VI. Alps-Adria Scientific Workshop Obervellach, Austria 2007.

A NEW TOOL FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT: TRUFFLE CULTIVATION

Andrea GÓGÁN CSORBAINÉ1, Zoltán BRATEK2, Judit DIMÉNY1

1
Szent István University, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,
Department of Horticultural Technologies, Gödöllı, Páter Károly u. 1. 2103, Hungary,
gogan.andrea@mkk.szie.hu, Fax: +36-28410804.
2
Eötvös University, Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Plant Biology, 1117
Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C,

Introduction
In the future the Hungarian agriculture will not be only determined by profitability but
also by other factors. With the EU accession strong emphasis is laid on new cultivation
methods which represent multiple values. Primarily, alternative and sustainable
agricultural technologies will be suggested in areas where intensive technologies prove to
be uneconomic due to soil degradation or erosion. Furthermore, these new technologies
offer work chances for people living in less-developed regions. Truffle production is one
of these new cultivation methods. Additionally, it means an unexploited branch of agri-
sylviculture in Hungary.
In the ancient times truffles were regarded as expensive and rare delicacies. Desert
truffles were collected in North Africa and were sent to the feasts of Roman nobles
(Hollós, 1911). Collection of black truffles also started centuries ago, using a pig to sniff
out these precious treasures. The first occasion of mentioning truffles in the Carpathian
basin can be found in the order of the magistrate of Trencseny in 1588 where he ordered
the protection of a forest producing truffles. During the 15th century truffle was
mentioned numerous times, for example in the recipe book of the Transylvanian prince.
The consumption of truffles can be also traced in the period of the Austro-Hungarian
Empire as the prosperous economy of the era allowed the boom of truffle hunting, market
and consumption. Tones of truffles collected in Hungary were transported to the Vienna
market at that time (Hollós, 1911). The two World Wars had a negative effect on truffle
market and consumption, this continued in the communist era when truffles were
considered to be luxurious items and the food of the aristocracy therefore the collection,
market and the serving in restaurants were prohibited.
The most common truffle species in Hungary is the summer truffle (Tuber aestivum
VITT.) having yields of 4-9 t/year in its natural habitats. Its market is unlimited in
Western Europe (Gógán et Dimény, 2003), therefore it is the most popular species of the
Hungarian truffle orchards. There are other orchards or parcels of Tuber melanosporum,
Tuber brumale and Tuber macrosporum but their importance is less remarkable. Host tree
species include Quercus petraea (MATTUSCHKA) LIEBLEIN, Quercus robur L., Corylus
avellana L., Pinus nigra ARN. and Carpinus betulus L. In the book chapter of Bratek and
Halász (2005) the following is written about the possibilities of summer truffle
cultivation:
The summer truffle (Tuber aestivum VITT.) can be cultivated under Atlantic, semi-
continental and continental climate, in this way, for example in Hungary. Concerning the
most important factor, the lime content of the soil it can be stated that summer truffle can

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Vol. 35 No. 1 2007 Cereal Research Communications

live in low-lime soils but data on this characteristics show a great variance (Bratek et
Bene, 2003). Habitat characteristics of T. aestivum in the Carpathian basin similarly to
French and Swedish results includes high humus content with mainly heavy, loamy,
neutral or weakly alcalic soils with a variable lime concentration (Bratek et Halász,
2005).
Only some truffle orchards were established in Hungary so far, having different size,
origin of truffle and plantlet, soil characteristics and methods of cultivation (see Table 1.).
The age of truffle orchards is between 1 and 8 years, the average size is between 0,3-0,5
hectares, but the biggest truffle plantation of Hungary covers more than 14 hectares.
The spacing of trees varies, it can be from 3*4, 4*4, 4*2,5 (recommended by French
literature) to 1,5-2*0,05 which is the ‘extensive method’ sowing acorns covered by a
truffle-spore suspension. The plant density therefore varies between 800 to 25 000 plants
for a hectare.
The management of the plantation includes either disking or loosening in the rows.
Because of the limited herbicide use and intensive growing of weeds in many cases grass
covers the surface between the rows, in this case 3-5 cut of it is applied a year. Irrigation
is not typical in the Hungarian truffle orchards except in the year of the establishment of
the plantation.
Soil management includes liming in some cases where necessary, using lime grit,
dolomite grit, lime powder or beet potash. Plantation distribution is wide in the
Hungarian countryside; they can be found in the Great Plain, in the hilly regions and in
the valleys of the northern mountains (see Map 1).

Number Size Year of Origin of plantlets

establishment
0,3 ha 2003- imported seedlings mycorrhized by T.
1.
aestivum
14 ha 1999- imported seedlings mycorrhized by T.
2. aestivum, own mycorrhization technique:
covering of acorns with truffle suspension
2 ha 2003 in situ mycorrhization: covering the
3.
plantlets` roots with truffle suspension
0,5 ha 2006 in situ mycorrhization: covering the
4.
plantlets` roots with truffle suspension
2,2 ha 2001- imported seedlings mycorrhized by T.
5.
aestivum

Table 1. Size, year of establishment and origin of plantlets of the examined truffle
orchards

Establishment of truffle plantations is more and more popular but due to the lack of
public funds and the high price of imported inoculated trees either small orchard are set
up or extensive truffle cultivation method is being applied. And, although the latter has a
potential risk of being colonized by other mycorrhizal fungus and it needs more time to
produce truffles, because of its lower cost of establishment (one tenth of the cost of
planting mycorrhized plantlets) it is still popular.

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VI. Alps-Adria Scientific Workshop Obervellach, Austria 2007.

Material and methods

Soil parameters and cultivation techniques of 5 truffle plantations located in different
regions of Hungary have been examined (Map 1.). 24 Soil samples were taken from
plantations concerning their size and were compared with soil characteristics of 34
natural Tuber aestivum nests. Soil samples were taken from the upper 20 cm layer of the
soil since this is mainly the depth where truffle mycelium evolves and sporocarps
develop. Soil samples were dried on 40 C° and were sent for chemical analysis. Analysis
was made from 1:5 cc. water extract.

Map 1. Distribution of truffle orchards

Results and discussions

During our research a hypothesis were established that the soil characteristics of the
orchards were similar to those of the natural habitats. We examined the ten main soil
chemical parameters of 34 natural habitats and we compared them with the soil samples
taken from different truffle orchards (Table 2.). Results showed that soil values of
orchards are mainly out of the range determined by natural habitats. Following this
conception it can be assumed that the examined plantation will not produce any truffle.
This prediction is denied by the fact that in Orchard No. 2. there is a truffle producing
habitat within one of the parcels of the plantation.

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 Vol. 35 No. 1 2007 Cereal Research Communications

No. of pH Salt Humus NO3NO2N P2O5 K2O Ca Mg Na

orchard (KCl) SPA (%) (%) (mg/kg) (mg/kg) (mg/kg) (mg/kg) (mg/kg) (mg/kg)
1. 6,92 42 <0,02 2,05 9,1 129,0 108,0 17000,0 123,0 17,0
2. 7,05 45 0,02 2,46 7,1 588,6 235,2 39272,2 184,9 20,1
3. 4,99 41 0,02 1,67 2,6 32,0 134,9 1965,0 357,1 26,9
4. 6,88 62 0,13 2,00 12,7 588,0 972,0 215,9 13,8 20,0
5. 5,10 25 0,02 1,57 1,6 4,6 257,4 280,6 1525,0 121,1
Nat.
Min. 5,15 48 <0,02 3,33 2,6 28,6 294,0 3220,0 158,0 11,0
Nat.
Max. 6,88 81 0,1 5,91 112,0 3480,0 1290,0 58000,0 1240,0 60,0

Table 2. Average soil characteristics of orchards compared to natural habitats minimum

and maximum values

Conclusions
Our research has lead to the revelation that soil parameters of the Hungarian truffle
orchards are different from those of natural habitats. In spite the result fructification in the
plantation could not be excluded concerning the wide distribution of Tuber aestivum in
the World (from Sweden to Morocco and from Ireland to Turkey). Therefore it is not
sufficient the analysis of truffle habitats in Hungary in order to decide the suitability of a
location for the establishment of a truffle orchard but habitats under extreme soil
conditions should be examined to determine the ecological limits of this species.

Acknowledgements
The research was supported by the Agency for Research Fund Management and Research
Exploitation (OMFB-00938/2005).

References
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Bratek Z. - Halász K. :2005. A Tuber aestivum Kárpát-medencei termıhelyei. In:
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