4 min readSrinagarApr 10, 2026 05:55 AM IST
In a major breakthrough, the Sheri Kashmir University of Agriculture and Sciences (SKUAST) in Srinagar has cultivated the most expensive and rare edible mushroom for the first time in controlled condition.
Morels or Morchella, locally known as Kangaech, that grows naturally in specific high elevation forest ecosystems during a narrow rainy season costs anything between Rs 15,000 to Rs 40,000 per kilogram.
“This is a game changing breakthrough,” said Vice Chancellor SKUAST-K Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai. “This innovation marks a paradigm shift — from dependence on uncertain wild collection to a controlled, scalable production system. It opens new opportunities for farmers, youth and entrepreneurs and contributes to ecological conservation.”
The cultivation of wild Morels in controlled conditions has been achieved independently by three people in SKUAST — Prof Tariq Ahmad Sofi, his student Kamran Muneer from the Faculty of Horticulture, and Prof Vikas Gupta from the faculty of agriculture.
Morels or Morchella, locally known as Kangaech, that grows naturally in specific high elevation forest ecosystems during a narrow rainy season costs anything between Rs 15,000 to Rs 40,000 per kilogram.
“We have been working on it for more than five years now,” Dr Sofi told The Indian Express. “We have collected wild Morchella from over 1,000 locations, studied the soil, microclimate, flora and fauna surrounding each location. We shortlisted 10 strains and created similar conditions for their cultivation under a controlled system. Of the 10, we have had fruit in three strains and we expect in a few more”.
Morchella is a highly valued gourmet mushroom known for its intense and distinct flavour, superior nutritional profile and medicinal properties. The harvesting of the wild Morchella is a laborious and time-consuming process as gatherers carefully scour dense forests in harsh weather conditions. Sometimes, they return empty handed even after several days of foraging.
While Sofi and his team have cultivated the Morels in polyhouse conditions, Gupta has successfully cultivated them in open conditions. Sofi said they have already applied for the patent.
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Morchella is a highly valued gourmet mushroom known for its intense and distinct flavour, superior nutritional profile and medicinal properties.
Sofi said they have cultivated Morchella in several microclimatic zones of the Valley — including Baramulla, Anantnag and Srinagar — and are planning to cultivate at different elevations and micro-climatic zones in coming days.
The cultivation of Morchella has been a major scientific challenge especially as the species is known for a complex life cycle, symbiotic ecological behaviour and highly specific environmental requirements that makes the artificial cultivation extremely difficult.
“Morchella needs specific moisture and temperatures both in terms of soil and weather to grow. Then different strains of the Morchella need association of different specific plants,” he said. “We have minutely studied the conditions required by each strain and created similar conditions in a controlled atmosphere”.
Having a high-export value, the cultivation of Morchella under controlled conditions is likely to open new frontiers in high value bioeconomy of Jammu and Kashmir
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“It holds a significant promise for Jammu and Kashmir particularly in the context of agricultural transformation and bioeconomy development,” Sofi said. “It (Morcherlla) has a high export demand and this technology is likely to enable farmers to diversify into a premium crop with exceptionally high market value, thereby enhancing farm incomes and profitability”.
