Nueva Ecija is a landlocked province in Central Luzon region that is composed of 27 municipalities and 5 cities. It is a province that is rich with biodiversity on its north and east borders, which exhibit a shared ecosystem with the Caraballo mountain range in the north and the Sierra Madre mountain range in the east. Its main economic activity is farming where rice is the main crop. Part of the Sierra Madre mountain range traverses its towns of Bongabon, Laur, Rizal and Pantabangan where most of the locals perform agro – forestry activities as a means of generating income for their families. Due to the accumulation of farm residues as a result of intensive agro-forestry activities, mushroom pharming becomes a very viable agribusiness undertaking in the area. Our research team initiated the establishment of database by tracking the mushroom production activities in the province. Similarly, the prevailing climatic condition in the geographical area and the type of agro-forestry wastes have been tracked. Wastes as a result of intensive agro – forestry activities are being generated which the locals oftentimes burned in the field that posed hazard to the environment. In order to discourage this practice, our research team generated technologies on mushroom pharming using rice straw as the main substrate. The promotion of mushroom pharming is based on the suitability of mushroom species to grow in climatic conditions that prevail in the specific geographical area in the province. As a result of its collaborative research undertakings, the Center for Tropical Mushroom Research and Development of the Central Luzon State University in collaboration with the Laboratory of Forest Products Chemistry of Tokyo University of Agriculture and the Nikken Sohonsha Corporation encouraged the adoption of medicinal mushroom production technologies on rice straw – based formulation. With oyster mushroom (Pleurotus spp) as the most widely cultivated mushroom among the mushroom growers in the province, other ligninolytic mushrooms such as lacquered mushroom (Ganoderma) and wood ear mushroom (Auricularia spp.) are grown by the locals. Similarly, leaf – litter degrading mushrooms such as paddy straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea) are also being cultivated in the province. However, some mushroom growers in the province adopt sawdust – based mushroom production technology which is not economically appropriate in the province due to the scarcity of its availability compared to rice straw. Majority of the mushroom growers in the province adopt the rice straw – based mushroom technology. Moreover, high value mushroom – based products other than the fresh mushrooms are already in the local market.

Collybia reinakeana (P.) Henn used to be a wild endemic edible mushroom not until it was discovered in the mountainous area of Puncan, Carranglan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines after the great earthquake that jolted Central Luzon in 1990. It is characterized to having big fruiting bodies (about 1 foot tall) that grow in cluster. Its mycelia were rescued from the wild and the first domestication studies were conducted which lead to the generation of its production technology. It is a nutraceutical mushroom that exhibits antibacterial and anti-hypertensive properties aside from its appreciable content of both standard as well as non- standard amino acids. It also exhibits mycoparasitic habit against species of Aspergillus, Cladosporium and Fusarium. Recently, emergence of this mushroom in the different areas in the Philippines have been reported which prompted our research team to conduct geo - tracking in order to rescue its secondary mycelia in our desire to conserve this endemic species of mushroom. With our conservation efforts, we have tracked the areas where it was found growing and subsequently isolated the secondary mycelia. At present, our research team were able to collect 9 different strains from the different areas namely Bataan (1), Science City of Munoz (2), Urdaneta City (1), San Manuel, Pangasinan (1), Rosales, Pangasinan (1), Bicos, Rizal, Nueva Ecija (1), Dipaculao, Aurora (1) and Bamban, Tarlac(1).

Collybia reinakeana (P.) Henn used to be a wild endemic edible mushroom not until it was discovered in the mountainous area of Puncan, Carranglan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines after the great earthquake that jolted Central Luzon in 1990. It is characterized to having big fruiting bodies (about 1 foot tall) that grow in cluster. Its mycelia were rescued from the wild and the first domestication studies were conducted which lead to the generation of its production technology. It is a nutraceutical mushroom that exhibits antibacterial and anti-hypertensive properties aside from its appreciable content of both standard as well as non- standard amino acids. It also exhibits mycoparasitic habit against species of Aspergillus, Cladosporium and Fusarium. Recently, emergence of this mushroom in the different areas in the Philippines have been reported which prompted our research team to conduct geo – tracking in order to rescue its secondary mycelia in our desire to conserve this endemic species of mushroom. With our conservation efforts, we have tracked the areas where it was found growing and subsequently isolated the secondary mycelia. At present, our research team were able to collect 9 different strains from the different areas namely Bataan (1), Science City of Munoz (2), Urdaneta City (1), San Manuel, Pangasinan (1), Rosales, Pangasinan (1), Bicos, Rizal, Nueva Ecija (1), Dipaculao, Aurora (1) and Bamban, Tarlac(1).