Mushrooms

Mushrooms, often classified as vegetables despite their non-plant nature, hold immense nutritional and medicinal value. With over 200 cultivated species globally, they offer a rich source of carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and protein. Mushroom cultivation has evolved into a profitable industry, contributing significantly to the global economy, with the market expected to expand further in the coming years.
This book aims to compile comprehensive and up-to-date scientific information on mushrooms, covering various aspects such as their classification, cultivation techniques, utilization in food and pharmaceutical industries, medicinal properties, and biotechnological interventions. By addressing these topics, the book seeks to provide valuable insights into the multifaceted role of mushrooms in human life and modern agriculture.
The book will discuss diverse themes, including the identification and distribution of edible mushrooms worldwide, techniques for domesticated mushroom cultivation, challenges posed by insect pests and diseases, and the potential of mushrooms in circular agriculture. It will also explore emerging research areas in biotechnology aimed at revitalizing the mushroom industry and harnessing mushrooms' medicinal properties. Through this comprehensive exploration, the book aims to serve as a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, and enthusiasts interested in unlocking the potential of mushrooms for sustainable agriculture and human health.

Prof. Dr. Imran Ul Haq, with a bright career in agriculture, plant pathology, and fungal molecular biology, has a postdoc degree from University of California Davis, USA. He is a professor in the Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan. He has supervised more than 40 graduate students and established the Fungal Molecular Biology Laboratory Culture Collection (FMB-CC-UAF); he is an affiliated member of the World Federation for Culture Collections (WFCC). He has published more than 60 articles, nine books, four laboratory manuals, and several book chapters. He has made colossal contributions to fungal taxonomy by reporting novel species of fungal pathogens in plants. His research interests are fungal molecular taxonomy and nanotechnology integration with other control strategies for sustainable plant disease management.
Prof. Dr. Siddra Ijaz, with a vibrant career in agriculture and biotechnology, has a Ph.D. from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan, and a postdoc fdegree rom the Plant Reproductive Biology Laboratory, University of California Davis, USA. She is a professor at the Center of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. She is also serving as Managing Editor of an international high-impact-factor journal, the Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences. She has supervised more than 60 M.Phil and Ph.D. students. She was a National Curriculum Revision Committee member from 2013 to 2014. She has published over 50 articles, 10 books, one laboratory manual, and several book chapters. She is the Incharge of the Molecular Biology of Plant Disease Resistance Laboratory, CABB, UAF. She is the Curator of the Fungal Molecular Biology Laboratory Culture Collection (FMB-CC-UAF) and an äliated member of the World Federation for Culture Collections (WFCC). Her research focuses on plant biotechnology, including genomics, genome probing for identifying disease resistance genes, genome engineering for fungal disease resistance in plants, and disease management through nanobiotechnology.
Dr. Hayssam Mohamad Ali is working at the Botany and Microbiology Department, College of Science, King Saud University. Dr. Hayssam M. Ali has a “WORLD RANKING OF TOP 2% SCIENTISTS ” according to the Stanford Scientists’ Ranking released by Stanford University in 2021 and 2022. He has published more than 300 papers and 10 books, and he has reviewed more than 1000 papers in high-impact-factor journals. He is interested in studying plant physiology, biotic and abiotic stresses, sustainability, molecular biology, environmental stresses, plant biotechnology, crop improvement, plant breeding, forestry, and plant biology.