507943 - EDIBLE MUSHROOMS IDENTIFICATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE

courses

ID:

507943

Duration (hours):

28

CFU:

SSD:

BOTANICA SISTEMATICA

Year:

2025

Date/time interval

Primo Semestre (01/10/2025 - 16/01/2026)

Course Objectives

Main objectives and learning outcomes: 1) to know the main fungal groups of food and non-food interest, in particular their recognition, ecology, fields of application and possible cultivation; 2) to acquire a general method for identifying and distinguishing fungal species of food interest from those belonging to toxic groups (how to observe a fungus and what characteristics to observe, comparison with recognition manuals and macro and microscopic morphology); 3) understanding the importance of medicinal mushrooms: knowing the characteristics that determine their properties; 4) learning the processes that lead from field collection to cultivation and preservation of fungal species; 5) outline the figure of the mycologist and his or her possibilities of expression in the working world; 6) understand how to carry out a bibliographic search and understand how to critically approach scientific literature.

Course Prerequisites

It is necessary that the students have attended a Botany course in which the topic of the Kingdom of Fungi is included. Knowledge of basic elements of mycology is required, in particular: the fungal cell, the systematics of the Fungi kingdom, fungal ecology. In any case, the required basic skills will be recalled in the first lessons.

Teaching Methods

-Part of the course will be conducted through lectures in which the above topics will be covered and discussed, as well as a live analysis of fresh fungal specimens (in relation to availability and seasonality); -A field activity of approximately 4 hours will be carried out in a locality easily reached by all students in Pavia, to put into practice the recognition seen in the lecture directly in nature; - Laboratory activities will be carried out on dates to be agreed and will take place at the Mycology Laboratory (Botanical Garden premises) with optical microscopes, stereomicroscopes and specialised texts.

Assessment Methods

The final examination will be oral. The examination will consist of two parts: - RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC AND CRITICAL EXAMINATION: the student will be required to present and briefly argue, by means of bibliographical research of a scientific article and through other sources, a topic of his or her choice as long as it is consistent with the topics of the course. Particular attention will be paid to the selection and critical interpretation of bibliographic sources. -DISCUSSION AND APPROACH OF COURSE CONTENTS: knowledge of the course contents covered in class and in the workshop will be assessed.

Texts

All material including lectures and in-depth studies will be made available on Kiro. However, mycology texts and manuals will be made available to students during the lectures and activities. Please note that part of the material provided will be in English as it is unavailable in Italian.

The course deals with macro fungi that are used for food and/or nutraceutical purposes or have characteristics that make them of interest from an application and/or sustainability perspective. Particular attention is paid to the methodology for the correct identification of edible species, especially in cases where there is a strong resemblance to toxic species. Part of the course is also dedicated to the cultivation of mushrooms, a practice that enables their wide use in various fields. 1 - Introduction to the course. Recalls of basic mycology: fungal cell and mycelium development; mitosporic fungi; biological cycles of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. 2 - Ecological aspects: how to look for and what to collect in the field. [laboratory] Macro fungi and trophic groups. The content of the lecture is also expected to be addressed through field activities. 3 - Morphological criteria for identifying macro fungi. [laboratory] Practical examples of the fungi of interest in the course. 4 - Ascomycota: the genera Morchella and Tuber. Examples of sustainable land use through the production of truffles. 5 - Macrofungus and medicinal properties. What they are and why they are important: a general overview. 6 - The genus Ganoderma and the genus Hericium. Examples of mushrooms of medicinal interest. 7- Agaricus bisporus (champignon mushroom). The most cultivated mushroom in the world. 8- The genus Pleurotus. Many Pleurotus species and different cultivation techniques. 9 - From the field to biodiversity conservation. From morphological species identification to biomolecular identification. Selection and maintenance of fungal strains. 10- From field to laboratory: isolation, conservation and cultivation. [laboratory] Practical activity to understand the basics of mushroom cultivation. 11- Mushrooms and biotechnology in food. Outlines of national and European legislation. 12 - Applications and innovations for a sustainable and technological use of the mushroom heritage. Examples of how mushroom knowledge can be used in multiple application fields. A small part of the lecture will be devoted to an explanation of how to carry out correct bibliographic research in view of what will be required to complete the final examination.