As one of the four famous bacteria in the world, Morchella is expensive in the international market. The yield of wild Morchella is extremely limited, and some genetic resources are on the verge of extinction due to a large number of collections. However, relying on the scientific research team of Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China has broken through the technology of high and stable yield of artificial cultivation of Morchella, and China can eat the cheapest Morchella in the world.
Edible value of Morchella
Morchella has a unique taste and fresh flavor, in which the amino acid composition is as high as 18, including 8 essential amino acids that cannot be synthesized by human body itself.
Its rich nutrients and important medicinal value make Morchella known as a natural, nutritious and multifunctional health food. Due to the extremely limited production of wild Morchella, the supply in the domestic and international markets is in short supply, and a large number of collections lead to the extinction of some genetic resources.
Systematic study on opening fungi in China
In order to promote the protection and sustainable utilization of many important fungi, including Morchella, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences initiated a systematic study of large fungi in Southwest China.
After nearly half a century of discipline construction and talent cultivation, it has now formed an important team of mycology research at home and abroad. The research content covers fungal systematics, fungal developmental biology, biogeography, fungal chemistry, conservation biology, domestication and cultivation of rare fungi, etc.
Since 2007, researchers have continued to collect, evaluate and select excellent strains of Morchella in China, and obtained more than 8,920 strains.
It was found that China is the center of modern species diversity of Morchella in the world, and more than 30 core strains of Morchella were screened out, including Kunzhi 1 and Kunzhi 2. Even more, it is proved that Morchella angustifolia and Morchella liumei 14 species are all heterothallism through research, which reveals the complex life history of Morchella.
Kunming Institute of Botany published related patents and papers.
It was also found that the instability of yield was caused by the rapid degradation of strains. Based on the specificity of mating genes, an early 1+ 1 mating gene detection technique was innovatively proposed to detect the high-yield and stable-yield strains of Morchella.
Through the continuous efforts of researchers, the research on Morchella has achieved fruitful results, and related articles 19 have been published successively. He applied for 33 national invention patents, won 2 national authorized invention patents/kloc-0, and won 2 provincial and ministerial science and technology awards. These theoretical and technological innovations provide a solid theoretical basis and strong technical support for high and stable yield cultivation of Morchella.
Create a new planting and management model of Morchella
In order to solve the contradiction between supply and demand of Morchella esculenta, protect Morchella esculenta resources and realize sustainable development and benefit sharing, the scientific research team creatively put forward a brand-new planting and management model of spring sowing and summer harvesting, summer sowing and autumn harvesting and autumn sowing and winter harvesting.
The fruiting rate of field cultivation was increased by 20-30%, and the planting period was shortened from the past 120- 180 days to 60- 100 days, which realized the efficient cultivation of Morchella in the field in all seasons. Recently, the research team has achieved the success of industrial cultivation of Morchella, which has opened up a new way for the utilization of this kind of resources.
Large-scale cultivation of Morchella
Morchella has been planted in a standardized and large scale. At present, the planting area of Morchella is increasing in Yunnan, Sichuan, Gansu, Guizhou, Chongqing and other provinces and cities in China.
The accumulated demonstration planting in China has reached16,800 mu, and the economic benefit has reached10.50 billion yuan, effectively helping the remote mountainous areas to get rid of poverty and revitalize the countryside. The project was well received by local governments, enterprises and farmers, which significantly reduced the collection of wild Morchella.