REGULAR ARTICLE
Physical characteristics of the soil environment suitable
for Tuber magnatum production in fluvial landscapes
Gilberto Bragato
&
Nadia Vignozzi
&
Sergio Pellegrini
&
Barbara Sladonja
Received: 5 March 2009 / Accepted: 30 July 2009 / Published online: 25 August 2009
#
Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2009
Abstract Tuber spp. are ectomycorrizal fungi that
produce edible ascocarps termed truffles. The most
valuable species, T. magnatum, is perhaps the most
selective among these for soil environment. Since
T. magnatum is often found in fluvial plains, the
present study focused on the characterization of the soil
physical characteristics suitable for this ectomycorrhi-
zal fungus, and the relationship of these characteristics
with fluvial landforms. The investigation was carried
out in a truffle-producing area which encompassed the
most representative landforms of a fluvial landscape
characterized by the presence of Populus deltoides
symbionts in both productive and unproductive
locations. Soil physical characteristics were determined
in productive and unproductive transects according to a
stratified random design. Truffle-producing locations
displayed a coarser texture, smaller aggregates, a less
stable aggregation and a larger volume of soil occupied
by highly interconnected macropores. The spatial
distribution of this combination of characteristics was
then investigated by using a geostatistical approach
utilizing clay content and a soil structure indicator as
markers. Spatial analysis connected T. magnatum
habitats with the soil environment present in river
levees, where scattered and chaotic redeposition of
solid particles creates very porous, highly aerated
surface strata.
Keywords Fluvial landscape
.
Soil environment
.
Soil morphometry
.
Soil suitability
.
Truffles
.
Tuber
magnatum
Introduction
The Tuber spp. ascomycetes are soil-borne filamentous
fungi that form ectomycorrhizal (ECM) symbioses
with tree species mainly belonging to the Fagaceae,
Pinaceae and Salicaceae families. The ECM associa-
tion benefits both partners: provided with photosyn-
thetic carbohydrates, the fungus explores larger
portions of soil volume and protects the host root from
pathogens (Smith and Read 1997). A specific feature
of many Tuber species is the production of edible
Plant Soil (2010) 329:51–63
DOI 10.1007/s11104-009-0133-8
Responsible Editor: Erik A. Hobbie.
G. Bragato (*)
CRA—Centro di ricerca per lo studio delle relazioni tra
pianta e suolo,
Via Trieste 23,
I-34170 Gorizia, Italy
e-mail: gilberto.bragato@entecra.it
N. Vignozzi
:
S. Pellegrini
CRA—Centro di ricerca per l’agrobiologia e la pedologia,
Piazza D’Azeglio 30,
50121 Firenze, Italy
B. Sladonja
Institut za Poljoprivredu i Turizam,
Carla Huguesa 8,
52440 Poreč, Croatia