Korea Forest Service holds colloquium on mushroom farming technology

Researchers at the National Institute of Forest Science hold a discussion during a colloquium for digital transformation in mushroom cultivation, Wednesday. Courtesy of Korea Forest Service

The National Institute of Forest Science, a research body under the Korea Forest Service, held a colloquium Wednesday, to discuss digital transformation in mushroom cultivation, aiming to boost the competitiveness of Korea's mushroom industry.

The event brought together researchers to share the latest findings in smart cultivation and to explore ways of applying artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to mushroom farming.

The first session, which looked at developing new mushroom varieties, covered the current state of molecular methods for cultivation and field applications, along with research on using digital farming to develop new varieties tailored to market demand. Participants discussed strategies for data-based, customized development.

The second session focused on smart cultivation technology aimed at standardizing quality and improving production efficiency. Topics included the current state and technical challenges of smart cultivation for forest mushrooms, intelligent environmental controls and automated processes for smart farms, and research trends in using phenomics and AI to predict harvests and crop quality.

Following the presentations, researchers from academia and the field held a panel discussion on ways to apply digital innovations in Korea's mushroom industry and on future research directions.

An official said applying digital farming and smart cultivation technology in the field is key to strengthening the competitiveness of the mushroom industry, adding that the institute will keep developing technology that can be put to practical use on farms through stronger cooperation among industry, academia and research institutions.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.