High-tech mushroom cultivation generates wealth in E China's Anhui

Photo shows Tremella aurantialba cultivated in Guanshan village, Yaodu town, Dongzhi county, Chizhou city, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo/People's Daily Online)

Tremella aurantialba, an edible fungus known as Jin'er in Chinese, is thriving in smart cultivation rooms in Guanshan village, Yaodu town, Dongzhi county, Chizhou city, east China's Anhui Province. There, farming is organized much like an assembly line, quietly reshaping traditional modes of production.

Dongzhi county is working to build an edible fungus industry chain with a target output value of 10 billion yuan ($1.43 billion), advancing new projects and technological breakthroughs to ensure that Tremella aurantialba can thrive.

"Tremella aurantialba is delicate, with exceptionally strict environmental requirements," said Xu Xiaodong, head of production at a planting facility in the county. Xu said the team spent a year and a half making repeated adjustments to create a standardized growing environment that closely mirrors the mushroom's natural habitat.

Photo shows Tremella aurantialba in a cultivation room in Guanshan village, Yaodu town, Dongzhi county, Chizhou city, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo/People's Daily Online)

Originally found in parts of southwest China's Yunnan Province and Xizang Autonomous Region at elevations between 1,500 and 2,500 meters, Tremella aurantialba has now taken root in Dongzhi county.

Since production began in August 2024, the facility has produced 2 million cultivation sticks annually, generating a comprehensive output value of 20 million yuan. Its production capacity ranks first in the province and accounts for about 20 percent of the national total.

In 2022, Dongzhi Heshuishan Technology Co., Ltd. was brought in to develop a digital demonstration project. In collaboration with Yunnan Agricultural University and other research institutions, the project focused on localizing Tremella aurantialba strains and advancing smart cultivation technologies. The team adapted strains from Yunnan's high-altitude plateaus to develop a variety well suited to local growing conditions.

By integrating technologies such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and 5G, the project enables intelligent management of the entire cultivation process. Environmental conditions inside the growing rooms can be monitored and adjusted remotely via computers or smartphones, ensuring precise control at every stage of growth.

Photo shows Tremella aurantialba products in Dongzhi county, Chizhou city, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo/People's Daily Online)

Today, Guanshan village has developed a modern production complex including 3,200 square meters of smart cultivation rooms, a 1,200-square-meter workshop for processing cultivation sticks, and a 900-cubic-meter cold storage facility.

"The first and second phases of the project generate a stable annual income of 500,000 yuan for the village collective and have created jobs for more than 30 local and nearby villagers, with an average annual income of about 50,000 yuan per person," said Zhou Zhigang, the first secretary of the village's Party committee.

Rich in natural gelatin, Tremella aurantialba is prized for its soft, silky texture and has become a new favorite among health-conscious consumers.

"We have developed 10 core products covering a range of consumption scenarios, such as ready-to-eat foods and nutritional substitutes," said an executive from a local company in Dongzhi.

Photo shows a Tremella aurantialba planting facility in Guanshan village, Yaodu town, Dongzhi county, Chizhou city, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo/People's Daily Online)