Virtual Training cum Demonstration Programme onMedicinal and Edible Mushroom Cultivation

To celebrate ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ and also on the occasion of Mushroom Day, which is celebrated every year on 15 October, an online trainingcum demonstration programme on ‘Medicinal and Edible Mushroom Cultivation’ was organized on 23^rd Oct, 2021 by Forest Pathology Discipline, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun. More than 100 participants from Uttaranchal University, Alpine Institute, Dolphin P.G. Institute ofBiomedical and Natural Sciences, Doon P.G. College and FRI (deemed to be) University, Dehradun joined the programme. The Director General, ICFRE, Shri Arun Singh Rawat inaugurated the training program and stressed upon the need for large-scale mushroom cultivation owing to its high nutrient and medicinal potential. The virtual training programme was one of its kind as it was a step-wise live demonstration of Oyster and Ganoderma cultivation. Entrepreneurs such as Sh. Gursharan Bajwa, M.D. of Doon Eagle Pvt. Ltd. and Shri Pramod Chaurasiya, Director, Krishi Van Doon Pvt. Ltd were the special invitees who shared their commercial products, ventures and experiences with the participants.Benefits of mushroom consumption, important edible and medicinal mushrooms, cultivation techniques includingspawn preparation, substrate treatment, bag preparation, spawn mixing, harvesting, utilization and common contaminants of mushrooms were discussed. In this training program Dr. Amit Pandey, Dr. Vipin Prakash, Dr. Shailesh Pandey, Ms. Ranjana Juwantha, Dr. Manoj Kumar and Shri Santosh were the resource persons from Forest Pathology Discipline of FRI.