Case studies tagged with truffle cultivation

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TRUFFORUM: Connecting the black truffle producers with the consumers

Typical truffle producing landscape

Trufforum® is an international event created by the The "European Mycological Institute" (EGTC-EMI) with the aim of promoting the responsible use of the Tuber melanosporum in homes and restaurants to educate consumers on:

a) Origins of the black truffle in Europe

b) Species of edible truffles

c) The organoleptic differences between black truffles and synthetic aromas.

d) The importance of quality control to avoid fraud.

e) The most appropriate modes of use in gastronomy

f) Tourism in the European truffle territories

Establishment of truffle plantations - a new form of economic activity in rural parts of Croatia

'Čepićko polje' in Istria, Croatia - possible area for extensive truffle production

The European Union defines, through several documents, the cultivation and collection of mushrooms and truffles as the primary product in agriculture. There are a number of measures in place in Croatia to encourage primary agricultural production, but truffle farming is not one of them. In order to offer the rural parts of Croatia new economic activity, which can be extremely profitable, it is necessary to draw up a plan for the implementation of the European Directive and to adapt the relevant laws on the basis of professional and scientific research.

Time and dose of irrigation impact Tuber melanosporum proliferation in young black truffle orchards

Wild truffle producing mediterranean landscape

Tuber melanosporum, the fungus that produces the priced Black Truffle, is adapted to Mediterranean droughts.  Usually the production of truffles increases in years with higher precipitation. This hinted early farmers into watering the orchards to obtain better crops, but, what happens if we water too much?  One of the reasons we do not find truffles in forests with abundant rains could be that in wetter conditions other fungi can outcompete T. melanosporum and displace it from the roots of the trees causing the disappearance of the fungus and the end to truffle production...

Greek truffle trees

Natural habitat of Tuber aestivum in NW Greece

In the last 15 years, there has been a strong interest in truffles in Greece due to high market prices and the ability to cultivate them. In most truffle plantations in Greece, however, the seedlings come from European countries such as Italy, France and Spain, since there is no domestic production. Taking into consideration the issues of imported plant’s adaptability, biodiversity protection and the risk of introducing unwdesired truffle species, we attempted to create the first Greek truffle trees with Tuber aestivum and T. melanosporum in Greek forest species such as oaks, hazelnuts,...