Doctorate on edible mushroom: Applying traditional knowledge of people belonging to Kaani tribe in the Western Ghats – Tamil Nadu

Posted on 08/04/2013 by website administrator

The Hindu, Nagercoil, April 8, 2013

The traditional knowledge of people belonging to Kaani tribe in the Western Ghats of Kanyakumari district has helped a research student secure her doctorate.

The Kaani tribe, who inhabit hills and deep jungles, are a veritable storehouse of traditional wisdom. Their traditional knowledge is passed orally through generations. Mushrooms form a prominent place in their menu. Since Kanyakumari district is blessed by two monsoons, the tribal people go in search of mushrooms after the rain. Environmental educator S.S. Davidson, who is conducting research on the culture of the Kaani tribe, told The Hindu that the tribal people shared their knowledge on a host of edible mushrooms to a team of mycologists headed by him. A research scholar, Johnsy Moses, chose an edible mushroom, ‘Lentinus,’ for her doctoral research at the Centre for Advanced Studies in Botany of Madras University.

The edible mushroom was cultured in controlled laboratory conditions in the university. […]

The ‘Lentius’ mushroom grows at the base of bamboos. If bamboo clusters were destroyed or degraded, there was every possibility of this edible mushroom species facing extinction owing to loss of habitat.

These wild mushrooms could be commercially exploited to add variety to the menu, said Davidson. The research scholar was awarded PhD degree for her research. She was guided by V. Kaviarasan, a mycology expert in Madras University.

Source: Chennai student conducts study on mushrooms of Western Ghats – The Hindu
Address : http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/chennai-student-conducts-study-on-mushrooms-of-western-ghats/article4593311.ece
Date Visited: Mon Apr 08 2013 16:27:27 GMT+0200 (CEST)

More posts contributed by Davidson Sargunam >>

For inquiries on environmental exposure programs, please contact
Davidson Sargunam
Environmental Educationist
M: 09994138550
email: ssdavidson9@gmail.com

Tribal Foundation
23, Cave Street, Duthie School Road
Nagercoil – 629 001
Tamil Nadu
Reg. No: 1116/2009

Research the above issues with the help of Shodhganga: A reservoir of theses from universities all over India, made available under Open Access >>

Publications on the above issues may be found here (title descriptions and libraries):

Search for an item in libraries near you:
WorldCat.org >>

For a list of periodicals included in a single search, see below. To search Indian magazines, web portals and other sources safely, click here >>

Search tips: if you miss a Custom Search window or media contents on this page (1) switch from “Reader” to regular viewing; (2) set your browser’s Security settings to “Enable JavaScript”; (3) if still missing, check Google support for browsers and devices. | More tips >>

List of Indian periodicals and sites covered by the present Custom search engine

Find recent press reports on India’s tribal cultural heritage on this page or click here for viewing the search window along with a list of the periodicals included in your search. To search Indian magazines, web portals and other sources safely, click here >>

Related posts

Explore India’s tribal cultural heritage with the help of several interactive maps, specially created for visitors to this website:

About website administrator

Secretary of the foundation
This entry was posted in Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Health and nutrition, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Revival of traditions, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.