Truffles, mushrooms and mycorrhizas
© Truffles and Mushrooms (Consulting) Ltd
News
Commercial quantities of Tuber borchii (bianchetto) produced in New Zealand
In early April 2008 commercial numbers of bianchetto truffles were found in Jeff Weston’s 5 year old truffière 20 km west of Christchurch (43º 30’S), New Zealand - the first commercial harvest in the Southern Hemisphere. The harvest is expected to finish by the end of October. So far 6 kg have been harvested from just under half of the 166 trees in the truffière with the largest truffles weighing about 130 g and about 75 mm in diameter.
On 29 July 2008 a second 7 years old bianchetto truffière owned by Bryan and Margaret Collett in Waipukurau, New Zealand (40ºS), also began producing.
On 29 July 2008 a second 7 years old bianchetto truffière owned by Bryan and Margaret Collett in Waipukurau, New Zealand (40ºS), also began producing.
Copyright: Truffles & Mushrooms (Consulting) Ltd
Editorial
Research Funding in New Zealand
Research Funding in New Zealand
The system of funding scientific research in New Zealand was without doubt the most stressful aspect of my research on truffles and other edible mycorrhizal mushrooms when I worked in the public sector. This will be fully outlined another day but the highlight was certainly the discontinuation of public funding for research on truffles the year after we produced the first commercial harvest in the Southern Hemisphere in 1997. So I think I am entitled to have my tuppence worth of input into the debate that is currently intensifying in New Zealand.
A competitive system has been used for the allocation of state sector funding in New Zealand since the late 1980s (Innovation Dynamics 2005; MoRST 1998-
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To ensure that the truffles are Tuber borchii and not another species with similar features such as Tuber maculatum, Tuber dryophylum and Tuber puberulum the truffles were tested using molecular techniques by Linnaeus Laboratories.
Management of the truffières has taken into account soil nutrition, irrigation and the fungus-plant interaction, i.e., the truffles biological requirements. Truffles & Mushrooms (Consulting) Ltd is proud to be associated with both these successful ventures.
Management of the truffières has taken into account soil nutrition, irrigation and the fungus-
Copyright: Jeff Weston
