Successful Truffle Cultivation Runs on Science

Mycorrhiza Biotech – Copyright 2017

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................2

INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................3
BACKGROUND ..........................................................................................................................................................4
SOLUTION ..................................................................................................................................................................5
COMMERCIAL VIABILITY ....................................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................................ 7
WORKS CITED ..........................................................................................................................................................7

Mycorrhiza Biotech – Copyright 2017 2

Introduction
Truffles are a prized fungal delicacy due to their unique organoleptic and culinary qualities. Production of
truffles in traditional producing nations has been declining steadily for over half a century, while worldwide
truffle consumption continues to rise (Hall et al. 1994). According to the USDA Foreign Agricultural
Service, imports of truffles more than doubled from $6.6 in 2008 to $16.8 million dollars in 2015.
Significant investment is currently being made into growing truffles as a specialty crop in the United
States (e.g., the NC Biotechnology Center and the NC Tobacco Trust Fund ). Many factors beyond
culinary use contribute to the desirability of the truffles, specifically the white spring truffle, Tuber borchii.
They include:

Forest preservation and Variety of host trees: pine, oak,

Co-cropping trees with truffles
conservation hazel, poplar, beech, chestnut,
provides additional income for land
owners linden, alder, and cedar

Accelerated host plant growth and Truffle Benefits Improved host plant health and
development drought resistance

Imports more than doubled- $6.6

Fruiting occurs at a wide range of Harvest: Specially trained dogs
million in 2008 to $16.8 million in
pH (pH 5 – 8) (opportunity to save shelter dogs)
2015. (USDA Foreign Agricultural
Service)

There are a multitude of obstacles to successful truffle production outside their native geographic areas.
The three biggest obstacles to maintaining vibrant thriving orchards with bountiful harvests are
seedling/mycorrhization quality, contamination, and cost.

• Seedling quality/Confirmation - Confirming whether a seedling has the correct truffle fungus
(e.g. Tuber borchii) inhabiting its root system is key to successful truffle production. Until recently
truffle farmers and seedling producers in North America depended on the unreliable
morphological characteristics of roots to “guess” whether their trees have the intended truffle
fungus on them.

Contamination - The major problems in truffle cultivation are contamination by competing

fungi/micro-organisms, poor quality nursery stock, or replacement of truffle mycorrhizae by
indigenous mycoflora after planting.

• Cost – Regular loblolly pine seedlings cost $0.16 through state nurseries, while mycorrhized
seedlings cost $33 - $35. Through our efforts to maximize the production process and streamline
our protocols we have been able to reduce the price
to $30, but it still remains comparatively high. “Contamination, poor quality nursery
stock, or replacement of truffle mycorrhiza
Using innovative DNA-based diagnostics for truffle by indigenous mycoflora after planting are
detection and mycorrhized seedling propagation, all possible detriments to truffle orchards
Mycorrhiza Biotech provides a unique and crucial that could easily go unnoticed by a truffle
farmer.”
science-based protocol and orchard management – Dr. Omon Isikhuemhen, Professor and
system for successful truffle cultivation for the Researcher working on truffles at NC A&T
growing truffle industry in North America. State University

Mycorrhiza Biotech – Copyright 2017 3

Background

Mycorrhiza Biotech, LLC is an agribusiness that develops products and services that improve plant
production. Our patent-pending technology that uses a natural resource, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), to
cultivate a high-value crop, gourmet truffles, while simultaneously improving the tree's productivity has
wider implications for overall forest health. Most people are unaware of the crisis threatening our nation’s
trees, but Mycorrhiza Biotech is a step ahead. The Guardian newspaper carried an article on September
19, 2016, “An American tragedy: why are millions of trees dying across the country?” Describing “ A quiet
crisis playing out in US forests as huge numbers of trees succumb to drought, disease, insects and
wildfire – much of it driven by climate change”

The benefits of mycorrhiza extend beyond truffle income. Highly mycorrhized trees encourage plant
health, keep pathogenic organisms at bay, and help trees survive in harsh conditions. Other benefits of
mycorrhizae include:

 Enhanced plant efficiency in absorbing water and nutrients from the soil

 Reduced fertility and irrigation requirements

 Increased drought resistance

 Increased protection/resistance to pathogens

 Enhanced plant health and stress reduction

 Enhanced seedling growth

“Forestry officials and scientists are increasingly alarmed, and say the essential role of trees – providing
clean water, locking up carbon and sheltering whole ecosystems – is being undermined on a grand
scale.” (The Guardian, 2016).

Mycorrhiza Biotech’s successful endeavor to cultivate gourmet truffles parallels the ongoing effort in the
scientific community to address the crisis decimating America’s forests. Highly-mycorrhized trees are
better prepared to withstand the damage from climate change and pests many forests are currently
experiencing. To maintain control, avoid contamination, and ensure our trees are highly-mycorrhized, we
propagate our truffle colonized seedlings under stringent nursery conditions. The mycorrhized seedlings
are later planted in orchards that have been meticulously prepared. Careful cultivation and management
has led to truffle production after only 2 years and 3 months – much faster than the typical 4 – 6 years for
previously recorded harvests.

The ability to detect the truffle fungus under cultivation and competitor fungi on host roots and in the
rhizosphere is vital to successful truffle farming. Plants that have either no truffle or the wrong fungi in its
roots should not be planted. Heavily colonized root systems in nursery and out-planted seedlings are
indicative of good management practices. Many truffle farmers and seedling producers in North America
have depended on the unreliable morphological characteristics of roots to “guess” whether their trees
have the intended truffle fungus on them. However, Mycorrhiza Biotech’s protocols for mycorrhized
seedling production and farm management systems have added the necessary layer of science to pivotal
points on the truffle cultivation process mitigating risk and adding certainty. The advent of our recent
early harvest of Tuber borchii establishes proof that our proprietary systems are solid, effective, and
reliable.

“Confirming whether or not a tree has the

correct truffle fungus inhabiting its root
system has critical orchard management
implications.”
- Dr. Omon Isikhuemhen

Mycorrhiza Biotech – Copyright 2017 4

Solution
The benefits of mycorrhizae are well known. The image below describes how the fungus “protects” the
host plant roots literally acting as a shield preventing pathogenic organisms from gaining access to and
harming the tree.

Source - NC A&T State University, Mushroom Biology and Fungal Biotechnology Lab

We have demonstrated that the cultivation of truffle inoculated pine trees can be an alternative to
traditional forestation, whereby the truffles serve as a value added crop that will generate additional
income for the forest owners while keeping the orchard healthy and vital. This co-cropping practice will
increase reforestation, enhance plant growth and development through symbiotic association between
the plants and the truffle fungi, as well as improve microbial diversity in pine forest environments.

Mycorrhiza Biotech’s solution includes a comprehensive approach to truffle farm management specifically
for timber management companies and land owners that use pine. Our methods use science as the
foundation for the 6 Steps to Successful Truffle Farming:
.

Mycorrhiza Biotech – Copyright 2017 5

Mycorrhiza Biotech’s solution facilitates the long-term goal to integrate truffle farming into agroforestry
practices as a means of reforestation, and soil conservation, and to determine optimal silviculture
practices for truffles in the forest environment of North Carolina specifically and in North America in
general.

Commercial Viability
Mycorrhiza Biotech is the only company with established orchards producing truffles on Pinus taeda in
North America. Mycorrhiza Biotech is the only company with truffle inoculated seedlings in production in
2 years and 3 months after planting. Our protocols and management systems are unique because we
confirm the presence of the truffle fungus on the seedling prior to planting thereby reducing risk.
Our technology uses micro-propagation and biotechnology tools to propagate truffle mycorrhized
seedlings. Our trees are evaluated and determined to have high rates of colonization before being
released to our customers.

Co-cropping timber with gourmet truffles capitalizes on an opportunity and is a win-win for farmers,
foresters, foodies, and state revenue offices. Tuber borchii, a white spring truffle has a current market
price of $500/lb. Nearly 1 billion loblolly pine seedlings were planted in 2015 in the Southeastern United
States (Scott Enebek, 2017) with over 12 million in NC alone (Drew Hinnart, 2017). Each acre can
generate approximately $3000 in wood products over 36 years. Co-cropping Tuber borchii with loblolly
pine will provide growers with an additional $50,000 of income per acre over the truffle production cycle
starting as early as year 4. There is a huge opportunity to reforest our nation with highly-mycorrhized
trees that are better prepared to withstand climate change and pest damage our forests are currently
experiencing. Our product helps farmers and forests thrive.

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Conclusion
This white paper is designed to outline the best approach to establishing healthy truffle orchards.
Applying scientific principles and protocols to the truffle production process greatly increases the harvest
opportunities. Mycorrhiza Biotech’s scientific approach to truffle farming addresses the three primary
obstacles to successful truffle cultivation which include Cost, Contamination, and Seedling
quality/Confirmation. Our trees have produced truffles in nearly half the time as other measured
orchards. Additionally, our production systems have the potential to mitigate the current threats to
America’s forests. Successful truffle cultivation is an exact science. Mycorrhiza Biotech’s orchard
establishment and management systems remove all guesswork from the process.

If you want to be successful, trust the science behind our fruitful orchards.

Works Cited
1 – Hall, I., G. Brown, and J. Byars. 1994. The Black Truffle. 2nd Ed. New Zealand Institute for
Crop and Food Research, Christchurch, New Zealand.

2 - The Guardian – “An American tragedy: why are millions of trees dying across the country?” Oliver
Milman and Alan Yuhas September 2016.

3 – Scott Enebak, Southern Forest Nursery Management Cooperative at Auburn University, January
2017, Personal Communication.

4 – Drew Hinnant, NC Forest Service, Claridge Nursery, January 2017, Personal Communication.

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