Where do we stand on the knowledge of T. magnatum environments? Progress and new research hypotheses

Abstract

Knowledge about the environments of T. magnatum has been consolidated in the 2000s, confirming the importance of microclimate and that of specific soil types that, in fact, restrict the areas of natural spread of the fungus. In recent years, investigations have focused on two distinct themes: on the one hand, mycorrhization techniques have been refined, leading to the commercial production of mycorrhized plants and the establishment of the first experimental truffle orchards; on the other hand, the hydrological aspects of natural truffle areas, previously left in the background, have begun to be studied. The first topic has yielded interesting results with the start of production in areas never reported as productive and promises to expand the territories in which to "cultivate" T. magnatum. The second line of investigation is providing insights into the need for specific water management of truffles - natural and cultivated - focused on soil water conservation. For the future, it will be necessary to work in depth on this aspect. The natural environments of T. magnatum are characterized by a great need for water, which we hypothesize can be managed at the scale of micro-hydrographic basin, since the exclusive use of irrigation practices adopted, for example, for T. melanosporum is not economically viable.