Problems of using rockroses in Tuber melanosporum culture: soil and truffle harvest associated with Cistus laurifolius

• Published in: Agroforestry systems Vol. 70; no. 3; pp. 251 - 258
• Main Authors: García-Montero, L. G, Pascual, C, García-Abril, A, García-Cañete, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Kluwer Academic Publishers 01.07.2007; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Burns; Carpophores; Cell culture; Cistus; Cistus laurifolius; Corylus; Cultivation; Economic plant physiology; edaphic factors; Edible fungi production; environmental factors; forest habitats; Forestry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; host plants; mycorrhizae; mycorrhizal fungi; phytotoxicity; Plant populations; Quantitative research; Quercus; Shrubs; soil; Soils; symbiosis; Symbiosis (nodules, symbiotic nitrogen fixation, mycorrhiza...); Transmitters; truffle culture; truffles (edible fungi); Tuber; Tuber melanosporum; woodlands; Mediterranean region; Spain; Southern Europe; Europe; Forests; Forest zone; Mediterranean vegetation; Harvesting; Cistaceae; Woodland products; Symbiont; Host plants,Mediterranean forests; Fungi; Soils; Mushroom production,Mycorrhizal fungi; Dicotyledones; Host plant; Angiospermae; Mycorrhiza; Ascomycetes; Spermatophyta; Tuber melanosporum; Edible fungi; Thallophyta; Agroforestry
• ISSN: 0167-4366; 1572-9680
• DOI: 10.1007/s10457-007-9053-x

The Périgord black truffle (Tuber melanosporum Vittad.) can mycorrhize with rockroses (Cistus L.) in Mediterranean forests. These shrubs may be of interest for truffle cultivation as they produce early carpophores, collaborate in tree mycorrhization and in the survival of Tuber melanosporum mycelium. However, there are very few quantitative studies on truffle production associated with Cistus. For this reason, we have carried out a study on the natural production of Tuber melanosporum associated with Cistus laurifolius L. in central Spain. An Anova test confirmed the existence of significant differences in carpophore production in four habitats, with and without the presence of C. laurifolius. Twenty-one burns associated with C. laurifolius showed less significant production than the rest. We also confirmed that in 122 burns, Tuber melanosporum was always unequivocally associated with the root base of Quercus L. or Corylus L. trees. Similarly, five truffle-collectors confirmed that they had never found a single burn with carpophore production associated exclusively with rockroses. It has also been statistically verified that many Cistus die in Tuber melanosporum burns, whereas in old burns with minimum carpophore production, a new colonization of young Cistus has been observed. This study also confirms that C. laurifolius mycorrhizes easily with Tuber melanosporum. We propose that Cistus laurifolius may act as transmitters of Tuber melanosporum, although they do not induce fruiting. Consequently, the commercial cultivation of Cistus laurifolius mycorrhized with Tuber melanosporum for production is not recommended in truffle culture. The results reported substantiate the negative observations in cultivations of T. melanosporum with other Cistus species.