Investigation into the Cultivation of Djondjon for Agricultural Production ​

Rebekah Morriello

Co-Presenters: Chanaiy O'Brien, Jarenin Plasencia

College: Hennings College of Science Mathematics and Technology

Major: BS.SCI/TEC/MOLBIO

Faculty Research Mentor: Comollo, Thomas  

Abstract:

Djon djon mushrooms are an important aspect of Haitian cooking, being found in culturally significant dishes particularly a black rice dish used for celebration. Growing naturally in northern Haiti, these mushrooms are not typically commercially farmed and as such, sold in their dried form for high cost. Due to this, there is a high demand and potential for agricultural production of these mushrooms in the future. There is little information on both potential agricultural cultivation methods or their taxonomic identity. Generally, it is accepted that Djon djon are a group of closely related species of mushrooms from the phylum Psathyrella, yet little information is done on the co-cultivated species present in samples. To fill these gaps, we used dried Djon djon samples to inoculate dextrose agar media and selected colonies for both the inoculation of liquid culture and genetic analysis. Using the DNeasy Plant Mini Kit for Fungal & Plant DNA Extraction, the purified DNA was sequenced and gave us insight into the identities of present fungal species. This has significant implications for future mycological research, the safeguarding of tangible cultural dishes, and improving future accessibility to these mushrooms.