Truffle - The Truffle

Truffles are under soil growing fungi belonging to Tuber genus.

Like mushrooms ( fungi ) they have no chlorophyll and so they can’t produce the necessary substances ( sugar and starches ) to survive;
For this reason they are tied to some plant species ( trees and bushes ) with reciprocate advantages .
The truffle lives underground near the plant , in rich calcium soil, with a Ph sub-alkaline or alkaline level ( Ph 7 - 8,8 ).

It has a rounded irregular shape, varied in size from a chick-pea to the size of a big orange.
The Truffle inside cointains thousands of spores which have a riproductive function .
Every truffle species has a different type of spore;
With a microscope the classification of the species is relatively simple.

When the truffles are ripe, under the soil, it is possible for well trained dogs to locate them.
Each truffle has its own particular scent

----------------------------

Truffles are underground growing fungus belonging to the tuber genus.

Like all fungus,they lack chlorophill so they cannot process the substances(sugars and starches) necessary for their own survival.

To make up for this,they attatch themselves to some plant types(Trees and bushes),thus produce a relation called “Mycorrhized symbiosis”,from which both take advantage.The truffle grows under the ground next to the host plant.It has a roundish irregular shape,its size varying in dimensions from a pea to an orange.

The inside called “Pulp”contains millions of Spores which have a reproductive function.

The spores when germinating,give origin to the Mycellium which,besides joining the plant to the truffle ,carries out the function of mycorrhizing the new young roots found in the ground.

On ripening,every truffle species emits its own smell which means a trained dog is able to identify the truffle which is then picked up by the truffle expert.The cultivation of specialized plantations for the production of truffles is called Truffle-cultivation.

Thanks to the knowledge acquired up till now on the biology of the truffle,it is possible to produce good quality mycorrhized plants artificially in the nursery which are fundamental for the realization of an artificial truffle plantation.

e-mail tartuficoltura@gmail.com