Hanna Szmidla

Ectomycorrhizal communities in a Tuber aestivum Vittad. orchard in Poland

Abstract Cultivation of the Burgundy truffle, Tuber aestivum Vittad., has become a new agricultural alternative in Poland. For rural economies, the concept of landscaping is often considerably more beneficial than conventional agriculture and promotes reforestation, as well as land-use stability. Considering examples from France, Italy, Hungary and Spain, truffle cultivation stimulates economic and social development of small, rural communities. Because there is no long tradition of truffle orchards in Poland, knowledge regarding the environmental factors regulating the formation of fruiting bodies of T. aestivum is limited. Thus, knowledge concerning ectomycorrhizal communities of T. aestivum host species is crucial to ensuring successful Burgundy truffle production. We investigated the persistence of T. aestivum ectomycorrhizae on roots of hazel (Corylus avellana L.) and oak (Quercus robur L.) and checked the host-species influence on community structure of ectomycorrhizal fungi. The study was conducted in an experimental plantation located in eastern Poland and established in 2008. We demonstrated that the number of fungal taxa was not significantly different between oak and hazel. However, the species composition differed between these two host trees. During the three-year study, we observed that species richness did not increase with the age of the plantation.

Environmental conditions that promote the occurrence of truffles (Tuber spp.) on historical sites in Poland

Abstract This article highlights historical data regarding truffles’ occurrence in Poland. Along with the soil parameters the plant communities at the sites were studied. The results of the chemical soil analyses showed that the soil pH in water on 5 sites was acidic (from 4.3 to 6.1), and only in one, Wiązowna, was the pH (7.2) conductive to truffles development. Similarly, the content of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in soil samples was low (from 0 to 0.03%), except for Wiązowna, where CaCO3 was 0.12%. Among the 24 reported species of trees and shrubs, 7 species were host-plants of summer truffle (Tuber aestivum Vitt.). Out of the 7 species, oak and hornbeam were present at four localisations. Across the sites, 31 species of ground-layer plants were identified. Among these, Epipactis helleborine was only one host-species of summer truffle. Our findings indicate that formation of truffles fruiting-bodies depends on specific habitat characteristics. The key factors determining this process are soil parameters, such as: texture, pH and calcium content. Our inventory showed that the sites we studied still persist as natural stands, although only one of them seems to be favorable for truffles development: this site is located in Wiązowna, where soil is of pH 7.2 and E. helleborine, (host species for truffles from Orchidaceae) is found, fulfills the environmental requirements of truffles