On July 27, the "Hebei Pingquan Edible Mushroom Technology Courtyard" was officially inaugurated at the National Edible Mushroom Improvement Center in Pingquan city, Hebei province. The center is supported by the General Offices of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the China Association for Science and Technology.

Wang Hemin, secretary of the Pingquan Municipal Party Committee; Miao Liguo, deputy secretary of the Municipal Party Committee; Li Yongxing, deputy mayor, and officials from the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau and other relevant departments, as well as Zhang Guojun, deputy director of the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning (IARRP) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS); and Zhang Xiaoli, director of the IARRP Graduate Student Office, attended the inauguration.

The successful establishment of the technology courtyard serves as an effective platform and means to promote the integration of industry, academia, and research, explore new paths for agricultural research, establish new models for technical services, and create new pathways for talent cultivation. It holds historical significance for training excellent agricultural science and technology talents in Pingquan, innovating agricultural development technologies, and raising the standard of the Pingquan edible mushroom industry.

At the same time, a meeting was held at the Pingquan Edible Mushroom Industry Research Institute to promote the work of the Pingquan Edible Mushroom Technology Courtyard. Li Yongxing, deputy mayor of Pingquan City, affirmed the technical assistance provided by the IARRP during the early stages as well as the achievements made. He expressed the intention to establish the "Edible Mushroom Technology Courtyard" in Pingquan and assign research personnel to conduct R&D work on edible mushroom production, effectively helping the city to address technical difficulties and overcome developmental bottlenecks. Going forward, the Pingquan Municipal Government will incorporate the Pingquan Edible Mushroom Technology Courtyard into the agricultural technical services and farmer training system, continuously enhance the capability of transforming scientific and technological achievements, and build the "Technology Courtyard" into a new service platform that benefits farmers, supports agriculture, promotes agricultural science and technology, and serves as a demonstration and promotion platform. This will   increase  farmers’ income and contribute to rural revitalization.

Deputy Director Zhang Guojun expressed gratitude for the strong support from the Pingquan Municipal Government and urged graduate students to rely on the courtyard, root themselves at the grassroots level, and understand the demands of the industry and farmers. While carrying out scientific research work, they should comprehensively improve their abilities from various angles and gain personal growth through practical work.

Gao Wei, deputy researcher and chief expert of the technology courtyard's edible mushroom genetic breeding and cultivation team, stated that based on the previous work, the team will continue to strengthen efforts in the breeding of new edible mushroom varieties and the research and development of efficient cultivation techniques. They will further screen edible mushroom varieties in the Pingquan area, and promote increased production in the edible mushroom industry.