From January to February 2026, our doctoral student from the Department of Horticulture, Ing. Miroslav Jozífek, completed a research internship at Davao Oriental State University (DOrSU) on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines, where he focused on studying and documenting local practices in the cultivation of edible and medicinal mushrooms. During his intensive field research, he visited independent farms as well as government agricultural stations and mapped production, which is dominated by oyster mushrooms, paddy straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea), and, in some places, reishi mushrooms (Ganoderma). Cultivation primarily uses local substrates, most commonly consisting of fermented sawdust supplemented with, for example, rice bran, which is packed into small bags and pasteurized. According to him, the local sector is characterized by strong community cohesion, and farmers have the opportunity to access government subsidies and training. Farmers successfully generate additional profits by producing value-added products such as mushroom chips, coffee, or even mushroom ice cream. Although most growers struggle with a lack of mechanization for physically demanding work, the mushroom market is economically very favorable, and demand significantly exceeds current capacity. In addition to agricultural assessments and data collection for an upcoming scientific publication, the doctoral student also conducted an ecological survey of wild mushrooms in Aliwagwag Falls Protected Park. He participated in a university podcast and gave lectures to students and farmers at DOrSU and at Mindanao State University in Naawan. Furthermore, this successful mobility initiative laid a solid foundation for further international scientific collaboration.
