Physiological characteristics of pure cultures of a white-colored truffle <i>Tuber japonicum</i>

Abstract

Truffles, primarily belonging to the genus Tuber, are ascomycetous ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi that form symbiotic associations with diverse tree species (Pacioni & Comandini, 1999;Gryndler, 2016). Several Tuber species, such as T. magnatum Picco (Italian white truffle), T. melanosporum Vittad. (Périgord black truffle), T. aestivum Vittad. (summer truffle), and T. borchii Vittad. (Bianchetto truffle), produce edible fruiting bodies with unique aromas (Hall & Haslam, 2012), and they are globally traded at high prices (Hall, Brown, & Zambonelli, 2007). Various trials have been conducted to develop the proper management of truffle production in fields (Delmas, 1978;Pacioni & Comandini, 1999;Hall et al., 2007). To date, artificial cultivation of several truffle species is accomplished using EM plants inoculated with ascospores or pure-cultured mycelia of these species (Iotti,