"This year, we've planted morel mushrooms in 14 greenhouses, and we expect the income to reach 1 million yuan ($138,943)," said Li Wangrong, chairman of Guangheng Farmer Professional Cooperative in Jiuyuan district, Baotou city.

Morel mushrooms grow well in the greenhouse. [Photo/Baotou news network]

"We started planting morel mushrooms in 2023. After more than a year, we have completed basic data collection and summarized standardized cultivation techniques," Li said. He emphasized that temperature, humidity, and light must meet the growth requirements to cultivate morel mushrooms.

In 2023, after continuous cultivation and experimentation, Li Wangrong mastered the key technologies for planting morel mushrooms during the idle periods of greenhouse production. Nowadays, the greenhouses are equipped with automatic sprinklers, automatic misting, and heating devices, which can effectively maintain the temperature and humidity needed for mushroom cultivation.

"The variety of morel mushrooms we plant can yield between 1,000 to 1,200 kilograms per mu (0.07 hectares)," Li explained. Currently, most of the morel mushrooms they plant are transported and sold to Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Shanghai.

Li smiles happily as he holds some morel mushrooms. [Photo/Baotou news network]

In addition, the cooperative also has adopted a rotation pattern of melons, vegetables, and mushrooms.

"We plant watermelons in the spring, vegetables in the summer, and morel mushrooms in the autumn and winter," Li said. "The mushroom beds after harvest are particularly suitable for the subsequent growth of melons and vegetables," he explained.

He added that this approach maximizes the utilization of land resources and helps alleviate problems such as diseases and pests.