About us

Truffles & Mushrooms (Consulting) Ltd and the allied companies Chowbent Ltd, Edible Forest Fungi New Zealand Ltd and Symbiotic Systems New Zealand Ltd are involved in the cultivation of truffles and other ectomycorrhizal mushrooms and the exploitation of the beneficial effects of mycorrhizas in forestry, horticulture, and agriculture.

Chowbent Ltd is an edible mycorrhizal mushroom technology development company and can be contacted via Dr Ian Hall.

Edible Forest Fungi N.Z. Ltd (EFFNZ) produces trees that carry truffle or other edible mycorrhizal mushrooms on their roots.

Truffles & Mushrooms (Consulting) Ltd provides independent advice on the cultivation of truffles and other edible mycorrhizal mushrooms including the interpretation of soil analysis figures, site assessment, establishment of plantations, layout, maintenance and renovation. See Truffles in New Zealand, Soil/site selection We can also arrange for independent assessment of the quality of commercially available truffle inoculated plants.

Symbiotic Systems N.Z. Ltd (web page) provides information on the use of mycorrhizas in forestry and agriculture.

LEFT The poor growth of the onions in the rows on the right was caused by soil fumigation used to control pests but which also killed most of the beneficial mycorrhizal fungi in the soil. The non-fumigated soil is to the left.

RIGHT and LOWER LEFT Stunted growth and chlorosis of young Douglas fir a few years after planting into upland soils of New Zealand can often be traced to a lack of ectomycorrhizal fungi in the soil at the outplant site and a failure to ensure adequate mycorrhizal infection in the nursery. For more information go to: http://www.maf.govt.nz/sff/about-projects/search/05-142/index.htm

LOWER RIGHT Alan and Lynley Hall’s productive Périgord black truffle plantation (truffière) near Gisborne, New Zealand, see http://www.oaklandtruffles.com/