Lead: Empowering the under-forest mushroom industry with technology, and jointly breaking through industry challenges through industry–academia–research collaboration. To address industry pain points such as strain degeneration of Cordyceps militaris, insufficient breeding stability, and difficulties in scaling up under-forest cultivation, the specialized technical training on improved breeding of functional Cordyceps militaris, initiated by Herb Treasure, was successfully held in Jiangle County on September 2–3. Held under the platform of the Sanming Municipal Symposium on Specialty Edible and Medicinal Fungi (Under-Forest Economy) and the Edible Mushroom Industry Promotion Conference, the training brought together more than 70 experts from research institutes, grassroots technical personnel, large-scale growers, and industry representatives. Focusing on improved variety selection and breeding of Cordyceps militaris, standardized propagation, integrated under-forest cultivation, and development of bioactive substances, it opened up the critical pathway for translating laboratory research achievements into frontline industrial application.
The training gathered heavyweight industry experts. The main guests in attendance included: Zhang Jinsong, Director of the Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Huang Zhilong, Extension Researcher of the Fujian Provincial Edible Fungi General Station; Professor Wu Xiaoping of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University; Professor Fu Junsheng of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University; Huang Wenhai, Second-Level Researcher of the Sanming Association for Science and Technology; Song Yi, Vice President of the Sanming Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Huang Rongmei, Agronomist of the Fujian Provincial Edible Fungi General Station; Feng Jie, Director of the Institute of Edible Fungi, Sanming Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Deputy Director of the Processing Division, Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Rao Yongbin, Head of the Sanming Edible Fungi Technology Extension Station; Liu Yegao, Visiting Professor of the Sanming Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Wang Shengxiao, Deputy Director of the Institute of Edible Fungi, Sanming Academy of Agricultural Sciences; and Lin Rukai, Extension Researcher of the Sanming Edible Fungi Technology Extension Station — more than 30 leaders and experts in total, who gathered in Jiangle to offer advice and suggestions for upgrading and improving the Cordyceps militaris industry.
As the initiating organization of this training, Herb Treasure has been deeply engaged in the edible and medicinal fungi industry for many years, consistently upholding its brand philosophy of “Tracing the origins of native herbs, empowering health with technology.” It has long invested in Cordyceps militaris strain selection and breeding, under-forest cultivation, research on bioactive substances, and industrial application, building a full-chain system spanning strain R&D — standardized cultivation — deep processing of raw materials — finished product development. Based on the real-world challenges encountered in frontline industrial practice, such as strain stability, large-scale production, and retention of active ingredients, Herb Treasure proactively took the lead in initiating this specialized training, inviting university research experts and building a tripartite dialogue platform among enterprises, researchers, and growers, so as to drive research to directly confront industrial pain points.
The core lecturer of this training was Professor Fu Junsheng of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, who delivered the themed course “Improved Breeding and Application of Functional Cordyceps militaris.” Professor Fu is a post expert of the Fujian Provincial Edible Fungi Industry Technology System and a doctoral supervisor. He has long focused on the genetics and breeding of edible and medicinal fungi, screening of new superior Cordyceps militaris strains, and development of functional bioactive components, and holds multiple scientific research achievements in Cordyceps militaris breeding and cultivation. During the course, Professor Fu, combining theoretical research with extensive experimental data, unpacked the core industrial pain points layer by layer: screening of superior Cordyceps militaris strains and strain degeneration prevention and control technologies, key practical points of standardized propagation, under-forest cultivation schemes, preservation of bioactive substances and quality control systems, and the landing of scientific research achievements.
In the interactive discussion session, Herb Treasure’s R&D team, drawing on its own experience in Cordyceps militaris raw material R&D and under-forest planting practice, conducted in-depth exchanges with Professor Fu Junsheng and all trainees. The participating large-scale growers and technical personnel enthusiastically raised practical production questions on strain preservation, yield fluctuation, and processing and conversion, and the experts answered them on the spot, transforming university laboratory technologies into actionable solutions that practitioners can directly apply.
Jiangle County is a key collective forest area in southern China and has been awarded the title of “Advanced County of Edible Mushroom Production in China,” with a forest coverage rate as high as 80.8%. Its exceptional under-forest ecology provides superior natural conditions for cultivating edible and medicinal fungi such as Cordyceps militaris, and the under-forest edible and medicinal fungi industry has become a “fortune-making medicine” for local rural revitalization. After the training, all guests visited the demonstration base of the Fujian Province Modern Mushroom Industry Upgrading Project, inspecting the supporting greenhouse facilities for Cordyceps militaris cultivation on site and exchanging hands-on experience in under-forest cultivation.
As the initiator of this training, Herb Treasure stated that it will continue to collaborate with research institutes to translate the improved Cordyceps militaris breeding technologies from this training into practical application. The company will give full play to its advantages in strain R&D, deep processing, and market channels, focus on the integration and industrial application of key technologies for improved breeding of Cordyceps militaris, deeply tap the value of under-forest fungi, and empower the development of herbal health products with stable, high-quality raw materials. At the same time, it will remain rooted in the local industry, pooling technological, industrial, and market resources from multiple parties to help polish Jiangle’s specialty edible and medicinal fungi brand, jointly build “Jiangle, the Hometown of Medicinal Fungi,” and promote under-forest edible and medicinal fungi as a new benchmark for the development of county-level specialty industries.
A message from Herb Treasure: With scientific research as the foundation and under-forest ecology as the fertile soil, Herb Treasure will continue to explore innovative paths in the edible and medicinal fungi sector, bringing fine raw materials from the forest into the healthy lives of the public.
