Mushrooms usually sprout from dark, damp forest floors or bloom on fallen tree branches. Now, a startup in Abu Dhabi has found a way to grow them in the middle of the desert.
Managing director Bronte Weir says the indoor farm, about 45 minutes’ drive from downtown Abu Dhabi, is the first in the region to grow and sell high-end mushrooms.
Below Farm’s offerings are better than imported mushrooms, she says, because “mushrooms damage very easily and lose their freshness quickly.”
Weir co-founded the company in 2021 in partnership with Polish couple Liliana Slowinska, a business development specialist, and Wojciech Slowinski, an electrical engineer.
Describing themselves as “agents of change in the fungi revolution,” the trio sell to restaurants, stores and direct to consumers. The company’s product list includes boxes of mushrooms, grow-your-own kits and mushroom powders, which give an umami boost to soups and sauces, and can be sprinkled onto dishes as seasoning.
Below Farm produces around one ton of fungi a month, says Weir, and is looking to expand to meet rising demand.
Mushrooms are not plants that you would typically associate with desert environments. After all, fungi require moisture and organic matter to grow and reproduce. However there are surprising examples of mushrooms that have adapted to thrive in arid desert conditions around the world.
Deserts may seem devoid of life, but with scarce yet predictable rainfall, resilient vegetation, and nutrient-poor soils, they offer ideal niches for specialized fungi to evolve. While the number of mushroom species found in deserts is relatively low compared to other biomes, the diversity and adaptability of these fungi are fascinating.
Desert Mushroom Hotspots
Deserts with occasional rainfall support the richest diversity of mushrooms. Popular regions include:
- The Sonoran Desert (Southwestern USA and Northwestern Mexico) – over 60 mushroom species
- The Mojave Desert (Southwestern USA)
- The Sahara Desert (Northern Africa) – renowned for desert truffles
- The Arabian Desert (Middle East) – harvests economically valuable desert truffles
- The Gibson and Great Sandy Deserts (Australia)
Other arid regions with desert mushrooms include deserts in Asia and South America.
How Mushrooms Survive in Deserts
Mushrooms in arid environments have evolved special adaptations to survive intermittent rainfall, intense sun exposure, and shifting sands.
Timing growth after rare rainfall Many desert mushrooms time their fruiting to periods after rare rainfall, They can remain dormant for years as underground mycelium waiting for the right conditions
Growing rapidly: Some mushrooms grow and release spores rapidly after downpours before conditions dry out again.
Associating with desert plants: Desert plants like cacti provide shade and moisture gradients for mushrooms to fruit near them. Some fungi form symbiotic mycorrhizal relationships with plant roots.
Forming hardened structures: Mushrooms may form thick caps and stems or outer ‘bark-like’ layers to reduce water loss. Their structures appear woody and dry.
Having small or unusual caps: Small or oddly-shaped caps reduce exposure to sun and heat.
Growing underground: Many desert fungi spend most of their lifecycle as mycelium under the soil, especially desert truffles.
Examples of Desert Mushrooms
Some of the most iconic desert mushrooms include:
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Desert shaggy mane – Named for its shaggy appearance, this edible mushroom emerges quickly after rain.
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Podaxis pistillaris – This small mushroom was used for body painting by Australian aboriginal tribes.
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Terfezia and Tirmania desert truffles – These golf ball-sized edible truffles are sniffed out and harvested in African and Middle Eastern deserts.
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Hygroscopic earthstar – This unusual mushroom opens like a star to expose its spore sac after rainfall.
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Agaricus deserticola – With its topside covered in a hardened ‘bark-like’ layer, this mushroom is adapted to dry out quickly.
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Sandy stilt puffball – Growing up to 15 inches tall, this mushroom looks like a dried desert twig.
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Desert inkcap – With black gills and cap, this inky mushroom blends into the desert landscape.
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Fly agaric – This iconic red and white speckled mushroom is poisonous, yet sometimes pops up in deserts after rain.
Importance of Desert Mushrooms
Although inconspicuous, mushrooms play vital ecological roles in deserts:
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Help with soil nutrient cycling and building organic matter in impoverished desert soils
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Important natural food source for desert animals like rodents, lizards, and insects
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Symbiotic relationships with desert plants as mycorrhizal partners
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Medicinal and food value for desert-dwelling humans as traditional Native American tribes and modern-day desert foragers can attest
Next time you’re in the desert, keep an eye out for small patches of mushrooms after rainfall. What may seem like barren ground can come alive with remarkable fungal life uniquely adapted to thrive in harsh dry environments.
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Fear & Greed Index
Mushrooms usually sprout from dark, damp forest floors or bloom on fallen tree branches. Now, a startup in Abu Dhabi has found a way to grow them in the middle of the desert.
Below Farm is producing “specialty mushrooms” such as oyster, king oyster, shiitake and lion’s mane.
Managing director Bronte Weir says the indoor farm, about 45 minutes’ drive from downtown Abu Dhabi, is the first in the region to grow and sell high-end mushrooms.
Below Farm’s offerings are better than imported mushrooms, she says, because “mushrooms damage very easily and lose their freshness quickly.”
Weir co-founded the company in 2021 in partnership with Polish couple Liliana Slowinska, a business development specialist, and Wojciech Slowinski, an electrical engineer.
Describing themselves as “agents of change in the fungi revolution,” the trio sell to restaurants, stores and direct to consumers. The company’s product list includes boxes of mushrooms, grow-your-own kits and mushroom powders, which give an umami boost to soups and sauces, and can be sprinkled onto dishes as seasoning.
Below Farm produces around one ton of fungi a month, says Weir, and is looking to expand to meet rising demand.
Growing mushrooms in extreme heat
Weir says that existing indoor mushroom-growing technology, developed mainly in Europe and the United States, isn’t designed for Abu Dhabi’s scorching daytime temperatures, which can top 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in summer.
Wojciech Slowinski took the lead on developing a solution, Weir tells CNN Business. The farm consists of four specially adapted, pressurized chambers covered in a foot-deep layer of insulation to help keep the interiors cool.
“We can control light, temp, humidity and atmosphere to create optimal conditions for each type of mushroom,” says Weir.
Maintaining higher air pressure inside the chambers helps to protect the crops from Abu Dhabi’s strong winds and swirling dust because when the doors are opened, air blows out rather than in, she says.
Below Farm’s goals are aligned with those of the UAE government. The country imports 85% of the food it consumes but has ambitions to bolster food security by increasing domestic production.
Weir says sustainability is also a key goal. The mushrooms are grown on special blocks made mainly from upcycled waste date palms. Dates make up 61% of plant crop production in Abu Dhabi and dead palms are either burnt or left in piles that dot the landscape. “So far, we’ve used 350 tons of palm leaves,” says Weir. “It’s an achievement that we’re really proud of.”
Raj Dagstani, who runs neighborhood pizza and focaccia restaurant Marmellata, is a fan.
“The best-tasting pizza on the menu is the kale and mushroom,” says Dagstani, adding that he created the dish after he sampled Below Farm’s mushrooms. He now orders 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of oyster mushrooms a week from the company.
According to market intelligence experts, The Business Research Company, the global mushroom market grew by over 9% to $62.4 billion last year, and continues to expand, partly due to the soaring popularity of plant-based and vegan diets.
Below Farm hopes to ride this trend. So far, “the business has been bootstrapped” by its founders, “with a small amount of angel investment along the way,” says Weir. Now, with the current farm as proof of concept, the company’s founders are gearing up for a fundraising round later this year with a view to setting up a second, larger-scale farm and expanding production.
Weir would also like to go greener. Electricity to power the air conditioning in the mushroom chambers is the company’s largest resource demand, she says, so Slowinski is investigating how to use spent growing blocks as a biofuel to help power the farm.
Ultimately, “we want to make the Middle East a center of excellence for mushroom cultivation,” she says. Ad Feedback Ad Feedback Ad Feedback
Giant Succulents & Mushrooms in a Desert Arroyo
FAQ
What mushrooms grow in deserts?
- Agaricus columellatus.
- Agaricus deserticola.
- Agaricus evertens.
- Battarreoides diguetii.
- Chlamydopus meyenianus.
- Coccidioides.
- Disciseda sp.
- Montagnea arenaria.
What fungi are found in the desert?
… of fungi are adapted to the desert environment, comprising terricolous fungi, fungi associated with plants, hyphomycetes, yeasts, and microcolonial fungi …
What are desert mushrooms called?
May 7, 2020 · Podaxis pistillaris (or desert puffball, or desert shaggy mane) is a mushroom that grows in various arid landscapes around the world.May 7, 2020
What mushrooms grow in the Mojave Desert?
Mushrooms growing in the Mojave Desert?! We have spotted a few of these Desert Shaggy Mane mushrooms (Podaxis pistillaris) along Fire Canyon Road. After a heavy summer rain, these little mushrooms can sprout up in loose, sandy soils, as well as in washes and ravines.
How do mushrooms survive in the desert?
A considerable number of mushrooms in the desert survive by growing a small cap about the stipe’s diameter. A smaller cap also absorbs less heat and can grow in mostly shaded areas among desert bushes. The following species of mushrooms are found in the deserts of the world. 1. Sandy Stilt-Puffball
What are desert mushrooms?
Deserts are often associated with vast stretches of sand, scorching heat, and a lack of vegetation. However, hidden beneath the seemingly barren landscapes lies a fascinating and mysterious world that few are aware of – desert mushrooms.
What are desert thumb mushrooms?
Desert Thumb mushrooms are among the species that are mostly underground rhizomes through almost all of their life cycle. These mushrooms grow underground feeding on underground decaying vegetation and also enjoying extra moisture. A considerable number of mushrooms in the desert survive by growing a small cap about the stipe’s diameter.
Are mushrooms in the desert edible?
Mostly not edible or even having unknown edibility due to their scarcity, mushrooms of the desert are also found in The United States. The deserts of the Southwestern United States are home to several mushroom species, some being poisonous.
What plants eat desert mushrooms?
Cacti, shrubs, and trees are among the vegetation desert mushrooms live around. Acacia bushes are among the bushes most notably known for the shade and food they provide to American mushrooms of the desert. This type of shrub offers a shaded place for it to grow while its roots offer nutritional value.
What mushrooms grow on sand dunes?
Dune Brittlestem (Psathyrella Ammophila), the “sand mushroom”. Below, a list of mushrooms that are known to grow on sand dunes and in the desert: The Black Earthtongue is a fungus that fruits on grassy sand dunes, it is not uncommon but often goes unnoticed.