Zhejiang Transforms Lingzhi Mushroom Industry With Biotech Research

Zhejiang Province is leveraging biotechnology and biological research to upgrade the lingzhi mushroom industry across cultivation, strain selection, processing, and quality verification, strengthening the local farming economy. Within a 2,500-square-meter demonstration zone at the Changchun Agriculture Expo, over 30 economic and medicinal mushroom varieties are displayed under technical support from Zhejiang Agricultural University. The facility is open to the public, farmers, and entrepreneurs for training in cultivation techniques, with experts offering guidance and purchasing products for processing.

The Lingzhi Research and Development Center, established in 2023 in Lingjia Village within the Jingye High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, now operates approximately 400 greenhouses and has become a major hub for producing lingzhi spores, a highly nutritious component. Experts noted that farmers initially lacked experience, but with support from biologists, plant geneticists, and data analysts, they have continuously refined cultivation techniques. Over three years, the center has produced approximately 1.5 million lingzhi fruiting bodies annually and over 15 million wood ear mushrooms, generating economic value exceeding 300 million yuan and creating over 2,000 local jobs.

The research team of Professor Li Wei, a leading mycology expert in China, provides technical support to the center. Their work has been applied across 28 provinces and 45 demonstration bases nationwide, supporting 22 leading enterprises and creating cumulative economic value exceeding 432.397 billion yuan. Local companies have developed a complete industrial chain encompassing strain selection, standardized cultivation, processing, quality inspection, and product standardization. Products are certified as organic and health products, with lingzhi mushrooms from Changbaizhan receiving geographic indication (GI) recognition in 2025, significantly boosting consumer confidence and doubling demand.

Researchers have also developed technology to verify the origin and authenticity of lingzhi spores using near-infrared spectral data, isotope information, and artificial intelligence, creating a fast, low-cost, user-friendly testing kit that confirms whether products are authentic lingzhi from Changbaizhan or contain adulterated materials from other regions.