroom was mainly (65.21%) collected
from cultivated farm land and collection carried out in different
area like from termite nest , uncultivated farm land, forest vicinity
the little collection is done at wood land. All percentage of
collection is summarized in (Table 2). If the collection was nearby
to residence, usually women, children, shepherd frequently
involved to collect while men mostly involved in collecting from
a distant and forest area and vicinity. From the total of 115
respondents, 83.47% of them responded that mushrooms were
collected sometimes, 7.83% of the respondents indicated that
mushroom can be gathered when needed and the remaining
(8.7%) of them reported that they do not collect mushrooms at
any time (Table 3).
Knowledge of respondents in differentiating wild mushroom as edible and poisons
The impressing point about the respondent of study area
distinguish between edible and non-edible wild mushrooms
and they gave different reasons such as mushrooms could be
poisonous, may have bad smell, color difference, visited by many
insects, and the morphology of mushroom were some reasons
for not consuming those non-edible mushrooms (Table 4).
Mushroom as food source
Among those respondents who used mushroom as food
source, the majority (66.96%) of them cooked as ‘wot’ and 28.69%
of them fried/roasted whereas only about 4.34% respondents
indicated that they utilize fresh (raw) mushroom. And the type
of edible mushroom they prefer to eat is Agaricus spp, followed
by Termytomyces spp. A significant number of respondents
mentioned that there is no obstacle that discourages to consume
mushroom However, (63.48%) mentioned that lack of awareness
is a discouraging factor for mushroom cultivation& consumption
in scientific way. In addition, about 33.04% of respondents
indicated that non availability of mushroom species all the time
could be a reason for discouraging mushroom consumption
and similarly, few (3.47%) of respondents mentioned that
religion was a reason to be considered as obstacle to constraint
mushroom consumption (Table 5) inhabitant call wild edible
mushroom in their locality as Engudy, filit and mitatite where
those non edible locally called as Abagonfagonfi, abahoyfus and
the like. All the respondents (100%) did not cultivate mushroom
in scientific way in the study area to various reason. Table 5
summarize the reason for not cultivating mushroom (Figure 3).
Conditions under which people eat wild edible mushroom
Among the respondents, 64.35% stated that they eat wild
mushroom when they encounter by chance, others 4.35%
respondents ate wild edible mushroom when they are attracted
by good smell. However, the other 31.31% inhabitants answered
that they do not know the reason they eat wild mushroom (Table
6) (Figure 4).
Reasons for decreasing trend of wild edible mushrooms distribution
Regarding the current status of wild mushroom (both
edible & non-edible) at Amhara region in 4 districts particularly
Zege, Bahirdarzuriawerda, Mecha and Fogera, all of the
115 respondants indicated that there is a sharp decrease in
mushroom as compared to previous years particularly in the
past two decades. The main reasons for decreasing mushroom
distribution in the current study were attributed to climate
change (49%), urbanization (13.51%), chemical pollution
(12.57%) over overgrazing (9.57%), unknown reseason
(13.91) followed by deforestation (8.79 %) as reported by the
respondents (Figure 5).
Discussion
Population growth in Ethiopia coupled with increase in
demand for food, cultivation of mushroom can be one of the
alternatives means to address nutritional security in relatively
small farm space and cheap substrates such as agricultural
wastes. In 3 districts of Amhara region particularly Zege,
mecha and Bahirdarzuriawordapeople consume mushrooms
according to respondent response with the understanding
of told by elderly person, their potential substitute of meat
and fish, as well as good flavor. Firenzuoli et al. [11] has also
reported mushrooms to be sources of water (90%), protein
(2–40%), fat (28%), carbohydrates (1-55%), fiber (3-32%)
and ash (8-10%). Furthermore, there is a large body of report
that reveals various uses of mushrooms (functional food, and
as natural therapy in the form of a medicinal extract mostly for
prevention and treatment of cancer as well as other diseases)
in countries like China and Japan as stated by [11]. High fiber
content, proteins, microelements and lower caloric content
are found almost ideal for a nutrition program aimed to the
prevention of hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular diseases
[12]. Similarly, the use of mushroom for anti-cancer activities
[13], reduction of total blood cholesterol and lipoprotein
cholesterol [14], antioxidant activities, the regulation of blood
lipid levels and reduction of blood glucose levels [15] have been
reported. Studies also revealed that the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) strongly advices the consumption
of mushroom due to their high nutritional and medicinal values
[16]. The fact that elderly people contribute more in initiating
mushroom consumption indicates that they are well aware
about the nutritional and/or medicinal values of mushroom.
In addition, experience of using wild edible mushroom in the
area for a long time by the local people may also help to easily
adopt the cultivation activity if supported by concerned body
in the future. In this study, there is less involvement of various
information sources such as religious places as well as radio,
which is relatively the most available medium particularly
among the rural communities and could have played major role
in disseminating messages about the importance of mushroom.
The little use of such means of information dissemination is
a clear indication to work more in promotion and creating
awareness among the inhabitants in the future. Mayett et al. [17]
reported media and traditional recipes have important roles in
increasing demand among consumers by creating awareness.
Wild edible mushrooms are important food sources for rural
communities such as Amhara region inhabitants particularly
during the rainy season as observed during this study like in
many regions of the world. In the present study, in 3 districts
of Amhara region people are very keen in differencing between
the wild edible mushrooms from non-edible ones, experiences
that came through oral communications from their elders. This
is very interesting in that coupling such traditional knowledge
with scientific description and identification of the edible fungi
will have paramount advantage in sustainable utilization of
the resource for various obvious purposes in the area as well
as elsewhere in the region. Furthermore, such local knowledge
could be even more important for people who are not familiar
to the area as one should eat mushrooms only if one knows their
names and their properties with considerable precision. There
has been significant trend of decreasing mushroom in the past
years as confirmed from the residents of study area mainly
due to climate change, chemical pollution as well as decline
forest coverage in the area. Since there has been expansion of
agricultural land around the study area in the past years due to
human population pressure, it was clear that deforestation is the
main factor to reduce such essential on-timber forest product. It
is also logical that chemicals (particularly agrochemicals) were
additional factors to seriously affect the mushroom distribution
as farmers use the chemicals to boost crop production. Similarly,
alarming decline in wild edible mushroom populations has been
reported from central part of Burkina Faso which was closely
linked to disappearing forest habitats [18]. On the other hand,
in countries like Japan, the Republic of Korea, China, and the
Russian Federation, the tradition of eating wild edible fungi
is much stronger and appears to have withstood the changes
experienced elsewhere as stated by [19]. Hence, the population
of wild edible mushroom is increasing in some of the developed
countries probably due to better management of natural
forests in contrast to the trend seen in developing countries.
Regardless of remarkable knowledge and interest of the local
residents about mushroom consumption and its importance in
the study area, it is evident that there are severe weaknesses
to initiate mushroom cultivation. For instance, there are little
efforts by schools, agricultural experts and health workers
to create awareness among consumers about importance of
mushroom consumption and cultivation. Existence of apparent
discrepancy between mushroom knowledge and infrequent
mushroom consumption probably due to social valuation of
mushrooms has been reported [20] among local people by a
study made in Cameron. However, in contrast to the current
study, cultivation activities of mushrooms have been observed
to serve various purposes in different countries. For instance,
in Japan mushroom cultivation is an income generating
activity both in rural and urban areas [12]. Similarly, in some
African countries such as Benin and Cameroon, mushroom
cultivation generates income, particularly for women thereby
contributing to their economic independence [20]. Though none
of the residents in the study area were involved in mushroom
cultivation due to various reasons, the majority have remarkable
interest of mushroom adoption. Such interest of the people to
adopt mushroom is in agreement with investigation made in
countries likeJapan and China, in which the people strongly
accept mushrooms cultivation for their obvious nutritional and
medicinal values [15]. However, concerning some respondents
who did not support mushroom cultivation explaining that it
takes farmland, it looks that the farmers may not be well aware
about productivity of mushrooms in relatively small area. On
the other hand, Suman & Sharma [21] have reported1000 time’s
higher production of mushroom protein and good amino acid content per unit area. Furthermore, contribution of mushrooms
to make valuable addition to the often unbalanced diets of
people in developing countries [16] as well as their potential
as substitutes to muscle protein and digestibility (89%) have
already been documented [16]. The study area due to climate
change, deforestation, chemical pollution, and urbanization and
over grazing mushroom calls for the need for environmental
protection and awareness creation as well as technical support
to enable the local inhabitants adopt mushroom cultivation.
Moreover, detail diversity and distribution of mushrooms in the
area and the region at large should be encouraged for better
utilization of such environmentally friendly non-timber forest
product.
Conclusion
In this study area majority of inhabitants in 3 districts of
Mecha, bahirdarzuriaworeda, Zege, have awareness about
wild mushroom consumption and they like to eat mushroom
(mycophilic) because they believe that eating mushroom
has good taste and substitute’s meat and fish. But the Fogera
inhabitants do not have well awareness. However, as there is
no intentional mushroom cultivation, there is a need to support
the local people and establish at least small-scale mushroom
farms, and small scale enterprise that could enable the farmers
to produce not only for own consumption but it may also serve
as additional income as they may supply to local hotels and
restaurants in addition to creating job opportunity. The fact that
there is decreasing trending distribution of edible mushrooms
in the study area due to deforestation, chemical pollution, and
urbanization and over grazing which need for environmental
protection and awareness creation as well as technical support
to enable the local inhabitants adopt wild mushroom cultivation.
Moreover, detail diversity and distribution of mushrooms in
the area requiring survey, documentation and conservation of
mushroom spore and tissue in national fungal culture collection
center and the region at large should be encouraged for better
utilization of such environmentally friendly non-timber forest
product. There are many gaps in our knowledge of which benefits
from sales and consumption of these fungi, and future studies
need to emphasize the critical role that people have in making
choices and developing opportunities. Local communities
benefit much from sales though scientific cultivation. And wild
edible mushrooms are only one of many strategies that rural
people use to earn a living.
Recommendation
The government should give great attention and facilitate
scientific mushroom cultivation training for local community.
Awareness creation as long as adoption of wild mushroom
cultivation practically must done with the selected group of the
community. Proper institutional arrangements are required
make survey and conservation this forgotten wild edible
mushroom. The government facilitates to supply the good quality
of spawn at reasonable prices and in desired quantities to the
mushroom growers. Farmers’ co-operative marketing societies
and/or farmer’s organizations may be promoted to take care of
surplus quantity of mushroom production. In order to satisfy the
demand an increase in the domestic supply of fresh mushrooms
may probably enhance modern farms. These farms can achieve
lower production costs, apply effective organization in their
value chain, seek and develop special products with increased
added value and increase their negotiating ability in the food
market.
For more
details JOJ Horticulture &
Arboriculture (JOJHA) please
click on: https://juniperpublishers.com/jojha/index.php
To read more…Full Text in in Juniper
Publishers click on https://juniperpublishers.com/jojha/JOJHA.MS.ID.555552.php
Comments
Post a Comment