Post by University of Stirling

A pioneering #UofStirling study has revealed that growing truffles depends not just on soil conditions, but on a complex underground ecosystem that the truffles may help to engineer themselves. As one of the world’s most revered gourmet foods, some truffles can sell for more than €1,000 per kilogram, making cultivation a lucrative business. Now a unique new study, led by Professor Paul Thomas, Honorary Professor at the University of Stirling and founder of Mycorrhizal Systems Ltd examined truffle orchards in the United States, comparing soils from trees that produce black truffles with those that do not, even when growing side-by-side. It found clear chemical and biological differences between the two, with researchers able to show, for the first time, how the truffle fungus, its host tree, the soil microbial community and soil chemistry are all intimately connected. Full story ⬇️ https://brnw.ch/21x3LoR British Mycological Society - American Truffle Company