Late last year Dr Paul Thomas attend the 8th International Workshop on Edible Mycorrhizal Mushrooms (IWEMM8) in France and presented his findings from a study into the effect of flooding on the survival of the Summer Truffle (Tuber aestivum syn. uncinatum).

The full report is yet to be published but the abstract to the study including some of the background is available below.

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THE SURVIVAL OF TUBER AESTIVUM SYN. UNCINATUM (SUMMER TRUFFLE) MYCORRHIZA IN A FLOODED ENVIRONMENT

Abbreviated abstract: The response of Tuber spp. mycorrhiza to a number of extreme environmental variables has been recorded. In times of stress it is known that mycorrhiza levels can be impacted but recovery from survival structures (scleroita) is possible.

In varied literature, it is often claimed that truffle mycorrhiza can ‘survive for 2 weeks submerged, but no longer’. However, data has never been presented to underpin this claim. Additionally, a recent case study in the UK (Yorkshire) presented trees that had been submerged by floodwater to a depth of  90-120cm water for 11 days, with no deleterious impact on the mycorrhization levels. The full impact of flooding on mycorrhiza levels are as yet, unknown.

In order to investigate these questions, Quercus robur and Corylus avellana, inoculated with Tuber aestivum syn. uncinatum were subjected to flooding treatments that ranged in duration from 0 to 65 days. The survival and recovery of mycorrhiza in response to these different treatments, up to 148 days post-treatment, are presented here along with interpretation of the results.

For more details on the International Workshop on Edible Mycorrhizal Mushrooms (IWEMM8)  visit  https://www.iwemm8-cahors.com/

For and overview and links to other research conducted by Dr Paul Thomas, please visit Our Research page.