Virtual Truffle Hunting—A New Method of Burgundy Truffle (Tuber aestivum Vittad.) Site Typing

The aim of this study was to enable searches for truffles (Tuber spp.), particularly the Burgundy truffle (T. aestivum Vittad.), to be carried out in forests based on a method that has been constantly developed since 2007 by the Forest Research Institute. The method is termed “Virtual Truffle Hunting” and it takes 12 parameters into account: bedrock, soil pH, Ca+ and CaCO3 content in soil, C/N ratio, soil structure, altitude of terrain, type of forest site, forest structure, the Burgundy truffle host trees, and the presence of particular species including orchids and insects. A simple “Virtual Truffle Hunting” software has also been developed, which makes the use of the method easy, fast, and effective. This method is to ascertain the truffle potential for all areas in which digital maps are not available. In 2015, the method was tested in 20 sites, representing forests in 5 Polish macroregions. Hunting for hypogeous fungi was conducted from June to October with the help of trained dogs. Thanks to this method, 14 new truffle sites were found. The knowledge of environmental conditions conducive to the Burgundy truffle growth enabled us to form an effective tool in order to identify new sites of truffle presence

Characteristic of Tuber spp. localities in natural stands with emphasis on plant species composition

Fungi belonging to the genus Tuber establish ectomycorrhizal symbioses with shrubs, trees and some herbaceous plants. Some Tuber species, for example, T. melanosporum, T. magnatum, T. aestivum are economically important because they produce edible fruiting bodies with a distinctive taste and flavor. Our concept of truffle ecophysiology is dominated by the symbiosis with deciduous hosts, such as: Quercus spp., Fagus sylvatica, Castanea sativa, Corylus spp., Carpinus betulus, Ostrya carpinifolia, Betula verrucosa, and Tilia spp., whereas the real range of hosts in nature seems to be much wider. Moreover, interactions between Tuber mycelium and plant community could be more complex than just forming the ectomycorrhizal symbiosis. Here we show our inventory of plants and soils at six truffle’ sites in the southern part of Poland (Nida Basin and Przedbórz Upland). The aim of this study was to widen our understanding of ecological factors affecting Tuber spp., in the context of pioneering stage of research on truffles in Poland. We hope our findings will have a practical application and will help to choose suitable soils for truffle orchards

Truffle renaissance in Poland – history, present and prospects

Abstract The use of truffles in Poland has a long tradition, yet due to some historical aspects, this knowledge was lost. Currently, truffles and truffle orchards are again receiving attention, and thanks to, e.g., historical data, they have solid foundations to be established. Publications relating to truffles between 1661 and 2017 were searched for in international and national databases, such as the database of PhD theses, Google Scholar, and catalogues of the National Library of Poland, the Jagiellonian Digital Library, the University Library of J. Giedroyc in Bialystok and the Lower Silesian Digital Library (DBC). A very meticulous survey of the literature on truffles showed that truffles have been known since at least 1661. In the 18th century, the fungi were considered a non-timber forest product. It is interesting to mention the impact of Polish Count Michał Jan Borch in understanding the nature of truffles. The whitish truffle (Tuber borchii) is named after him. The greatest number of publications regarding truffles can be observed at the first half of the 19th and 20th centuries. The fungi were present not only in cookbooks but also in scientific literature, and aspects of their ecology and medicinal use are considered. The “dark ages” for truffles, mainly for social reasons, occurred after the Second World War. In tough times, when Poland was under Soviet communist control (1945–1989), truffles as a luxurious product have been completely forgotten. However, at the end of the 20th century, truffles started receiving attention in Polish society. Yet, the real awakening began in the first decade of the twenty-first century when the first truffle orchards were established. One of them has already produced the first fruit bodies of summer truffle (Tuber aestivum). Truffles have been present in Polish culture for centuries. Their renaissance indicates the need for fostering sustainable agroforestry-centred initiatives aimed at helping truffle growers in growing the precious fungi and thus meeting market demands

Ectomycorrhizal communities in a Tuber aestivum Vittad. orchard in Poland

Cultivation of the Burgundy truffle, Tuber aestivum Vittad., has become a new agricultural alternative in Poland. For rural economies, the concept of landscaping is often considerably more beneficial than conventional agriculture and promotes reforestation, as well as land-use stability. Considering examples from France, Italy, Hungary and Spain, truffle cultivation stimulates economic and social development of small, rural communities. Because there is no long tradition of truffle orchards in Poland, knowledge regarding the environmental factors regulating the formation of fruiting bodies of T. aestivum is limited. Thus, knowledge concerning ectomycorrhizal communities of T. aestivum host species is crucial to ensuring successful Burgundy truffle production. We investigated the persistence of T. aestivum ectomycorrhizae on roots of hazel (Corylus avellana L.) and oak (Quercus robur L.) and checked the host-species influence on community structure of ectomycorrhizal fungi. The study was conducted in an experimental plantation located in eastern Poland and established in 2008. We demonstrated that the number of fungal taxa was not significantly different between oak and hazel. However, the species composition differed between these two host trees. During the three-year study, we observed that species richness did not increase with the age of the plantation

FIGURE 3 in First molecular identification of Suillia gigantea (Meigen, 1830) (Diptera: Heleomyzidae)

FIGURE 3. Suillia gigantea (Meigen, 1830). Head in lateral view (scale bar = 0,5 mm).Published as part of Rosa-Gruszecka, Aleksandra, Woźnica, Andrzej Józef, Tereba, Anna, Szabłowski, Przemysław & Hilszczańska, Dorota, 2023, First molecular identification of Suillia gigantea (Meigen, 1830) (Diptera: Heleomyzidae), pp. 122-136 in Zootaxa 5228 (2) on page 127, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5228.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/753221

FIGURE 4 in First molecular identification of Suillia gigantea (Meigen, 1830) (Diptera: Heleomyzidae)

FIGURE 4. Scutellum of Suillia gigantea (Meigen, 1830)– dorsal view (scale bar = 0,5 mm).Published as part of Rosa-Gruszecka, Aleksandra, Woźnica, Andrzej Józef, Tereba, Anna, Szabłowski, Przemysław & Hilszczańska, Dorota, 2023, First molecular identification of Suillia gigantea (Meigen, 1830) (Diptera: Heleomyzidae), pp. 122-136 in Zootaxa 5228 (2) on page 128, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5228.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/753221

A Survey of the Knowledge of Truffles among Polish Foresters and Implications for Environmental Education

While the use of truffles in Poland has a long tradition, for historical reasons this knowledge was almost lost. Currently, truffles and truffle orchards are again receiving public attention. For example, the Polish State Forests supported the establishment of truffle orchards by the Forestry Research Institute. In recent years, knowledge concerning these unique hypogeous fungi has been disseminated systematically through scientific and popular publications, films, and electronic media. This study investigates the awareness of economically and culinary valued truffle fungi (Tuber spp.) among more than 1400 Polish foresters. The results show that 70% of interviewees were familiar with historical and contemporary information about growing and using truffles in Poland. Based on respondents’ age, education, type of work, and gender we attempted to identify whether these elements were associated with the state of knowledge about truffles. The results indicated that younger foresters were better informed about the presence of truffles in Poland and also about their use in the past in Polish cuisine. Environmental education was an important source of knowledge about truffle harvesting and the soils that are conducive to truffle development. Foresters who have provided forest ecology education and who are 36−65 years of age generally possessed better knowledge about truffles than other age cohorts. More than 30% of respondents expressed interest in educational courses to improve their knowledge of truffles. The results point to the need for forestry education concerning truffles and indicate the need for fostering sustainable agroforestry-centered initiatives disseminating this knowledge to the public

FIGURE 6 in First molecular identification of Suillia gigantea (Meigen, 1830) (Diptera: Heleomyzidae)

FIGURE 6. Suillia gigantea (Meigen, 1830). Spermathecae (scale bar = 0,05 mm).Published as part of Rosa-Gruszecka, Aleksandra, Woźnica, Andrzej Józef, Tereba, Anna, Szabłowski, Przemysław & Hilszczańska, Dorota, 2023, First molecular identification of Suillia gigantea (Meigen, 1830) (Diptera: Heleomyzidae), pp. 122-136 in Zootaxa 5228 (2) on page 130, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5228.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/753221

FIGURE 2 in First molecular identification of Suillia gigantea (Meigen, 1830) (Diptera: Heleomyzidae)

FIGURE 2. Damage to Tuber aestivum fruit bodies by Suillia sp. larvae.Published as part of Rosa-Gruszecka, Aleksandra, Woźnica, Andrzej Józef, Tereba, Anna, Szabłowski, Przemysław & Hilszczańska, Dorota, 2023, First molecular identification of Suillia gigantea (Meigen, 1830) (Diptera: Heleomyzidae), pp. 122-136 in Zootaxa 5228 (2) on page 125, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5228.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/753221