At a time when Vitamin D deficiency is rampant among people, the scientists at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) are pushing for consuming mushrooms.“Vitamin D is in precursor form (ergosterol) in mushrooms and not readily available. But when freshly harvested mushrooms are exposed to sunlight or UVB radiation for a specific period, then it converts into Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol). For the first time in India, we have standardised the technology required for it,” said Chandrashekara C., senior scientist IIHR who headed the project.While achieving consistent results with sunlight exposure presented challenges due to geographical variations such as altitude, location, and the frequency of sunny days, the scientists designed an indigenous and cost-effective UVB exposure device.Elm oyster mushrooms were used for the study. “Consuming 50-70 grams of fresh Elm oyster mushrooms exposed for 5 minutes to sunlight or 2-3 grams of fresh Elm oyster mushrooms exposed for 10 minutes under UVB light can fulfil 100% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of Vitamin D (18 micrograms/day),” Mr. Chandrashekara said.Apart from consuming fresh mushrooms, they can also be consumed in a dehydrated and powdered form as a daily supplement. The scientists also found out that mushroom powder derived from Vitamin D enriched mushrooms will enhance Vitamin D content for over six months. This powder can be consumed in the form of a soup or mixed with ragi balls or made into mushroom rasam.“They serve as an organic source of Vitamin D to supplement daily diets, providing a valuable solution to address the Vitamin D deficiency issue in India,” Mr. Chandrashekara said.The powder derived from the Vitamin D enriched mushrooms is being showcased at the National Horticulture Fair (NHF) 2025 hosted by IIHR at its Hessarghatta campus in the city outskirts. The fair, which kicked off today, will conclude on March 1, Saturday.Disease resistant chilies and high yielding watermelon Other new varieties released during the fair included Arka Nihira and Arka Dhriti chilli varieties, which are tolerant to Chilli Leaf Curl Virus (ChLCV) and Phytophthora root rot. With medium pungency, these varieties developed at IIHR also provide high yields. While watermelons with a reddish flesh colour are quite popular in Bengaluru, Watermelon: Selection 4 is a new variety developed at IIHR and has orange flesh. It is estimated to provide a yield of 80 tonnes per hectare. It also has higher carotene content, around 63% more than the red varieties, according to E. Srinivasa Rao, Principal scientist (vegetable division), IIHR.Puppet show for farmersTo educate farmers about the new technologies in horticulture, the ICAR-IIHR is displaying a puppet show called ‘Arka Kranti’ during the National Horticulture Fair (NHF) - 2025.The story for the show has been designed by Ramya H.R., who works as a scientist at IIHR. The story revolves around the lives of farmers and IIHR.“While it is a way to educate farmer about technology easily, it is also about the social responsibility of presenting an indigenous art form which is slowly disappearing in the modern world,” Ms. Ramya said. \The puppet show will continue on the remaining two days of the fair.Published - February 27, 2025 09:26 pm IST