An exterior view of the new germplasm bank for edible mushrooms in Qingyuan county. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

The first provincial-level germplasm bank for edible mushrooms in Zhejiang was recently established in Qingyuan county, administered by Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province.

According to officials, the germplasm bank will focus on the investigation of mushroom varieties, the collection and preservation of germplasm resources, as well as research and breeding of high-quality edible and medicinal mushrooms.

The germplasm bank includes a 140-hectare conservation area with two intelligent dynamic detection sensors – which can collect meteorological data in real time and monitor ecological and biological indicators.

It also has an herbarium for mushrooms which houses over 800 specimens – as well as three libraries for some 1,200 samples of germplasm resources, with over 500 samples of living tissues and comprehensive information.

As the reported birthplace of the artificial cultivation of the shiitake mushroom in the world, Qingyuan enjoys the reputation of being the "Hometown of the Mushroom in China" – holding a solid standing in edible mushroom industry.