conservation while improving rural local economy. More recently, it also has been
reported in Spain that the reforestation with Quercus ilex inoculated with
T. melanosporum can be successful after forest fire, being an strategy with an
economic incentive (Martínez de Aragón et al. 2012); (iv) Currently, the French
nurseries have an annual production of around 400,000 trees inoculated mainly
with T. melanosporum (Hall et al. 2007). This fact gives an idea of the great
interest that exists of establishing new truffle orchards; (v) In the Swedish islands
of Gotland and Öland, some plantations of Quercus rubur inoculated with
T. aestivum, with a total of more than 2,000 trees were established from 1999 to
2001. Interestingly, the first plantation was harvested just 6 years after planting
(Weden et al. 2009); (vi) In Tunisia, the cultivation of the desert truffle Terfezia
boudieri, inoculating plants of the shrub Helianthemum sessiliflorum has recently
started. The establishment of farms cultivating this mushroom might be of paramount regional importance for improving economic development of very-poor local
communities (Slama et al. 2010); (vii) some initial attemps of black truffle introduction have also been started in South America (Pereira et al. 2013); and
(viii) Currently, New Zealand has more than 100 truffle orchards of T. melanosporum. From the commercial point of view, this is particularly important due to the fact
that these truffle plantations potentially might be able to produce truffles when there
is no natural production in the Northern hemisphere (Guerin-Laguette et al. 2013).
The environmental and social benefits of the establishment of truffle plantations
go beyond the economic ones because they represent an innovative and sustainable
form of land use. Hall et al. (2007) pointed out that compared to conventional
agriculture, truffle cultivation has a lower environmental impact and has very little
use of machinery and chemicals. In addition, it promotes the development of welladapted ecosystems with a rich biodiversity, as pointed out by Stobbe et al. (2013).
This can be particularly important in countries, where deforestation is a great
problem, because truffle cultivation might favor restoration programs along with
making direct contributions to rural economies (Weden et al. 2009).
6.4.3 Other Edible Ectomycorrhizal Species
It is important to note that most of the species of EEMs highly appreciated worldwide have defied cultivation in commercial plantations. These have mainly included
porcini, matsutake, chanterelle (see below), saffron milk cap (Guerin-Laguette et al.
2003), Japanese shoro (Himomura et al 2012), and Caesar mushroom (Endo et al.
2013). However some initial advances have been produced in the last decades, in
relation to cultivation of the mycelium of these mushroom, or the inoculation of the
associated hosts of these highly valuable mushrooms.
Porcini is one of the preferred edible wild mushrooms worldwide. Currently, it
has been shown that the group of porcini mushrooms, in the past included under
the name of B. edulis s.l., consists of at least 18 related species which constitute
part of a monophyletic group grouped now in the genus Boletus section Boletus
6 Edible Ectomycorrhizal Mushrooms
205
reported in Spain that the reforestation with Quercus ilex inoculated with
T. melanosporum can be successful after forest fire, being an strategy with an
economic incentive (Martínez de Aragón et al. 2012); (iv) Currently, the French
nurseries have an annual production of around 400,000 trees inoculated mainly
with T. melanosporum (Hall et al. 2007). This fact gives an idea of the great
interest that exists of establishing new truffle orchards; (v) In the Swedish islands
of Gotland and Öland, some plantations of Quercus rubur inoculated with
T. aestivum, with a total of more than 2,000 trees were established from 1999 to
2001. Interestingly, the first plantation was harvested just 6 years after planting
(Weden et al. 2009); (vi) In Tunisia, the cultivation of the desert truffle Terfezia
boudieri, inoculating plants of the shrub Helianthemum sessiliflorum has recently
started. The establishment of farms cultivating this mushroom might be of paramount regional importance for improving economic development of very-poor local
communities (Slama et al. 2010); (vii) some initial attemps of black truffle introduction have also been started in South America (Pereira et al. 2013); and
(viii) Currently, New Zealand has more than 100 truffle orchards of T. melanosporum. From the commercial point of view, this is particularly important due to the fact
that these truffle plantations potentially might be able to produce truffles when there
is no natural production in the Northern hemisphere (Guerin-Laguette et al. 2013).
The environmental and social benefits of the establishment of truffle plantations
go beyond the economic ones because they represent an innovative and sustainable
form of land use. Hall et al. (2007) pointed out that compared to conventional
agriculture, truffle cultivation has a lower environmental impact and has very little
use of machinery and chemicals. In addition, it promotes the development of welladapted ecosystems with a rich biodiversity, as pointed out by Stobbe et al. (2013).
This can be particularly important in countries, where deforestation is a great
problem, because truffle cultivation might favor restoration programs along with
making direct contributions to rural economies (Weden et al. 2009).
6.4.3 Other Edible Ectomycorrhizal Species
It is important to note that most of the species of EEMs highly appreciated worldwide have defied cultivation in commercial plantations. These have mainly included
porcini, matsutake, chanterelle (see below), saffron milk cap (Guerin-Laguette et al.
2003), Japanese shoro (Himomura et al 2012), and Caesar mushroom (Endo et al.
2013). However some initial advances have been produced in the last decades, in
relation to cultivation of the mycelium of these mushroom, or the inoculation of the
associated hosts of these highly valuable mushrooms.
Porcini is one of the preferred edible wild mushrooms worldwide. Currently, it
has been shown that the group of porcini mushrooms, in the past included under
the name of B. edulis s.l., consists of at least 18 related species which constitute
part of a monophyletic group grouped now in the genus Boletus section Boletus
6 Edible Ectomycorrhizal Mushrooms
205