In the busy process of developing new mushroom varieties and preparing to expand the planting base, Zhou Ziwen is well aware of the importance of soil as the foundation for mushroom growth.

If the soil conditions are poor, even with excellent strains and advanced cultivation techniques, the yield and quality of mushrooms will still be limited.

So, he decided to start by improving the soil conditions to lay a solid foundation for the healthy growth of mushrooms.

Zhou Ziwen is well aware that natural organic fertilizers play an irreplaceable role in soil improvement.

He organized the villagers to take action and collect various types of natural organic fertilizers.

For a time, livestock manure, wood ash, etc. in the village became treasures.

He personally guided the villagers in the compost fermentation process and patiently explained to everyone the key points in the fermentation process, such as controlling humidity, temperature and the timing of turning the pile, to ensure that the fertilizer could be fully decomposed.

Because uncomposted fertilizer will release a lot of heat during the fermentation process after being applied to the soil, it may damage the mushroom mycelium and affect the growth of mushrooms.

"Everyone, please note that when composting, the moisture level should be just right—not too dry or too wet. Just like when we cook, if we add too much water, the rice will be watery, and if we add too little, the rice will be undercooked. The same principle applies to fertilizer."

Zhou Ziwen explained to the villagers gathered around him while turning the fertilizer pile with a shovel.

The villagers nodded and followed Zhou Ziwen's instructions carefully.

With everyone's joint efforts, piles of manure gradually completed fermentation and emitted a rich aroma of earth.

Then, Zhou Ziwen led the villagers to the mushroom bed and evenly spread the fermented organic fertilizer on the mushroom bed according to scientific proportions.

Afterwards, he personally drove the oxen and pulled the plow to deep plow the soil.

As the plow turns the soil, the fertilizer is fully mixed, the originally compacted soil gradually becomes loose, and the soil structure is significantly improved.

This not only increases the fertility of the soil, enabling the soil to better store nutrients and water, but also greatly improves the air permeability of the soil, creating a more favorable environment for the growth of mushroom mycelium.

While turning the soil, Zhou Ziwen carefully checked the texture of the soil.

He found that due to long-term planting and rain erosion, the soil in some areas was severely compacted and had very poor air permeability.

He took special measures to deal with these areas.

He asked the villagers to use hoes to break up the compacted soil clods, and then rake them repeatedly to loosen them, ensuring that every inch of the soil was loose enough for mushroom growth.

"This soil is like a home for mushrooms. Only when the home is comfortable can the mushrooms grow well. What we are doing now is to create a warm and comfortable home for the mushrooms."

While working, Zhou Ziwen vividly explained to the villagers the importance of soil improvement.

After several days of hard work, the soil improvement work at the mushroom cultivation base was successfully completed.

The originally barren and compacted soil has been completely transformed, becoming fertile, loose and well-breathed.

At this time, there was still some time before mushroom planting, and Zhou Ziwen took advantage of this gap to continue to devote himself to other preparatory work.

He knows very well that every link is crucial, and only by making adequate preparations can the high yield and quality of mushrooms be ensured.

He carefully selected some mushroom strains with good growth conditions and prepared to expand their cultivation.

In the culture room, he strictly controls environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity and light to provide the most suitable environment for the growth of bacteria.

At the same time, he also inspected and maintained the irrigation system of the planting base to ensure timely and sufficient water supply during the growth of mushrooms.

In addition, Zhou Ziwen also paid attention to the technical training of the villagers.

He regularly organizes mushroom cultivation technology training for villagers and shares his own experience and the latest cultivation knowledge.

He knows very well that only by improving the technical level of the villagers can the sustainable development of the entire mushroom cultivation industry be ensured.

In a training course, Zhou Ziwen explained to the villagers in detail the various stages of mushroom growth and the corresponding management points.

"Mushroom growth is like the growth of a child; every stage requires our careful care."

"During the mycelium growth stage, it is important to maintain suitable temperature and humidity to allow the mycelium to thrive. When it comes to the fruiting stage, it is important to pay attention to ventilation and light, so that the mushrooms can grow big and healthy."

He used easy-to-understand language to help the villagers better understand and master mushroom cultivation techniques.

The villagers listened carefully to Zhou Ziwen's explanation and raised their own questions and opinions from time to time.

In this process, everyone's technical level has been continuously improved, and their confidence in the mushroom cultivation industry has become stronger and stronger.

With the orderly progress of various preparations, Zhou Ziwen is full of anticipation for the upcoming mushroom growing season.

He believes that with everyone's joint efforts, this season's mushroom cultivation will surely yield fruitful results and bring more income and hope to Dabazi Village.

Busy times always pass quickly, and before we know it, spring plowing time has arrived.

The entire Dabazi Village also began to get busy.

On this day, the new mushroom variety he cultivated was finally successful.

In the slightly simple but hopeful environment of the laboratory, the new mushrooms are like newborn elves, showing amazing characteristics.

Zhou Ziwen was so excited that he immediately informed the members of the mushroom growing group of the good news.

After hearing the news, everyone put down their work and rushed to the laboratory impatiently, wanting to see the new variety of mushrooms.

When everyone gathered around the experimental table and saw the fresh, plump and uniquely shaped mushrooms, their eyes were shining with surprise and anticipation.

The cap of the new mushroom is round and thick, with bright colors, as if it has been carefully painted with the most charming color by nature; the gills are fine and neat, like carefully carved works of art; the stem is thick and solid, as if it contains endless vitality and vigor.

The whole mushroom exudes a unique fragrance, which is an attractive mixture of the fragrance of soil and freshness, which makes people feel relaxed and happy.

"Wow, this mushroom looks unusual!" Wang Dayou exclaimed.

"Yes, team leader, you are really awesome!" The team members all gave thumbs up, their eyes full of admiration.

Zhou Ziwen smiled and patiently introduced the characteristics of the new variety of mushrooms to everyone.

He picked up a mushroom, gently stroked the cap, and said:

"This mushroom grows extremely fast, shortening its growth cycle by nearly one-third compared to the varieties we have grown in the past."

"This means we can harvest more mushrooms in a shorter period of time, greatly improving cultivation efficiency."

After hearing this, everyone couldn't help but reveal a look of surprise, and began to talk among themselves. (End of this chapter)