Author: <span>Fabrice Caporal</span>

Author: Fabrice Caporal

WEEDS and PESTS – Love ‘em or Leave ‘em – TRAPI

Managing weeds can be a challenge in truffle orchards while insects and other invertebrate pests are a significant threat to truffle quality and yields. Weeds in many orchard systems are effectively controlled at low cost using herbicides, but there are potential risks that residues will affect truffle quality and quality, so many growers prefer non-chemical practices. Some non-chemical approaches include cover crops, mulching, mowing, cultivation and biocontrol. Invertebrate pests can enter and consume truffles leaving unappealing damage that lowers market value. Threats come from native fungivores and there is a looming threat that European pests will eventually impact truffle crops. Host trees are also susceptible to insect damage with the potential to decrease yields or cause tree mortality. This TRAPI webinar will consider managing weed and insect pests


Edible fungi crops through mycoforestry, potential for carbon negative food production and mitigation of food and forestry conflicts

Demand for agricultural land is a potent accelerating driver of global deforestation, presenting multiple interacting issues at different spatiotemporal scales. Here we show that inoculating the root system of tree planting stock with edible ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) can reduce the food-forestry land-use conflict, enabling appropriately managed forestry plantations to contribute to protein and calorie production and potentially increasing carbon sequestration.

Optimal conditions for truffles: Using irrigation to expand the range – TRAPI

Successful production of truffles requires critical information on optimal soil and climate conditions.  These conditions dictate where truffles should be introduced, and the amendments needed to assure adequate yields. In this TRAPI webinar we discuss the optimal conditions for both European truffles and native North American truffles.  Irrigation is a critical amendment to achieve optimal soil moisture and to extend yield potential into arid environments.  We review what little is known about moisture requirements and discuss well-tested methods used to schedule irrigation to achieve target moisture conditions.

Cooking with Truffles, Made Easy with Susi SĂ©guret

Are you swimming in truffles (as we all aspire to be!) and don’t know what to do with the bounty? Or are you experimenting with your first truffle in the kitchen and don’t know where to start? Or have you had one too many truffle dishes at a fancy restaurant, but still haven’t hit that pleasure spot?

This seminar is for you. In an hour of interactive and entertaining back-and-forths, Susi Gott SĂ©guret will talk about how to put your truffle immediately to work for you, some simple do’s and don’ts to get the most out of your prize, seasonal ingredient pairings, matching flavor profiles, and what wines you might throw into the mix with the truffle species you have in your pantry.

For those who are extra adventurous, some simple hands-on recipes will be demonstrated, and you are invited to cook along or sit back with a glass in hand and drool.

Trees and Truffles – Partners in Grime – TRAPI

This talk focus on optimal tree host nutrition for truffle production. I cover the basics of tree nutrition and soil nutrient availability, highlighting special nutritional characteristics of trees. Target ranges of foliar nutrients for truffle production and the challenge of optimizing tree nutrition in basic soils is discussed. I will review methods of foliar nutrient analysis and suggest avenues for future research.