Establish a database of large mushroom species in different forest systems in Vietnam to record the potential to be used as food, estimate production, crop season and screen the cultivability of the edible forest mushrooms which appear in large quantities.
Main tasks of the project
- Survey, set up sample plots and sampling routes at: 4 sample plots, each sample plot is 4 hectares (200m x 200m), set up 3 sampling lines with perimeter of 3 concentric squares within an area of 4 hectares, 1 hectare and 0.25 hectare respectively. Sample plots are established at Tam Dao National Park, Thuong Tien Nature Reserve, Da Nhim Protection Forest and Dong Nai Cultural Nature Reserve.
- Collect mushroom samples along sampling lines and sample plots continuously for 1 year: Collect samples once every 2 weeks, 23 times/year on all 4 sample plots (Do not collect samples during the dry and rainy seasons in the north). Collect fungal samples, describe morphology in the field, collect molecular biology samples, record ecological data such as sample weight, temperature, air humidity and rain/sunshine at the sampling areas. Dry, number and preserve samples. Isolate fungal samples on agar medium.
- Identification of mushroom samples: DNA extraction and preliminary identification based on ITS sequences of all samples, comparison with morphological description to identify detailed samples in the group of edible/poisonous mushrooms that have been recorded in the world.
- Storing, preserving, and investigating the mycelial development ability of isolated edible mushroom varieties.
- Screen and select 1-2 potential edible mushroom species and experimentally cultivate them.
- Process data, write reports and publish results.
Project impact
- Forest mushrooms are a valuable resource that can be used both as food and as traditional medicine. Understanding this resource helps us manage and exploit it effectively.
- While natural forest mushrooms are sold at high prices in the market, every year there are still many cases of death due to eating poisonous mushrooms. Descriptive data on edible and poisonous mushrooms can help local communities make better use of natural resources, especially non-timber forest products, in planting and protecting forests. In addition, molecular biological data on poisonous mushrooms helps poison control centers develop rapid test kits to detect poisonous agents for better treatment regimens.
- Data on yield and harvest timing provide local communities with better harvesting strategies to increase income while keeping resources sustainable.
- New species and new records from the region are announced and added to the list of major mushrooms in Vietnam.
- The collection of dried specimens helps future studies to test, compare, and revise the project’s research results as well as supplement more accurate and scientific data on Vietnamese large mushrooms.