Author: Zhang Qingdan Source: China Science Daily Published on: May 6, 2024

 

Li Yu, Chinese Academy of Engineering

 

■ Our reporter Zhang Qingdan

 

A very "grounded" scientific research worker, who has been dealing with edible fungi for more than 40 years, was affectionately called "mushroom academician" by farmers. He is Li Yu, professor of Jilin Agricultural University, the only academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in the field of edible fungi in China.

 

Fungus research is a cause engraved in Li Yuzi's bones. He walked in the mountains and ploughed in the fields all the year round, taking the lead in creating a new way for tens of thousands of poor families to become rich. He has devoted himself to the field of edible fungi research for decades, making important contributions to promoting the development of China's edible fungi industry and fungi discipline.

 

In his octogenarian year, Li Yu was still concerned about the development of China's edible fungus industry, and went all over the country to practice the original intention of serving the country through science and technology, providing scientific and technological support for promoting rural revitalization.

 

Take over the "baton" and accelerate

 

Li Yu became inseparable from edible fungi in 1978. After the national college entrance examination and postgraduate examination were resumed, Li Yu was admitted as a postgraduate of Jilin Agricultural University and studied under Zhou Zonghuang, a famous Chinese mycologist.

 

Zhou Zonghuang led Li Yu into the door of edible fungi and taught him how to do relevant research. It was under the influence of the teacher that Li Yu began to pay attention to slime mold research. However, at that time, the research on fungi in China started late and lagged far behind foreign countries. More than 500 kinds of slime molds have been found all over the world, but none of them is named by the Chinese.

 

When Li Yu graduated, Zhou Zonghuang, who was in his 70s, was critically ill. On his deathbed, he told Li Yu, "The research of this kind of group in China cannot be done without people, and you must do this work." Li Yu was determined to never let the teacher down.

 

Li Yu, who took over the "baton", stayed in school to teach after graduation and devoted all her energy to the research of fungus science and edible fungus engineering technology, just like a clockwork machine. In order to find out the "family background" of fungi, he took his students all over the country to investigate fungi resources, carry out basic research on collection and preservation of these resources, and built a high-level museum of fungi specimens and germplasm resources, with 61000 specimens and strains in the library, providing important support for the basic research of fungi in China.

 

It is worth mentioning that Li Yu is the first Chinese to name a new species of myxomycetes, and also the first scientific researcher to systematically classify myxomycetes at the genus, family and order levels in China, filling the gap in the field of myxomycetes research in China. He collected more than 400 slime molds, accounting for 2/3 of the known species in the world. He also led the team to produce more than 98% of the molecular biological specimens of slime molds in the world.

 

Li Yu compiled more than 40 years of knowledge accumulation and published such books as Myxomycetes of Tricholormes in China, Chinese Fungi - Shiitake Mushroom Volume, and Chinese Fungi - Myxomycetes Volume, making outstanding contributions to the research, conservation, collection and utilization of fungal resources. The journal Mycological Research, which was founded by him, has also become a core journal.

 

After decades of hard work between Li Yu and fungus researchers, China's fungus scientific research has gradually moved from backwardness to the world frontier, and its influence is growing.

 

Attach Importance to Discipline Development and Train "Relay"

 

In Li Yu's mind, a dream of serving the country through science and technology has been deeply embedded.

 

In 1978, the output of edible fungi in China was only 57000 tons, but by 2018, it had reached 40 million tons. The output has increased 700 times in 40 years, which is unique in the world. China takes the lead in the world in the production of edible fungi, accounting for about 80% of the world's total, becoming a veritable country of edible fungi.

 

"Although the output is the first in the world, China is not a strong country in edible fungi. In many aspects, we still lag behind developed countries or countries that started earlier in research." Li Yu wants to make up for shortcomings as soon as possible.

 

In terms of scientific research on fungi, if China wants to enter the forefront of the world and become stronger, it needs more "relays" to continue to innovate. As a result, Li Yu established the second level discipline of mycology and fungus crops, and set up the first undergraduate major of applied biological science (fungi) in China. In 2019, he promoted the discipline of mycology science and engineering to be officially listed in the national undergraduate specialty directory of ordinary colleges and universities, becoming the first mycology undergraduate specialty in China.

 

After years of accumulation, Li Yu has built the first relatively complete fungal talent training system in China, from junior college, undergraduate to master, doctor and postdoctoral.

 

Li Yuzhi is rigorous in learning. He hopes that all students can go deep into the grassroots and practice, because the front-line production can best test their true abilities. He often said to his students, "Let's plant a plow stick, a seed, a pile of dung and a piece of land together. Who can plant high yield and who is really capable?"

 

For more than 30 years, the team led by Li Yu has become the largest fungus research and research team in China, and has cultivated more than 50 varieties in the field of edible fungi, 6 of which have passed the national examination. He has cultivated hundreds of masters and doctors, among whom there are many elite backbone, who are shining in the edible fungus industry.

 

Get rich with "bacteria" and write your paper on the earth

 

Li Yu is a very "grounded" scientist, because he likes to go to farmers to help them find ways to earn money.

 

In Huangsongdian Town, Jiaohe City, Jilin Province, due to the high altitude, the annual effective accumulated temperature is not enough for crop growth, and the frost free period is very short, less than 100 days, so nothing grows long. How can we make everyone live a good life? The local government and agricultural science and technology personnel are anxious.

 

"Fungus crops have the characteristics of 'five no competition'. They don't compete with people for food, grain for land, fertilizer, agriculture, and other resources. They can be planted at any time," Li Yu said.

 

Based on this, Li Yu gave Huang Songdian a "prescription". "Don't emphasize low temperature and cold damage any more. We should turn cold and low temperature into an 'advantage' suitable for the growth of some crops. We can plant superior resources such as agaric."

 

At the beginning, everyone did not believe that the unique agaric on the mountain trees could be "moved" to the fields. Li Yu will come to a piece of land to do a demonstration and introduce her own research varieties and technologies to convince farmers. Under his leadership, more and more local farmers joined the army of growing agaric. After 30 years of hard work, Huangsongdian Town has changed from a barren land to a nationally famous town of agaric.

 

Local farmers have completely lifted out of poverty and become rich by black fungus. Some farmers also went out of their hometown to work as peasant technicians in other provinces. For example, there are more than 20 technicians from Huangsongdian Town in Guizhou to help local farmers grow black fungus.

 

Such a good way to become rich should be shared across the country. Therefore, Li Yu proposed the development strategy of "moving the mushrooms from the south to the north" and "expanding the northern ear to the south". Among the national poverty-stricken counties, more than 400 have taken edible fungi as an important choice for poverty alleviation, and Zhashui County, Shaanxi Province, is one of the successful examples.

 

In 2017, Li Yu took five independently selected auricularia varieties to Zhashui County to carry out scientific and technological poverty alleviation. He personally taught local agricultural technicians and farmers, hand in hand taught cultivation techniques, and worked with local farmers to promote the industrialization of edible fungi. Zhashui County took only two years to shake off poverty.

 

Since 2012, when China began to fight against poverty in an all-round way, Li Yu's team has gone deep into more than 40 poverty-stricken areas across the country, established 31 edible fungus technology promotion bases, supported 22 leading edible fungus enterprises, and helped more than 800 villages, so that tens of thousands of poor households can lift themselves out of poverty by planting edible fungi. In 2021, Li Yu won the honorary title of "National Model for Poverty Alleviation".

 

Li Yu's dream of serving the country with science and technology did not end there. "To make China's edible fungus industry bigger and stronger, we should not rest on the original merit book, but continue to innovate, constantly introduce new achievements, and make new contributions to scientific research.".

 

China Science Daily (2024-05-06, first edition news)

 

Original text: https://news.sciencenet.cn/sbhtmlnews/2024/5/379405.shtm