14
TRUFFLES Morocco, the Valhalla
Truffles, truffles and more truffles. Morocco offers an abundance of truffle s and even produces the black truffle. During a packed programme with 25 lectures and excursions to the Mamora forest and the Middle Atlas, the participants at the truffle symposium in Rabat formed a close network of mycologists. By Judith Evenaar
Terfezia harvest from the Mamora Forest: on the right Picoa and Terfezia bou- dieri en Tirmania pinoyi in the left hand.
From 9 to 13 April scientists, growers, traders, stu- dents and chefs converged at the Mohammed V-Ag- dal University in Rabat for a combined double event on hypogeous fungi, Hypoges2, and the burgundy truffle,TAUESG5. The TAUESG (tuber aestivum/unci- natum European Scientific Group) meets every year and shares data and research advances relating to the cultivation of the summer truffle (tuber aestivum). The aim of the hypogeous group is to promote know- ledge of truffles in the Mediterranean basin. It was an exception event thanks to the presence of all the experts on the Italian white truffle, black Périgord truffle, summer truffle, Bianchetto truffle and the ‘truf- fles of the desert’. Lahsen Khabar, Professor of the Department of Forest Mycology and Trufficulture was an outstanding host.
News from the truffle world New species and varieties of truffle are discovered each year and further knowledge is uncovered about the distribution of the varieties and the conditions in
which they flourish. In 2011, the Italian white truffle (tuber magnatum) was discovered for the first time growing in the Rhone Valley, and the first experimen- tal truffle plantation was set up in France in 2011. Professor Liu from the Kunming Institute of Botany has described a new genus of truffle, Tuber sinoaes- tivum, that is closely related to the summer truffle (tuber aestivum). The morphology of both truffles is identical, but DNA analysis reveals that they are in fact different species. Tuber sinoexcovatum and tuber liyuanum, and a white truffle, tuber panzhihu- anense, are other truffle species that have recently been discovered in China. In April 2013, the first batch of cultivated Chinese black truffles (tuber indicum) was harvested in Yunnan province. The first plantation was started in 2001. In the meantime, the institute has expanded to experimental plantations covering 33 hectares, while plantations are also being set up in many other provinces. The expected harvest is estimated to be 350-450 kg/hectare with these truffles anticipated to be available commercially within three years. There are plenty of developments in Turkey as well. Turkey has a huge diversity of soil types and climate zones and has a promising future as a truffle producer. Professor Aziz Türkońlu is in charge of the ‘Truffle Action Plan’. From 2009-2014 a truffle hound was used to search intensively for truffles and many new species were found. In 2012 production started using seed- lings of indigenous trees, inoculated with black truffle and summer truffle. The first truffle orchard was set up in 2013 and currently 3556 trees have been planted. From 2013 until 2018, a further 16 truffle orchards of two hectares will be planted.
Why host a symposium in Morocco? Morocco is the most southerly country that produces black truffles and boasts a good climate and excellent soil for truffle cultivation. White and black species are found in Morocco, but the country also has at least ten species of what is commonly called ‘truffles of the de- sert’ – also known as terfezia – and five tuber species, including the summer truffle and tuber oligospermum. Terfezia is the general ame of the fruiting bodies of the fungi terfezia, delastria, picoa and tirmania (photo).
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
