全 文 ：Truffle Cultivation-forestry: A New Strategy to Produce the
Burgundy Truffle ( Tuber uncinatumChatin)
Wehrlen L .1 , Chevalier G.2
?
, Besancon G.3 , Frochot H .1
( 1 I . N. R. A. , Equipe Croissance et Production, Laboratoire d′Etudedes Ressources Forêt-Bois, 54 280 Champenoux;
2 I . N. R. A. , U . M. R. Génétique, Diversitéet Ecophysiologie des Céréales, 234 avenue du Brézet,
63 100 Clermont-Ferrand; 3 Office National de Forêts, 70 600 Champlitte)
Abstract: The ecology of the Burgundy truffle ( Tuber uncinatum) varies significantly from that of the Perigord truffle
( T. melanosporum) . In particular thefirst one requires a specific level of shading . Thetime needed toobtain sufficient de-
velopment of the tree canopy and shading delays the start of truffle production .
To hastenthis production, one needs to reconstituteas quickly as possiblethe forestry environmentwhichfavours Tu-
ber uncinatum . Here are a few solutions: (1) higher plantation density for seedlings mycorrhized with T. uncinatum . (2)
plantation between seedlings mycorrhized with T. uncinatumof endomycorrhizal trees . (3) plantation before that of mycor-
rhizal seedlings of tree species which could act as shelters for the first one . ( 4) plantation of mycorrhizal seedlings into
clear-cut strips of variouswidths within established forest .
These techniques have already been tried or are currently undergoing testing . The first solution suggested above has
shown its efficiency for several yearsalready . The secondandfourth solutions arecurrently beingtested . Thethird solution
has given spectacular results .
Key words: Burgundy truffle; Tuber uncinatum; Truffle cultivation; Forestry; Global warming
CLC number : S 646 Document Code : A Article ID: 0253 - 2700 ( 2009) Suppl.ⅩⅥ- 097 - 03
Introduction
The Burgundy truffle ( Tuber uncinatum Chatin
(syn . T. aestivumVitt . ? truffleof Fragno) ) is a hypo-
geous fungus associated with several host-trees: oaks,
hazels, hornbeams, beechs, birches, limetrees, pines,
spruces, fir trees, cedars . . .
Its ecology varies significantly from that of the
Périgord truffle ( T. melanosporumVitt .) ( Chevalier et
al. , 1979 , Chevalier and Frochot, 1997b, Pousse et
al. , 2007) .
The Burgundy truffle grows in calcareous soils,
draining, with apH of minimum7 . It likes clearings or
shaded environments contrary to the black truffle
( T. melanosporumVitt .) that prefers sunnier and drier
environments . In particular the Burgundy truffle
requires aspecific level of shading . Thetimeneeded to
obtain sufficient development of the tree canopy ( nec-
essary to provide the required level of shading) delays
the start of truffle production for T. uncinatum .
The Burgundy truffle likes the marked seasons of
the semicontinental or continental climate with warm
summers watered by storms, fresh autumns and cold
winters . It grows in various situations: from plateau to
slope, frombottomsof small valleys to plains . However
it prefers the colluvial soils, deep, with good water re-
tention capacity . It does not like asphyxic and non
drained soils . The exposure of the truffieres can be
variable according to the sites . Generally the Burgundy
truffle prefers facing southeast or southwest, sometimes
in dry years facing north . It badly supports an intense
and prolonged summer dryness . The ripening takes
place between September and January . The fruiting
bodies are harvested before the great cold spells . An
early and durable frost can damage or destroy the too
superficial fruiting bodies .
The truffle production requires a specific level of
shading . The time needed to obtain sufficient develop-
ment of the tree canopy and shading delays the start of
云 南 植 物 研 究 2009 , Suppl . ⅩⅥ : 97～99
Acta Botanica Yunnanica
? ?Author for correspondence; E-mail : gchevali@ clermont. inra. fr
truffle production . The trees can produce as early as 4
years after plantation ( Chevalier, 1983 ) but generally
the production is later than the one of T. mela-
nosporum: 7 - 8 years after plantation ( instead of 4 - 5
for T. melanosporum) . To hasten this production, one
needs to reconstitute the forestry environment which
favours Tuber uncinatumas quickly as possible .
Methods
To hasten the production, several methods can be
used:
(1 ) higher plantation density ( in comparison to
T. melanosporum) for seedlings mycorrhized with T. -
uncinatum ( 1000 plants or more?ha instead of 200 -
300) ( Chevalier and Frochot, 1997a) .
( 2 ) plantation, between seedlings mycorrhized
with T. uncinatum, of endomycorrhizal trees, either fin-
ewood species (walnut, wildservice tree, service tree,
pear tree, apple tree) or companion trees (rock cherry
tree, male dogwood, wayfaring tree, guelder rose, haw-
thorn) or fruit trees (cherry trees, apple trees) .
Thetree species must be adapted to the neutral or
calcareous environments, xerophilous, mesoxerophilus or
mesophilous .Thespecies to beprioritizedmust beprefer-
ably water frugal and rather heliophilous: white beam
( Sorbusaria) , wildservicetree ( Sorbustorminosus) , ser-
vice tree ( Sorbus domestica) , wild cherry ( Prunus avi-
um) , wildpear ( Pyruspyraster) , wild apple ( Malussyl-
vestris) . One can associate themin an aimof“sheathing”
favourable to the juvenile growth and help to the devel-
opment of the truffière with trees and shrubs that grow
in the wild truffieres: rock cherry tree ( Prunus ma-
haleb) , maledogwood ( Cornus mas) , common juniper
( Juniperus communis) , spindle tree ( Euonymus eu-
ropeus) , wayfaring tree ( Viburnum lantana) , guelder
rose ( Viburnumopulus) , snowy mespilus ( Amelanchi-
er ovalis) , blackthorn ( Prunus spinosa ) , box tree
( Buxus sempervirens) , common hawthorn ( Crataegus
monogyna) , alder buckthorn ( Frangula alnus) .
(3 ) plantation, before that of Burgundymycorrhi-
zal seedlings, of species of trees which could act as
shelters for themycorrhizal seedlings, using ectomycro-
rhizal species ( pines) or non-ectomycorrhizal species
( Besan?on and Périer, 2007) .
(4) plantation of mycorrhizal seedlings into clear-
cut strips ( of various widths) within established forest .
Results
These techniques have already been tried or are
currently undergoing testing
The first solution suggested above has shown its
efficiency for several years already . In the best cases,
the production of truffles can reach 300 kg?ha or more
15 years after plantation .
The second and fourth solutions are currently being tested
The third solution has given spectacular results in
the case of plantation of Burgundy truffle mycorrhized
seedlings grown in between strips of Austrian black
pines ( Pinusnigra austriaca) planted 10 years prior to
themycorrhized seedlings . Ten years after the planta-
tionof themycorrhized trees between the pines the pro-
duction was 150 truffles ( 2 kg) , the one of hazels
planted at the same date according to the classical
method on an adjacent and identical sitewasonly a few
fruiting bodies .
Hovewer the long-term success of solutions 3 and
4 ( indicated above) will remain uncertain until we
know the effect of competition by the preexisting ecto-
mycorrhizaeon the dynamics of T. uncinatum .
Discussion
Truffle cultivation-forestry can bring a sound an-
swer to the development of calcareous zones, state or
communal forests, the exploitation of the fallow lands
or the abandoned agricultural lands, the rehabilitation
of quarries, theplanningof landscape, etc . . . This al-
ternative allows to combine efficiently the socio-eco-
nomic, ecologic aspects and those of development of a
rural heritage .
Climatic evolutions force foresters to think of the
choiceof trees which will be planted for a century . The
process is essential for the truffle cultivation-forestry in-
sofar as it is necessary to forecast the needs in water to
produce fruitingbodies . Onemust not forget water sup-
plies can be reduced in a near future . The choice of
the species of truffle trees must go in this direction .
89 云 南 植 物 研 究 增刊ⅩⅥ
Fig. 1 1 . 25 year old hazel ( Corylus avellana) truffiere ( planted in 1976 ; Montdoré ( Haute-Sa?ne) ; 2 . 15 year old hazel truffiere ( planted in
1988; Mirefleurs, Puy-de-D?me) ; 3 . 14 year old black hornbeam ( Ostrya carpinifolia) truffière ( planted in 1990 ; Joze, Puy-de-D?me) ; 4 . wild
service tree ( Sorbus torminalis) ; 5 . wild cherry ( Prunus avium) ; 6 . male dogwood ( Cornus mas) ; 7 . 14 year old truffle mycorrhized hazel planta-
tion ( planted in 1993; Champlitte, Haute-Sa?ne; very low production of truffles) ; 8 . 14 year old truffiere under cover of Austrian black pines (good
production of truffles; Champlitte, Haute-Sa?ne) ; 9 . 14 year old lime tree ( Tilia sp .) truffiereunder Austrian black pines ( good production of truf-
fles; Champlitte, Haute-Sa?ne) ; 10 . 4 year old truffle mycorrhized hazel plantation in a narrow clear-cut strip ( Koeur- la-Grande, Meuse) ; 11 . 4
year old truffle mycorrhized hazel plantation in a wide clear-cut strip ( Koeur- la-Grande, Meuse)
The morethe species will be able to adapt to thehydric
deficits during very hot summers, the more available
water will be for the production of truffles . One has to
start to make the tree species of this type move north-
ward ( pubescent oak, Quercus pubescens; evergreen
oak, Q. ilex) ⋯
There is no doubt that the context of global warm-
ing, with strong summer heat waves and heavy
droughts, is even more unfavourable for T. uncinatum
than for T. melanosporum .
The creationof T. uncinatumtruffieres within a for-
estry environment, provided that themycorrhizal status of
the different tree species are compatible, is a promising
strategy to takeup these challenges . Increased knowledge
of the interactions, especiallywater interactions, between
forestry and truffle species is a promising research area
in which to optimize this new strategy .
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99增刊ⅩⅥ Wehrlen L . et al . : Truffle Cultivation-forestry: A New Strategy to Produce the Burgundy Truffle . . .