310 research outputs found
New insights on post-fire morels (Morchella spp.) in Italy
No full textSnabl, Martin, Guidori, Urbano, Gianchino, Carmelo, Leonardi, Marco, Zambonelli, Alessandra, Iotti, Mirco (2023): New insights on post-fire morels (Morchella spp.) in Italy. Phytotaxa 599 (5): 280-290, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.599.5.2, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.599.5.
A QUARTER CENTURY OF TRUFFLE CULTIVATION IN NEW ZEALAND – SUCCESSES AND PROBLEMS.
No full textAt the 1988 Spoleto congress Ian Hall briefly outlined his plans for cultivating truffles in New Zealand to cater for out-of-season Northern Hemisphere markets. The first Tuber melanosporum truffles were found in 1993 on a truffière owned by Alan Hall on the East Coast of the North Island at 38° 35′ S. However, it was not until 1997 when Alessandra Zambonelli unearthed a 250 g truffle in the same truffière that the first commercial harvest in the Southern Hemisphere began. Truffles were later harvested in New Zealand truffières between 38°S and 44°S. Truffle cultivation subsequently spread first to Australia in 1992, followed by South America and South Africa.
Here we outline the scientific, technical and other problems that were encountered in New Zealand’s truffle research programme, how they were overcome, and the successful commercial cultivation of Tuber melanosporum, Tuber borchii and other edible ectomycorrhizal mushrooms
Techniques for Host Plant Inoculation with Truffles and Other Edible Ectomycorrhizal MushroomsEdible Ectomycorrhizal Mushrooms
No full textLarge-scale production of high-quality mycorrhizal plants in the greenhouse is mainstay for the modern cultivation of edible ectomycorrhizal mushrooms (EEMMs). Success at this step not only depends on the reliability of the fungal inoculum used for plantlet mycorrhization but also on the environmental conditions attending symbiosis establishment. Methods developed 40-50 years ago for inoculating host plants with EEMMs are still largely used today, with slight modifications. Mycelial inoculations are used commercially only for some edible ectomycorrhizal (EEM) basidiomycetes, while inoculation with spores is the most common method for producing seedlings colonized with truffle mycorrhizas. However pure cultures and ectomycorrhizas of Tuber have also been used to obtain mycorrhizal plants mainly for scientific purposes. Mycelium-based inoculum offers many advantages, such as lower contamination risks, more reliable root colonization, and provides opportunities for genetic selection of EEMM strains. Long time preservation of EEM cultures and the creation of germplasm banks would be an important step to support mycelium-based technologies. To this aim, we demonstrate successful crypreservation of strains of Tuber borchii and Tuber aestivum. Recent advances in genetic and biotechnology of EEMs and their hosts has the potential to transform the current EEMM nursery trade
Laying the Foundations Edible Ectomycorrhizal Mushrooms
No full textThere are more than 1000 species of edible ectomycorrhizal mushrooms with some commanding very high prices on international markets. Despite this, only the most sought-after species have attracted the attention of scientists. These include species of truffles (Tuber spp.), boletes (Boletus edulis sensu lato), and chanterelles (Cantharellus spp.). While some of this research has explored their cultivation, the vast majority conducted in the 1990s and 2000s has been simply directed towards basic taxonomic studies, and the search for new knowledge and understanding regarding their ecology and growth. This chapter provides a background on edible ectomycorrhizal mushroom research, discusses early methods used for the cultivation of ectomycorrhizal truffles and mushrooms, outlines the relationship between edible mycorrhizal mushrooms and other soil microorganisms, and generally lays the foundation for the chapters to come
Mycoviruses Infecting True Truffles
No full textViruses can be defined as small and simple obligate intracellular parasites. Virions,
the complete, infectious virus particles, consist of a protein coat (capsid) enclosing
the viral genome, that, in some cases, can be wrapped in an external coat derived by
the host cell membrane. This set of nucleic acids encodes proteins necessary for
replication, movement to adjacent plant cells (in the case of plant viruses), possibly
proteins to interact with host defence and finally protein to help transmission among
individuals of the host species.
Genome of known viruses lacks the genetic information necessary for the
generation of metabolic energy (adenosine triphosphate, ATP) or for protein synthesis
(ribosomes). Viruses are therefore dependent on the host cell for these
functions. Moreover, even if viruses do not have cellular structure and do not
growth through their own metabolism, they reproduce themselves and are able of
adaptation to the environment by internally-originate changes, then they can be
probably ascribed as living organisms. From a different point of view, viruses are
living entities during the intracellular phase of their life cycle, according to the
Virocell concept, and can be considered as a complex assemblage
of metabolically inert chemicals outside the host cell
The cultivation of mycorrhizal mushrooms - still the next frontier!
No full textEdible mushrooms fall into three broad groups: the saprobes which grow on animal wastes and/or dead plant material, the pathogenic species that grow on living plants or animals, and the mycorrhizal species that grow in an intimate association with the roots of suitable host plants. While the vast majority of the world’s mushroom market is filled by the saprobic mushrooms, the aromas and flavours of the mycorrhizal species remain unrivalled – and often have prices to match.
The first cultivation of a mycorrhizal mushroom dates back to the early 19th Century when Pierre Mauléon and later Joseph Talon in France stumbled upon a method for Tuber melanosporum (Périgord black truffle). They found that by transplanting seedlings from under a Périgord black truffle producing tree into a new area, eventually they also produced truffles. This method remained the mainstay of the truffle industry in Europe until the early 1970s when a new method of producing truffle mycorrhized plants was devised using spores as the inoculum. Subsequently spore inoculation techniques were also found to work with Rhizopogon rubescens (shoro). However, this method has not been a success with any of the aboveground edible mycorrhizal mushrooms.
For a handful of the aboveground mycorrhizal mushrooms, inoculating with cultures have proven the only effective way of producing mycorrhized trees in nurseries and fruiting bodies in plantations, for example, Lactarius deliciosus (saffron milk cap). The production of mushrooms of the mycorrhizal species Lyophyllum shimeji (honshimeji) in pure culture must be regarded as an anomaly as these methods have not been successful for any other species of edible mycorrhizal mushroom.
The vast majority of the 1000 plus species of mycorrhizal mushrooms remain uncultivated and progress has been anything but spectacular. It is not possible to summarise in this short paper the 1000 pages in Taming the Truffle (Hall et al. 2007, 2009) and the new book on edible mycorrhizal mushrooms by Zambonelli and Bonito (2012) and instead briefly outlines the current state of our knowledge, the problems we now face, some reasons for failures, and suggests a vision for the future
True Truffle (Tuber Spp.) in the World: Soil Ecology, Systematics and Biochemistry
No full textThis book focuses on the taxonomic diversity of the genus Tuber as economically important truffles. In contributions by internationally respected scientists, it examines truffle systematics, interactions with abiotic and biotic environments, strategies for spore dispersal, and molecular processes in truffles. Topics discussed include: evolutionary theories and phylogeny of Tuber species from Asia, Europe and North-America; the influence of climate on the natural distribution of Tuber species and fruiting body production, soil characteristics and vegetation in natural habitats; tools for tracing truffles in soil, host diversity, truffle inhabiting fungi and truffle-associated bacteria; and the relationships of small mammals and wild boars with truffles, as well as the smell of truffles. This book offers a valuable reference guide for all researchers working in the fields of mycology, ecology and the soil sciences, and will also be useful for farmers and foresters interested in truffle cultivation worldwide
The Puberulum Group Sensu Lato (Whitish Truffles)
No full textTuber species in the Puberulum group sensu lato (s.l.) produce small and light-colored ascomata with alveolate-reticulated ascospores. Members of this group are commonly called “whitish truffles”. Puberulum group s.l. is the most widely distributed group, has the highest species richness within Tuber genus, and includes commercially valuable species which are becoming increasingly popular in the marketplace. This chapter aimed to investigate the phylogenetic relationships and the diversity within Puberulum group s.l. based on the recent findings and the screening of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequences available in GenBank database. We attempted to select an ITS reference sequence and, consequently, to assess the current extent of misidentified entries for each whitish truffle species. Further, we reported the geographical distribution and intraspecific variability of each member of the Puberulum group s.l. as well as the description of mycorrhizas formed by this group of fungi
Edible Ectomycorrhizal Mushrooms
No full textEdible ectomycorrhizal mushrooms (EEMMs) comprise more than 1000 species and are an important food and forest resource. In this volume of Soil Biology, internationally recognized scientists offer their most recent research findings on these beguiling fungi. Topics covered include: • Complex ecological interactions between plants, EEMMs, and soil organisms • Comparative genomics, high-throughput sequencing and modern research tools • Genetic selection of fungal strains and techniques for inoculating plants • Economic and social considerations surrounding wild collected EEMMs • Practical information concerning soil management and EEMM cultivation The book will be a useful guide for anyone interested in soil ecology, forestry, or the genetics and cultivation of EEMMs, and provides an extensive knowledge base and inspirations for future studies on these ecologically and economically important fungi
The first record of Densocarpa crocea in Italy
No full textThe first record of Densocarpa crocea (Quél.) Healy & M.E. Sm in Italy is reported. The specimen was morphologically described and the ITS sequence was deposited in GenBank
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