Table Of Content云 南 植 物 研 究 2009, Suppl .ⅩⅥ : 100～102
Acta Botanica Yunnanica
Mycorrhization: Tuber borchii Vittad . Competitivity with
Respect to Other Species of Tuber
Donnini D. , Baciarelli Falini L. , Di Massimo G .,
Benucci G . M . N ., Bencivenga M .
( Department of Applied Biology, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74-I 06121 Perugia, Italy)
Abstract: In truffle beds planted in environments not suitable for the truffle species chosen, mychorrhizal substitution usu-
ally takes place after a period of time . The present work was aimed at verifying the capacity of mycorrhization of Tuber
borchii Vittad . in the presence of other Tuber species in the soil .Some young plants of Quercus pubescens Willd .were in-
oculated in the same conditions using twodifferentsubstrates (natural and artificial substrate) and different species of Tuber
as inoculum . In fall 2004, spring2005 and in spring2006, the percentage of mycorrhization for each of the species of fungi
involved was assessed in32% of the plants in each inoculation test .The most abundant mycorrhizae of T. borchii were de-
tected in roots of plants grown in natural soil .But T. brumale Vittad .shows remarkable percentages of mycorrhization (up to
50%) and seems to substitute T. borchii in some cases .The results indicate that truffle bedsof T. melanosporum Vittad .and
T. aestivum Vittad . planted in soils containing propagation elements of T. borchii do not give the desired production .
Key words: Mycorrhization; Fungal competition; Tuber; Truffle cultivation
CLC number: S646 Document Code: A Article ID: 0253 - 2700 (2009) Suppl.ⅩⅥ- 100 - 03
Introduction elements of different species of truffle, the mycorrhiza-
Different species of Tuber vary in their capacity to tion taking place is not random .
form ectomycorrhizae with symbiotic host plants . In The present work was aimed at verifying the ca-
truffle beds planted in environments not suitable for the pacity of mycorrhization of T. borchii in the presence of
truffle species chosen, mycorrhizal substitution usually other Tuber species in the soil .
takes place after a period of time . In some cultivated
truffle beds the production of T. melanosporum Vittad . Materials and Method
has been seen to gradually decrease and be substituted In spring 2004 some young plants of Quercus pu-
by T. borchii Vittad ., T. aestivum Vittad . or T. br- bescens Willd . were inoculated with Tuber borchii . In
umale Vittad . . On this issue a number of ecological order to assess the competitivity of Tuber borchii in
studies have been carried out (Chevalier, 1978; Ben- comparison with other species of Tuber, some further
civenga, 1994, 2005; Raglione et al., 2001; Vinay plants of Quercus pubescens were inoculated in the same
and Pirazzi, 2001; Granetti et al., 2005), partly ex- conditions using the same quantity of inoculating mate-
plaining the phenomenon as due to unsuitable environ- rial: 1 g . per plants . The other test inoculums used
mental conditions for T. melanosporum . An example is were: T. borchii vs . T. melanosporum; T. borchii vs .
a truffle bed planted near Spoleto (Central Italy) using T. aestivum; T. borchii vs . T. brumale; T. borchii
mycorrhized plants with Tuber melanosporum that pro- vs . T. melanosporum and T. aestivum, T. borchii vs .
duces a large quantity of Tuber aestivum: 50 - 150 kg T. melanosporum and T. brumale . Two types of sub-
ha (in this case the ecological aspects are suitable for strates were used to grow the plants, the first (To) was
T. aestivum) (Donnini et al., 2008) . Nonetheless, it made up of artificial components available on the mar-
is also hypothesized that in the presence of propagation ket, namely agriperlite, vermiculite and peat in equal
Author for correspondence; E-mail: [email protected], Tel . +390755856434, Fax + 390755856069
增刊ⅩⅥ Donnini D. et al. : Mycorrhization: Tuber borchii Vittad . Competitivitywith Respect to Other .. . 10 1
proportions .The second substrate (Te) was made up of percentage of mycorrhization for each of the species of
a mixture of natural soil and sand in equal proportions . fungi involved was assessed in 32% of the plants in
Root tips were counted and percentages were cal- each inoculation test . The most abundant mycorrhizae
culated for mycorrhizae of each species some months af- of T. borchii were detected in roots of plants grown in
ter the inoculum . The data of mycorrhization for each natural soil (Te) (Fig.1) .In particular, observing the
species were presented in terms of the percentage of pr- percentage of each species in the context of the total
esence: i.e . how many times the species were present number of samples analysed, Tuber borchii ( presence
with respect to the total number of samples analysed in = 75%) showed strong competitivity with respect to
each inoculation test . T. melanosporum (presence = 11%) and T. aestivum
(presence = 8%) . Yet compared to T. brumale (pres-
Results ence = 67%) the competitivity is less strong in the ar-
In fall 2004, spring 2005 and in spring 2006, the tificial substrate (Fig.2) . In fact, T. brumale shows
Fig.1 Percentage of presence of Tuber in natural soil
Fig.2 Percentage of presence of Tuber in artificial substrate
1 02 云 南 植 物 研 究 增刊ⅩⅥ
Fig.3 Percentage of presence of Tuber in each substrate over three years
remarkable percentages of mycorrhization (up to 50%) Prof .M .Bencivenga .
(Fig.3 ) and seems to substitute T. borchii in some
References:
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31—48
Discussion
Bencivenga M, 2005 .State ofthe art in truffle knowledge and cultivation
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portant, studies regarding: climate, soil, flora and ve-
(Italie) . Actes du Ve Congrès International《Science et culture de la
getation, which means: ecologists, botanists and
truffe》, 4-6 mars 1999, Aix-en-Provence, France, 276—280
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Acknowledgements: Financial support for this researchwas pro-
4-6 mars 1999, Aix-en-Provence, France, 425—430
vided by the project FIRB RBAU01KX52, Principal Investigator:
