producing truffles and transplanted to new areas, were able to produce truffles. This
is currently called the Talon method of cultivation of truffles and amazingly is
currently still used. Parallely to these discoveries in Tuscany, Italy, in 1807, Giovio
described a method in which plants could be inoculated with truffle fragments. The
pioneer truffle grower, Joseph Talon and his famous quote ‘‘… if you want to
harvest truffles, plant acorns,’’ was followed by Rousseau de Carpentras who grew a
seven-acre plantation of truffles, which was awarded at the Universal Exhibition in
Paris in 1855. By 1868, the Department of Vaucluse, located in southeastern France
produced 380 tons of truffles (Truffes.org 2013). At the present time, truffle plantations are established mainly with three species: the white truffle (T. magnatum),
the black truffle (T. melanosporum), and the Burgundy truffle [T. aestivum (=T.
uncinatum)] (Stobbe et al. 2013; Hall et al. 1998a, b, 2003; Bertault et al. 1998).
Currently, the exceptionally high values of truffles have attracted the interest of
growers all around the world. The biggest truffle plantation is located in Spain,
around 170 km to the north of Madrid, it covers 607 ha with 150,000 inoculated
trees of Quercus ilex (Black 2006), and it has been estimated that it produced
around 3 tons of T. melanosporum, representing a multimillion dollar industry. Just
to mention some other examples: (i) In Italy, Bencivenga (2009) estimated that
annually about 120,000 trees colonized with truffles are planted in 300 ha of land.
Most of these trees are colonized with the black truffle (T. melanosporum), and the
Burgundy truffle (T. aestivum) with 80 and 15 % of the total, respectively. Only
very few plantations in Italy, are inoculated with other species including the
‘‘white truffle’’ (T. magnatum) and other species such as T. brumale and T. borchii,
with less than 5 % of the total. Truffle production starts in Italy approximately
after 15 years, and can reach up to 100 kg per ha; (ii) In Central Italy in the region
of Umbria, Donnini et al. (2013) reported that the establishment of truffle plantations has been an important factor to restore, reclaim, and rehabilitate marginal
and derelict lands and to improve the socioeconomic conditions of rural populations in the area. In the 1980s the local government of this region promoted the
establishment of 59 truffle plantations, comprising 115 hectares using seven
species of truffles with different hosts. Additionally, to the economic profits
derived from the sell of the produced truffles some derelict areas have rehabilitated
through these programs and have contributed to protect the soil from erosion and
to the regeneration of vegetation cover. The authors also describe that currently, as
a consequence of this success, numerous projects that involve universities, truffle
hunters and growers association, as well as public administrations are in progress;
(iii) In eastern Spain, in the region of Sarrion, Samils et al. (2008) reported the
existence of about 4,500 ha of truffle orchards of T. melanosporum, with 530
members organized in a local truffle association, in areas which were previously
unproductive since 1987. Additional to the important economic incomes produced
by for the local community the authors reported an increased local land prices, a
tendency of expansion of truffle orchards, and therefore a conspicuous oak
reforestation. Thus, the promotion of truffle cultivation carried out with the support
of the local community, organized in a truffle association, government subsidies
and local banks have achieved in this region of Spain mutual goals of biodiversity
204
J. Pérez-Moreno and M. Martínez-Reyes
is currently called the Talon method of cultivation of truffles and amazingly is
currently still used. Parallely to these discoveries in Tuscany, Italy, in 1807, Giovio
described a method in which plants could be inoculated with truffle fragments. The
pioneer truffle grower, Joseph Talon and his famous quote ‘‘… if you want to
harvest truffles, plant acorns,’’ was followed by Rousseau de Carpentras who grew a
seven-acre plantation of truffles, which was awarded at the Universal Exhibition in
Paris in 1855. By 1868, the Department of Vaucluse, located in southeastern France
produced 380 tons of truffles (Truffes.org 2013). At the present time, truffle plantations are established mainly with three species: the white truffle (T. magnatum),
the black truffle (T. melanosporum), and the Burgundy truffle [T. aestivum (=T.
uncinatum)] (Stobbe et al. 2013; Hall et al. 1998a, b, 2003; Bertault et al. 1998).
Currently, the exceptionally high values of truffles have attracted the interest of
growers all around the world. The biggest truffle plantation is located in Spain,
around 170 km to the north of Madrid, it covers 607 ha with 150,000 inoculated
trees of Quercus ilex (Black 2006), and it has been estimated that it produced
around 3 tons of T. melanosporum, representing a multimillion dollar industry. Just
to mention some other examples: (i) In Italy, Bencivenga (2009) estimated that
annually about 120,000 trees colonized with truffles are planted in 300 ha of land.
Most of these trees are colonized with the black truffle (T. melanosporum), and the
Burgundy truffle (T. aestivum) with 80 and 15 % of the total, respectively. Only
very few plantations in Italy, are inoculated with other species including the
‘‘white truffle’’ (T. magnatum) and other species such as T. brumale and T. borchii,
with less than 5 % of the total. Truffle production starts in Italy approximately
after 15 years, and can reach up to 100 kg per ha; (ii) In Central Italy in the region
of Umbria, Donnini et al. (2013) reported that the establishment of truffle plantations has been an important factor to restore, reclaim, and rehabilitate marginal
and derelict lands and to improve the socioeconomic conditions of rural populations in the area. In the 1980s the local government of this region promoted the
establishment of 59 truffle plantations, comprising 115 hectares using seven
species of truffles with different hosts. Additionally, to the economic profits
derived from the sell of the produced truffles some derelict areas have rehabilitated
through these programs and have contributed to protect the soil from erosion and
to the regeneration of vegetation cover. The authors also describe that currently, as
a consequence of this success, numerous projects that involve universities, truffle
hunters and growers association, as well as public administrations are in progress;
(iii) In eastern Spain, in the region of Sarrion, Samils et al. (2008) reported the
existence of about 4,500 ha of truffle orchards of T. melanosporum, with 530
members organized in a local truffle association, in areas which were previously
unproductive since 1987. Additional to the important economic incomes produced
by for the local community the authors reported an increased local land prices, a
tendency of expansion of truffle orchards, and therefore a conspicuous oak
reforestation. Thus, the promotion of truffle cultivation carried out with the support
of the local community, organized in a truffle association, government subsidies
and local banks have achieved in this region of Spain mutual goals of biodiversity
204
J. Pérez-Moreno and M. Martínez-Reyes