(Dentinger et al. 2010). These species establish ectomycorrhizal relationships
mainly with trees in Fagaceae, Pinaceae, and Betulaceae and also with some
shrubs for example Cistaceae, throughout the Nortern Hemisphere, and also they
have been introduced in other countries like Australia and New Zealand (Águeda
et al. 2008; Hall et al. 1998a, b); Catcheside and Catcheside 2012).. It has been
estimated that annual consumption of porcini species ranges from 20,000 to
100,000 tones and that the main international markets included France, Italy,
Germany, and North America (Hall et al. 1998a, b). For example, from 2002 to
2006, Italy imported more than 17,000 metric tons of fresh or refrigerated porcini
mushrooms (Sitta and Floriani 2008). The annual production of porcini in the
Iberian Peninsula has been estimated to be in the order of 8,000 tons (Ortega and
Martinez 2008). Porcini mushrooms have been a very important factor of forest
conservation, in the autonomous community of Castilla and Leon in Spain, where
they are commonly use in local and gourmet cuisine (Frutos et al. 2012). Production of plants colonized with some species of porcini has been currently
achieved (Olivier et al. 1997; Poitou et al. 1982; Molina and Trappe 1982) which
have opened some initial perspectives in the cultivation of this mushroom. Hall
et al. (1998a, b) highlighted the fact that the biotic interactions, of the microbiome
associated with the hymenium, could be of paramount importance in the cultivation of this species. Duñabeitia et al. (1996) failed to synthesize mycorrhizal
plantas using mycelial inoculum of porcini, either in vitro or in unsterile containers, but they were able to produce ectomycorrhizas by using hymenial tissues,
containing spores. Additional to the synthesis with trees, mycorrhizas with some
shrubs, members of Cistaceae, have been successfully produced with three porcini
species (Boletus aereus, B. edulis, and Boletus reticulatus), showing that their
morphological characters were very similar, including white monopodial pinnate
morphology, a three-layered plectenchymatous mantle on plan view and boletoid
rhizomorphs (Águeda et al. 2008). Olivier et al. (1997) and Díaz et al. (2009)
registered the production of primordia of porcini under axenic conditions, which
could be an indicator of certain saprotrophic ability, associated with the ectomycorrhizal nature of these mushrooms. However, it is important to note that this is
just an initial step in the domestication of the species involved, whose production
currently depends exclusively on natural production and harvest.
The matsutake is the highest prized mushroom in Japan. Originally the concept
of matsutake in Japan was circumscribed to one species [T. matsutake (S. Ito et S.
Imai) Singer], but currently the term refers to a complex of related species highly
valued as a gourmet luxury ingredient, which include mainly T. matsutake,
T. magnivelare y T. caligatum (Yang et al. 2008). In 1941, Japan produced
12,000 tons of matsutake, however since then a dramatic decrease has been
observed, with a production of 1,000 and only 39 tons in 1970 and 2006,
respectively. Due to this dramatic declines, Japan has imported huge amounts of
matsutake, which accounted more than 2,800 and 1,700 tons in 2005 and 2006,
respectively, from China, North Korea, Canada, United States, Turkey, Mexico,
Morocco, Bhutan, Ukraine, and Thailand (Saito and Mitsumata 2008). The
wholesale value of this mushroom was USD 425 per kg in Kyoto in 2006 (Saito
206
J. Pérez-Moreno and M. Martínez-Reyes
mainly with trees in Fagaceae, Pinaceae, and Betulaceae and also with some
shrubs for example Cistaceae, throughout the Nortern Hemisphere, and also they
have been introduced in other countries like Australia and New Zealand (Águeda
et al. 2008; Hall et al. 1998a, b); Catcheside and Catcheside 2012).. It has been
estimated that annual consumption of porcini species ranges from 20,000 to
100,000 tones and that the main international markets included France, Italy,
Germany, and North America (Hall et al. 1998a, b). For example, from 2002 to
2006, Italy imported more than 17,000 metric tons of fresh or refrigerated porcini
mushrooms (Sitta and Floriani 2008). The annual production of porcini in the
Iberian Peninsula has been estimated to be in the order of 8,000 tons (Ortega and
Martinez 2008). Porcini mushrooms have been a very important factor of forest
conservation, in the autonomous community of Castilla and Leon in Spain, where
they are commonly use in local and gourmet cuisine (Frutos et al. 2012). Production of plants colonized with some species of porcini has been currently
achieved (Olivier et al. 1997; Poitou et al. 1982; Molina and Trappe 1982) which
have opened some initial perspectives in the cultivation of this mushroom. Hall
et al. (1998a, b) highlighted the fact that the biotic interactions, of the microbiome
associated with the hymenium, could be of paramount importance in the cultivation of this species. Duñabeitia et al. (1996) failed to synthesize mycorrhizal
plantas using mycelial inoculum of porcini, either in vitro or in unsterile containers, but they were able to produce ectomycorrhizas by using hymenial tissues,
containing spores. Additional to the synthesis with trees, mycorrhizas with some
shrubs, members of Cistaceae, have been successfully produced with three porcini
species (Boletus aereus, B. edulis, and Boletus reticulatus), showing that their
morphological characters were very similar, including white monopodial pinnate
morphology, a three-layered plectenchymatous mantle on plan view and boletoid
rhizomorphs (Águeda et al. 2008). Olivier et al. (1997) and Díaz et al. (2009)
registered the production of primordia of porcini under axenic conditions, which
could be an indicator of certain saprotrophic ability, associated with the ectomycorrhizal nature of these mushrooms. However, it is important to note that this is
just an initial step in the domestication of the species involved, whose production
currently depends exclusively on natural production and harvest.
The matsutake is the highest prized mushroom in Japan. Originally the concept
of matsutake in Japan was circumscribed to one species [T. matsutake (S. Ito et S.
Imai) Singer], but currently the term refers to a complex of related species highly
valued as a gourmet luxury ingredient, which include mainly T. matsutake,
T. magnivelare y T. caligatum (Yang et al. 2008). In 1941, Japan produced
12,000 tons of matsutake, however since then a dramatic decrease has been
observed, with a production of 1,000 and only 39 tons in 1970 and 2006,
respectively. Due to this dramatic declines, Japan has imported huge amounts of
matsutake, which accounted more than 2,800 and 1,700 tons in 2005 and 2006,
respectively, from China, North Korea, Canada, United States, Turkey, Mexico,
Morocco, Bhutan, Ukraine, and Thailand (Saito and Mitsumata 2008). The
wholesale value of this mushroom was USD 425 per kg in Kyoto in 2006 (Saito
206
J. Pérez-Moreno and M. Martínez-Reyes