Qingchuan Morel Mushrooms

Qingchuan Morel Mushrooms

　　The cultivation of Qingchuan morel mushrooms has a long history. According to the *Qingchuan County Annals*, local ancestors discovered large quantities of morels growing beneath wood chips piled after camphor oil distillation in the old forests. Inspired by this, they began cultivating morels artificially, though not yet on a large scale. After the liberation, county edible fungus researchers and individual mushroom farmers conducted repeated research, experiments, and improvements. Combining historical experience and simulating the natural growth environment of wild morels, they used wood chips as raw materials for trials under forest canopies. This led to the successful development of the premium "Qingchuan Morel Mushroom" variety. They fully mastered its growth habits and environmental requirements, and developed a new artificial biomimetic cultivation technique, which was later applied and validated in production. In 1992, large-scale field cultivation began across the county with great success. Over the years, with strong support from the county government, forestry bureau, and science association, multiple training sessions on artificial morel cultivation techniques have been held. Following the development philosophy of "government guidance, farmer-led initiatives, moderate scale, and distinctive features," Qingchuan has been established as a national demonstration county for artificial morel cultivation. The "Qingchuan Morel Mushroom" is both edible and medicinal, with significant industrial advantages. To date, the county’s cultivation area has reached 10,000 mu, yielding 2,000 tons (fresh) and generating an output value of 280 million yuan, with profits of 180 million yuan. The economic benefits are substantial, making a positive contribution to increasing farmers' incomes and rural economic development.