Tasaduq Hussain
Leh, May 5: Highlighting the importance and potential of fungi and wild mushrooms in the ecosystem of the Ladakh region, a young botany scholar from Ladakh was recently conferred with the prestigious Dr APJ Abdul Kalam scientific excellence award-2020.
Dr Konchok Dorjey, a resident of a remote village Wanla in Ladakh is a permanent Assistant Professor at Eliezer Joldan Memorial (EJM), College Leh, and teaches Botany there for the past five years now.
Konchok said that “I received Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam scientific excellence award for research work related to the fungi, particularly wild mushroom diversity in the Ladakh region highlighting their potential and importance in the ecosystem since no work was done on them for past decades.”
Dorjey said that he has been awarded for his published research work related to diversity of macrofungi, and its distribution, phenology and fungal substrate preferences, and ethnomycological studies wherein it’s highlighted how the fungi is connected with the indigenous people of Ladakh in traditional, culture, ritual and as to how some myths have evoked.
Dorjey said that the study also highlights how many wild mushrooms are edible and poisonous while some are non-edible.
Besides, he also worked on ethnobotany of Ladakh region wherein it’s highlighted how plants, flowers and seeds are used in traditional manners.
About the help his study can extend to the Ladakh region, Dorjey said that fungi are part of biodiversity but unfortunately there was no work or study done on it at all, “and not single fungi in the entire region were reported before this study.”
“All the species reported were new since no work was done on this parameter before and even some species were recorded the first time in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and India,” he claimed.
He said that in the study it is also highlighted about the vital season of fungi in the Ladakh region since the growing season is lesser and which particular fungi are found at what time besides the distribution, diversity, edibility and medicinal value of fungi.
“Medicinal fungi highlighted in the study are mentioned in traditional medicinal systems like the Sowa-rigpa or amchi system for treatment regionally,” he said.
Dorjey said that the traditionally used wild fungi have also been reported in the study and all those mushrooms and fungi can be cultivated at the commercial level as well.
He stated that medicinal mushrooms can be even taken to pharmacies for the preparation of medicines as well.
“Fungi have a high role in the fragile ecosystem of Ladakh as fungi are the main decomposer of an ecosystem,” he maintained.
He said that he started his Ph.D. back in 2011 and it was then when the work over thesis papers commenced and was submitted in 2014 while he got recruited to EJM college Leh in 2017 and received this prestigious award in April 2021in the ensuing year.
“This study is a novel contribution towards the overall ecosystem and biodiversity of Ladakh region,” Dorjey said.
