From Ethnomycology to Fungal Biotechnology, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1999
Exploiting Fungi from Natural Resources for Novel Products

Fungi playa major role in the sustainability of the biosphere, and mycorrhizal fungi are essential for the growth of many of our woods and forests. The applications of fungi in agriculture, industry and biotechnology remain of paramount importance, as does their use as a source of drugs and to help clean up our environment. This volume contains key papers from the conference 'From Ethnomycology to Fungal Biotechnology: Exploiting Fungi from Natural Resources for Novel Products'. This was the first international scientific conference covering the transfer of traditional remedies and processes in ethnomycology to modern fungal biotechnology. The conference was held at Simla, Himachal Pradesh, India from 15 to 16 December 1997. The key subject areas addressed in the conference were the issues of exploring and exploiting fungal diversity for novel leads to new antibiotics, enzymes, medicines and a range of other leads for wood preservation, biological control, agricultural biotechnology and the uses of fungi in the food industry. The conference programme included key-note presentations followed by poster sessions and general discussion. The book is broadly based, covering five main areas: Ethnomycology, Fungal Biotechnology, Biological Control, Mycorrhizal Fungi and Fungal Pests. There is no doubt that in the past fungi have played a key role in ethnomycological remedies and that in the future they will continue to attract the interest of a wide range of disciplines ranging from environmental conservation, agriculture and the food industry to wood preservation and aerobiological studies.

Ethnomycology. From Ethnomycology to Fungal Biotechnology: a Historical Perspective; M.U. Charaya, R.S. Mehrotra. Ethnomycology and Folk Remedies: Fact and Fiction; J. Singh. Some Ethnomycological Studies from Madhya Pradesh, India; N.S.K. Harsh, et al. Some Indian Spices and their Antimicrobial Properties; D.S. Arora. Fungal Biotechnology. Exploring Mushroom Diversity for Pharmaceutical Utility; S.S. Saini, N.S. Atri. Fungal Biotechnology for the Development and Improvement of Insecticidal Fungi; J.L. Faull. Potential Biotechnical Applications of Thermophilic Moulds; A. Archana, T. Satyanarayana. Fungal Biotechnology for Effective Cereal Straw Management; M.U. Charaya. Biotechnology for the Production and Enhancement of Mycoherbicide; K.R. Aneja. Biotechnological Applications of Thermophilic Fungi in Mushroom Compost Preparation; R. Kumar, K.R. Aneja. Effectiveness of Lytic Enzymes in Isolation of Protoplasts from Trichoderma harzianum; S. Kaur, K.G. Mukerji. Timber Preservation: the Potential Use of Natural Products and Processes; J. Palfreyman, et al. Biological Control. A Biocontrol Formulation for Protection of Stored Bamboo from Decay Fungi; N.S.K Harsh, N.K. Kapse. Use of Fungi in the Control of Plant Pathogens; B.K. Singh, et al. Biological Control of Root-Knot Nematode-Destroying Fungi; N. Mittal, et al. Rhizosphere Biology of Root-Knot Diseased Abelmoscus esculentus in relation to its Biocontrol; R. Rawat, et al. Mycorrhizal Fungi. Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae in the Control of Fungal Pathogens; M. Sharma. Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae in Increasing the Yield of Aromatic Plants; R. Kapoor, K.G. Mukerji. Mycorrhizal Root Litter as a Biofertilizer; K.G. Mukerji, M. Bansal. The Application of Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Afforestation; M. Kaur, K.G. Mukerji. Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: Biofertilizer for the Future; B.P. Chamola, et al. Mycorrhizal Allelopathy in Trgonella foenum graceum; R. Gupta, K.G. Mukerji. Fungal Pests. Storage Fungi in Edible Agricultural Commodities; A. Pandey, K.G. Mukerji. Seed-borne Mycoflora of Two Under-exploited Legumes: Vigna umbellata and Psophocarpus tetragonolobus from North-eastern parts of India; V. Joshi, K.G. Mukerji. Association of Patulin with Market Samples of Dry Fruit Slices of Quinces (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) from Jammu and Kashmir, India; Y.P. Sharma, G. Sumbali. Comparison between Serpula lacrymans found in the Indian Himalayas and Mount Shasta, California; J. Bech-Andersen. Contributors. Index