Skip to main content

Enhancing White Truffle (Tuber magnatum Picco and T. borchii Vittad.) Cultivation Through Biotechnology Innovation

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Advances in Plant Breeding Strategies: Vegetable Crops

Abstract

Tuber magnatum Picco, the Italian white truffle, and T. borchii Vittad., the bianchetto truffle, are two European white truffles that command high prices because of their excellent gastronomic properties and unique aromas. Indeed, T. magnatum is one of the most expensive culinary delicacies. Although cultivation of T. borchii began nearly 200 years after the Périgord black truffle (Tuber melanosporum Vittad.), it has rapidly met with market approval and is now cultivated not only in Europe but in countries outside of Europe where this truffle does not grow naturally. In contrast, reliable methods for cultivating T. magnatum have only just been developed which hopefully will quickly lead to its widespread cultivation. In this chapter, we present an overview of the distribution, economic importance, a taxonomic appraisal, genetic resource characterization and conservation, and review current cultivation practices. We also review recent biotechnology developments and their potential application for cultivation and domestication of T. magnatum. The future prospects of genetic engineering for improving truffle strain characteristics are also addressed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alessandra Zambonelli .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Appendix: White Truffle Research Institutions

Appendix: White Truffle Research Institutions

Institution name

Specialization and research activities

Address

Contact person and website

University of Bologna

Truffle cultivation and biology

Via Fanin 44,40127 Bologna, Italy

Alessandra Zambonelli

alessandr.zambonelli@unibo.it

https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/alessandr.zambonelli

University of L’Aquila

Truffle phylogeny

Via Vetoio, 67100 Coppito – L’Aquila, Italy

Mirco Iotti

https://mesva.univaq.it/?q=docenti/scheda/Iotti%20Mirco

Truffles and Mushrooms (Consulting) Ltd.

Edible ecomycorrhizal fungi cultivation

P.O. Box 268, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand

Ian R. Hall

truffle@trufflesandmushrooms.co.nz

https://trufflesandmushrooms.co.nz/

INRA- Nancy (France)

Truffle genomics and cultivation

54280 Champenoux France

Claude Murat

claude.murat@inra.fr

http://www.nancy.inra.fr/

Ispr. CNR

Truffle ecology and metagenomics

Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Torino, Italy

Antonietta Mello

antonietta.mello@ipsp.cnr.it

http://www.ipsp.cnr.it/

Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main

Truffle aroma

Gebäudeteil N100, Raum 2.08 Max-von-Laue-Str. 960438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Richard Splivallo

splivallo@bio.uni-frankfurt.de

https://www.bio.uni-frankfurt.de/43967846/Abt__Splivallo

University of Urbino

Truffle aroma and gene expression

Via A. Saffi, 2 – 61029 Urbino (PU), Italy

Antonella Amicucci

antonella.amicucci@uniurb.it

https://www.uniurb.it/persone/antonella-amicucci

University of Perugia

Truffle cultivation

Borgo XX giugno, 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy

Domizia Donnini

domizia.donnini@unipg.it

http://www.agr.unipg.it

Michigan State University

Truffle biology

1066 Bogue Street – Rm 286A, East Lansing, 48824 USA

Gregory Bonito

bonito@msu.edu

https://bonito.psm.msu.edu/

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Zambonelli, A., Iotti, M., Puliga, F., Hall, I.R. (2021). Enhancing White Truffle (Tuber magnatum Picco and T. borchii Vittad.) Cultivation Through Biotechnology Innovation. In: Al-Khayri, J.M., Jain, S.M., Johnson, D.V. (eds) Advances in Plant Breeding Strategies: Vegetable Crops. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66969-0_14

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics