A mushroom used for making medicines for treating more than 20 different human ailments ranging from HIV and bronchial asthma to diabetes and angina can now be grown easily at home. Scientists of the Forest Research Institute have developed a simple technique for cultivating the Ganoderma lucidum mushroom on poplar branch pieces. At present, capsules available in India containing the powder of this mushroom are manufactured by a Malaysian firm. A pack of 90 capsules costs more than Rs 1,200. Training farmers in the technique developed by the FRI will not only help farmers augment their income but also help medicinal users who will be able to procure it at a lower cost. According to the FRI Forest Pathology department head Nirmal Sudhir Kumar Harsh, this mushroom attacks the roots of trees and causes deterioration in their health. However it is also seen as a 'fix it all' herbal remedy for various human ailments, making it an important medicine in the traditional Chinese medicine system used largely in China, Japan and Korea. The medicinal merits of Ganoderma lucidum have been proven by various scientific experiments and research works. It is used by people suffering from HIV, cancer, low and high blood pressure, diabetes, rheumatism, heart problems, ulcers, paralysis, asthma, weakness, Hepatitis A, B and C, insomnia, sterility, psoriasis, mumps, epilepsy and alcoholism as well as a host of other ailments. It is often classed as an adaptogen, a substance that aids the body in resisting a wide range of physical, biological and environmental stresses without side-effects and deleterious drug interactions. Though the cultivation of this mushroom in India was attempted with some success in 2003 on sawdust and wheat bran and in 2004 on wood logs, the technique developed by FRI is simpler and more economical. More than 30 farmers in Laksar, Dehradun and Rishikesh have already been trained in this method while some industries and one NGO have also approached the institute regarding the marketing of the product. However, the focus of the institute is on facilitating transfer of this technology to provide greater benefit to farmers.