The fascinating ways mushrooms multiply

Miguel Braganza

Almost everyone across the world enjoys eating mushrooms. Many other mammals, especially rodents like rats and mice, also love to nibble on them, as do wild boar, cattle, and deer. Interestingly, both humans and termites know how to cultivate mushrooms and inoculate new substrates to grow them.

Before we explore how mushrooms are grown and consumed, let’s understand what they are. The most widely cultivated and consumed mushrooms globally are the European button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) and the oyster (Dhingri) mushroom (Pleurotus species). The paddy-straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea) ranks third. The Chinese and Koreans have even patented methods for cultivating Termitomyces species, which we know as ollmi during the monsoons. In Goa, however, we still rely on Mother Nature, or Sateri, to provide them.

Cultivated mushrooms are grown using spawn or seed material. Just like banana, pineapple, bamboo, or breadfruit are propagated using suckers or vegetative parts instead of traditional seeds, mushrooms use mycelium, a network of thread-like hyphae that functions like stems or roots. Similarly, plants like croton, bougainvillea, coleus, or hibiscus are multiplied through stem cuttings.

Saying all mushrooms reproduce only by spores is like claiming all Sikhs wear turbans and have beards. It simply isn’t true. In the same way, while different Naga tribes may appear similar to outsiders, they speak different languages and can distinguish each other by the weave or colour of their clothing. Mushrooms and fungi are just as diverse, and their complexity becomes clear only with familiarity.

And not all mushrooms grow in government-protected forests and sanctuaries. Many appear in settlement zones, close to human habitation.

If there is wood and mycelium stored in a termite mound, mushrooms will continue to grow when rain and light conditions are right. So insisting that mushrooms only reproduce by spores overlooks the bigger picture.

Humans typically boil wheat or jowar grain, place it in containers, and add a bit of mycelium. The fungus feeds on the grain and spreads throughout, creating ‘seed’ that is then sown onto straw or compost to produce mushrooms.

Termites do something similar. They feed their young with mushroom fungus present in their digestive systems. Once a year, they grow wings for a day to fly, mate, and start new colonies. We call them pisollim, while entomologists refer to them as Ephemeroptera, meaning “short-lived wings”. So how does a new termite mound get inoculated with a fungus garden?

Alimentary, Dr. Watson! We may think we’re clever, but nature always proves otherwise.