CULTURE MEDIA AND PROCESS FOR IMPROVED ISOLATION AND MAINTENANCE OF TERFEZIA SPP. MYCELIUM CULTURES

The present invention relates to a culture media and to a process for improved isolation and maintenance of mycelium cultures of “desert truffles” included within the genus Terfezia, the most species rich of all of desert truffle genera. Cultivation of these ectomycorrhizal Ascomycota implies the co-culture of both fungal symbiont and plant host in sterile or semi-sterile conditions. However, isolation and maintenance of Terfezia spp. pure cultures can be challenging. Moreover, many strains are unable to be sub-cultured, and so far, the few successful attempts, mainly with Terfezia spp. from alkaline soils, were found to grow much too slowly to produce adequate amounts of mycelial inoculum in conventional culture media and conditions

First description of seagrass distribution and abundance in Sao Tome and Principe

Seagrass meadows in Sao Tome and Principe, eastern Atlantic Ocean, are described here for the first time. Specifically, we quantified the biomass and density of seagrasses, characterized the plant morphology and measure their nutrient content as a proxy of the nutrient environmental conditions where the meadows develop. The seagrass Halodule wrightii was found in two locations of the northeastern coast of the island of Sao Tome: 1) developing throughout an estimated area of 1500 ha surrounding Cabras islet, at a depth range of 4-10 m, on sandy bottom; and 2) at Santana bay with an area of 1500 m(2) at 5-10 m depth, on sandy bottom. A highly morphologically different population of Halodule wrightii was found on the northeastern coast of the island of Principe, off Abade beach, covering an area of 135 m2 at 4 m depth. Further research is needed to assess if this is a different species. Shoot biomass and density was 10 and 4-fold higher in Sao Tome than in Principe, respectively. CN ratios of above and belowground tissues of plants collected in Sao Tome were also significantly higher than in Principe. The carbon content of Halodule leaves from Sao Tome and Principe (41%) was much higher than that reported for other Halodule species, suggesting that meadows may have an important ecological role for carbon fixation. The presence of H. wrightii in Sao Tome and Principe raises ecological and evolutionary questions that warrant further research.PADI Foundation [21670

New Insights on Cistus salviifolius L. Micropropagation

One of the major concerns in the establishment of any mycorrhization program is ensuring the mass production of sterile, consistent and standardized plant material. In the present study, a successful protocol for micropropagation of Cistus salviifolius L. was developed. The process was initiated from nodal segments excised from mature C. salviifolius plant selected due to its mycorrhizal capacities. Murashige and Skoog basal medium supplement with gibberellic acid (0.5 mg/L) and of 6-Benzylaminopurine (0.5 mg/L) was the best medium for proliferation purposes and successful rooting was achieved with the same basal medium supplemented with Indole-3-butyric acid (0.5 mg/L). The proposed methodology represent a novelty because it allowed the rapid multiplication of C. salviifolius starting from mature explants, here reported for the first time, using lower plant growth regulators concentrations than the previously reported for this particular Cistus specie

The future of vehicle fuel technology and how it will reshape the automobile industry

The automobile industry is on the verge of a major disruptive technology change as electric mobility is threatening the dominance of internal combustion engines. Although the majority of automobile executives would rather invest in hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles, due to their similarities with traditional infrastructures and recharging methods, the market is moving towards battery powered vehicles, with Tesla’s Model 3 representing its most successful vehicle to date. China and the USA are two of the main countries that have the potential to dominance in the electric segment due to their market acceptance and industry dynamics

Terfezia solaris-libera sp. nov., a new mycorrhizal species within The spiny-spored lineages

A new Terfezia species-Terfezia solaris-libera sp. nov., associated with Tuberaria guttata (Cistaceae) is described from Alentejo, Portugal. T. solaris-libera sp. nov. distinct morphology has been corroborated by its unique ITS-rDNA sequence. Macro and micro morphologic descriptions and phylogenetic analyses of ITS data for this species are provided and discussed in relation to similar spiny-spored species in this genus and its putative host plant Tuberaria guttata. T. solaris-libera sp. nov. differs from other spiny-spored Terfezia species by its poorly delimited and thicker peridium and distinct spore ornamentation, and from all Terfezia spp. in it’s ITS nrDNA sequence. In comparison, T. fanfani usually reach large ascocarp dimensions, often with prismatic peridium cells, with olive green tinges in mature gleba and different spore ornamentation. T. lusitanica has a lighter yellowish and thinner peridium and a blackish gleba upon maturity, T. extremadurensis has a thinner well delimited peridium and Tuber-like gleba and T. cistophila has a spermatic odour and is exclusively associated with Cistus spp

Macrofungi of Mata da Margaraça (Portugal), a relic from the Tertiary Age

Mata Nacional da Margaraça represents a rare example where the Atlantic climate influences the perpetuity of a small enclave of a previously widespread laurel forest. The higher relative humidity values (> 80%), which are almost constant all year long and the mild temperatures, rarely exceeding 30°C, even in the dry season (June to September), create an insular-like effect. The biological communities of Margaraça exhibit a transitory character. The forest is dominated by Quercus robur and Castanea sativa, yet Quercus suber, although less frequent, can also be found. The laurel species, such as Viburnum tinus, Ilex aquifolium, Laurus nobilis and the Portuguese endemic Prunus lusitanica ssp. lusitanica, relics from the ancient Portuguese Tertiary, comprise the understorey. The present work represents, to the best of our knowledge, the first regional macrofungal species list of the Mata da Margaraça published to date. The recent fires that occurred in the area have provided the opportunity to study the post-fire communities. The surveys were carried out in 2004 and later in 2018-2019. A total of 272 species were registered as belonging to Basidiomycota (≈ 80%) and Ascomycota (≈ 20%). The most represented Basidiomycota families were Russulaceae, Mycenaceae and Agaricaceae and the most represented Ascomycota families were Pyronemataceae and Pezizaceae. The new records to Portugal add up to a total of 74 species and another 116 species are new records to the province of Beira Litoral. Post-fire fungi account for 17 of the total of 272 species registered in these studies and most of these species are new to Portugal

Morphological Characterization of the In Vitro Mycorrhizae Formed between Four Terfezia Species (Pezizaceae) with Cistus salviifolius and Cistus ladanifer—Towards Desert Truffles Production in Acid Soils

Terfezia species are obligate symbiotic partners of several xerophytic host plants, mainly belonging to the Cistaceae. Yet, their mycorrhizal associations with members of the genus Cistus remain poorly characterized and their potential application in desert truffle cultivation remains unexplored. This work provides the first anatomic descriptions of the mycorrhizae formed in vitro by four Terfezia species (i.e., T. arenaria; T. extremadurensis; T. fanfani, T. pini) with C. ladanifer and C. salviifolius, two of the most widespread and common Cistus species in acidic soils. All the tested associations resulted in the formation of ectomycorrhizae with well-developed Hartig net, but with a varying degree of mantle development. Our results also demonstrate that all the experimented Terfezia-Cistus combinations expressed high mycorrhization rates. Moreover, the present work shows that C. salviifolius and C. ladanifer are suitable plant hosts for Terfezia species, including some that are, to date, known to be only associated with annual herbs or tree species. This new evidence might aid in broadening the number of situations whereby Terfezia spp. can be cultivated in acid soils.This research was funded by Alentejo 2020 (Project ALT20-03-0145-FEDER-000006) and National Funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology under the Project UIDB/05183/202

Epigeous Macrofungi of the Parque de Natureza de Noudar in Alentejo (Portugal)

This inventory represents the first list of the epigeous macrofungi collected in Parque de Natureza de Noudar (Barrancos, Alentejo, Portugal). Throughout 3 years 162 taxa were registered, from which 8 are new species for Portugal and 77 for Alentejo. Some of them are considered rare species whereas others have been suggested to acquire a conservation status