Production and marketing of Tuber floridanum – ecology and gastronomic value of a recently described truffle species

Abstract

Tuber floridanum is the first truffle species reported in Brazil and little is known about its nutritional properties and ecology. Therefore, this study aimed to (1) determine T. floridanum aroma and nutritional properties and (2) analyze cultivation and fruiting conditions, including potential crop pests and market value. Fruiting bodies of T. floridanum showed a slightly ellipsoid shape and smooth to shallow groovy surface. The mass of ascocarps ranged from 0.13 g to 15.95 g, and the truffle was composed of 71 % carbohydrates, 19 % protein, 5 % ash, and 5 % of fat. Octan-3-one, 1-methoxy-3-methyl-butane, and 1-methoxy-2-methyl-butane determined T. floridanum characteristic aroma. Soil properties were also specific for this truffle, differing from optimal soils where commercial truffles are produced. In addition, the occurrence of earwigs (Anisolabididae, Anisolabidinae) feeding on truffles (26 % of all ascocarps) in pecan orchards may reduce truffle quality and cause financial losses. T. floridanum aroma has a unique composition, completely different from any commercial and non-commercial truffle species analyzed so far.Soil conditions in pecan orchards were also specific for truffle fruiting. Further studies should elucidate other ecological conditions for the co-production of T. floridanum with pecan.

Micorrização de trufas em um pomar de nogueira- pecã

“…Londrina, v. 45, n. 2, p. 379-392, mar./abr. 2024 Freiberg et al, 2023) highlights the possibility of truffle farming under Brazilian subtropical conditions. However, new studies must be carried out to investigate the presence of other truffles introduced in Brazil and the factors that affect their fruiting and production.…”

“…Truffles are hypogeous fungi with high gastronomic and commercial value due to the organoleptic properties of their aroma (Bonito et al, 2009;Culleré et al, 2013;Grupe et al, 2018). The Brazilian truffle (Sapucay) has a unique and pleasant aroma, incomparable to other commercial species of the same genus (Freiberg et al, 2023). This fungus produce ripened fruits in the summer, from October to mid-February, and is harvested in the area under the projection of the plant crown, where the truffle can be found in a depth of 5 to 20 cm of soil, depending on the distribution of the roots in the soil profile (Freiberg et al, 2023).…”

Comprehensive Characterization of Tuber maculatum, New in Uruguay: Morphological, Molecular, and Aromatic Analyses

“…However, similarity based on quantitative results of the most abundant aromatic compounds should be interpreted with caution since humans (or animals) can usually perceive one compound more intensely than others, even if its concentration is lower. Also, the differences found between our materials and the traditionally consumed truffle species would open the possibility of exploring new uses, as in the case of T. floridanum in Brazil [ 11 ]. Modern methodologies of volatile compound analysis need to be employed on unambiguously identified materials to determine the underlying reasons for the variation in this clade, as already shown by Strojnik et al [ 35 ] for other species.…”

“…Intentionally introduced species have been exploited in Chile and Uruguay since 2009 and 2014, respectively [ 9 ], while at least one truffle farm was established in Argentina in 2011 [ 10 ]. Also, species accidentally implanted with their ectomycorrhizal hosts have been studied and exploited [ 11 , 12 ].…”