Salalah – Following a crucial role played in the recent discovery of eight fungi in Dhofar new to science – besides a wide range of fungi identified for the first time in Oman and the Arabian Peninsula – Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation’s Oman Animal and Plant Genetic Resources Centre (Mawarid) has initiated a groundbreaking project to cultivate fungi with medicinal and nutritional properties in the governorate.

This effort is part of a broader research project called ‘Wild Fungi in the Sultanate of Oman’ being pursued in collaboration with College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University, with support from Dhofar University and funding from Agricultural and Fisheries Development Fund.

The project involves collecting fungi from various areas in Dhofar, isolating these from natural environments, and transferring these to laboratories within hours for cultivation. The fungi are placed in small incubators where specific nutritional environments and controlled conditions are provided to encourage growth.

Moza bint Mohammed al Kharousi, Head of Research Facilities at Mawarid and Deputy Project Manager, said, “The project began with an intensive phase to identify these fungi and analyse their medicinal and nutritional properties. Many of these fungi exist in very small numbers in nature.”

The project’s success could pave the way for sustainable investment in fungi with nutritional and medicinal value. Farming these fungi is also crucial for their long-term preservation, especially given the challenges posed by climate change and land-use changes.

However, Moza cautioned that success of cultivation is not guaranteed in the initial attempts due to lack of knowledge about the specific conditions these fungi require for growth in a laboratory setting. Despite this, she expressed optimism about the project.

Mawarid is dedicated to preserving the genetic resources of animals, plants, microorganisms and marine life, and conducting research to promote their sustainable use in collaboration with national research institutions.