Introduced Tuber aestivum spreading spontaneously in Israel

A T. melanosporum plantation was established during 1994-95 in Kibbutz Bar´am in the Upper Galilee, Israel. In 1998, only approximately 70% of the trees maintained the inoculated mycorrhiza. A number of trees died; thus, several tree species were initially introduced. These included both European and local oak species, as well as hazelnuts. In 1999, seedlings were introduced into the plantation to fill the gaps between trees. These included, inadvertently, plants inoculated with T. aestivum. In July 2009, fruiting bodies of T. aestivum were collected from the plantation. In 2010, a manual search was conducted and a total of 2.2 kg of fruiting bodies of T. aestivum (a calculated yield of approximately 6.0 kg/acre) were obtained. No fruiting bodies were collected in 2011. In 2012, truffles were found in the original plantation and in a grove within a research farm approximately 3.5 km away. The latter appeared to be of the same origin as the originally introduced T. aestivum. The environmental conditions in the Upper Galilee, although unsuitable for T. melanosporum, are highly suitable for the more robust T. aestivum, which thrives on local oak species

Wild Morchella conica Pers. from different origins: a comparative study of nutritional and bioactive properties

Morchella conica Pers. is a species of fungus that belongs to the Morchellaceae family and was studied in order to obtain more information about this species, by comparing Portuguese and Serbian wild samples. Free sugars, fatty acids, tocopherols, organic and phenolic acids were analysed by chromatographic techniques. M. conica methanolic extracts were tested regarding antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The absence of hepatotoxicity was confirmed in porcine liver primary cells.The authors are grateful to Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) and COMPETE/QREN/EU for financial support to this work (research project PTDC/AGR-ALI/110062/2009 and BPD/4609/2008 to L. Barros) and to CIMO (strategic project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011). The authors also thank Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development for financial support (grant number 173032)

First Report on <i>Purpureocillium lilacinum</i> Infection of Indoor-Cultivated Morel Primordia

The cultivation of morel mushrooms (Morchella spp.) outdoors or in controlled indoor systems is a relatively new practice, and infections are beginning to be observed. Infection of indoor-cultivated Morchella rufobrunnea initials (primordia) occurred at our research facilities in Israel. The mushroom initials turned brown, were covered with a dense white mycelium of a foreign fungus and were disintegrated soon after. The isolation of a fungal contaminant from the infected mushroom revealed small colonies with a pinkish spore zone on potato dextrose agar medium. Molecular identification using partial large subunit 28S ribosomal DNA and rRNA internal transcribed spacer sequences identified the fungus as Purpureocillium lilacinum. Inoculation of Morchella colony on agar plat with the isolated fungus caused browning and inhibition of mycelial growth. Inoculation of a healthy primordium with P. lilacinum spores resulted in its browning and deterioration. This is the first report of an infection of indoor-cultivated mushroom and the first showing P. lilacinum as a pathogen of morels