FELD 1/2025

Truffle Erik walks in

Truffle Erik walks in zigzags across the plantation with its many young oak trees, his nose close to the ground. He searches very intensively and finds parasol mushrooms, puffballs, and a few small sticks. Unfortunately, no truffles.»That’s absolutely normal,« says Katja Kühdorf from ZALF.»It usually takes about ten years for truffles to form on the roots of trees.« In 2020, her team planted a total of 800 young oak trees, injected with whitish truffle spores near Drebkau in Lusatia. The truffle plantation, which was established as one of the Land-Innovation-Lausitz projects, is therefore still far too young to harvest truffles. Fresh truffles from Lusatia? That is precisely the plan of the team led by project manager Katja Kühdorf. Whitish truffles are robust and grow well in sandy, slightly acidic soils. This makes Tuber borchii ideal for Lusatia, where it also grows naturally. However, truffles are protected in Germany and may only be collected with a special permit. In order for them to become a marketable delicacy and, if possible, a new source of income for farms in the region, they need to be cultivated in a plantation. Due to rising temperatures and increased periods of drought, natural truffle formation is declining in many parts of Mediterranean countries. As a result, areas north of the Alps are becoming increasingly interesting for truffle cultivation. It could open up sustainable and economically interesting prospects for Lusatia. The first potential buyers are already lined up in Berlin, for example, because when it comes to truffles, the faster they are consumed after being harvested, the better. Short transport routes are therefore a great advantage from both an ecological and a culinary perspective. 30

Truffle PATIENCE, PATIENCE! Patience is always required when establishing a truffle plantation, as the young trees first have to adjust to their new environment after planting. Before planting, it is highly recommended to carry out a soil and site analysis in advance. The whitish truffle is less demanding on the soil than other truffle species and can also cope well with a pH value below 7.0. In addition, a sunny location with sandy, well-drained, and, above all, nutrient-poor soil is ideal. Due to its origins in southern and southeastern Europe, Tuber borchii is tolerant to heat and drought, making it ideal for adapting to climate change. In the first few years at the plantation, the young oak trees literally fight for survival and focus their energy primarily on growing deep roots so that they can quickly reach deeper soil layers. During this growth period, newly planted trees initially lose their lateral roots and thus also the mycorrhiza attached to them. It takes several years for them to form new lateral roots. However, since truffles only grow on these fine lateral roots, it is difficult to predict success in the first few years after replanting. WHAT HAPPENS IN THE MEANTIME? There are still many unanswered questions when it comes to truffle cultivation.»For example, there are trees that retain the mycorrhiza and trees that do not,« says Kühdorf.»We know that this is the case, but we don’t know why.« The Lusatian truffle plantation is therefore being scientifically monitored. Half of the area is irrigated and the other half is not, in order to investigate the influence of water supply on the growth of truffle mushrooms. Every year, the project team also examines the mycorrhiza on the root systems. Mycorrhiza is the symbiosis between the roots of trees and beneficial fungi, including truffle mushrooms. Truffle dog Erik is first allowed to sniff the truffles brought along to get him »in the mood« for searching. These truffles are then hidden in the ground near several trees for training purposes. It is important to wait a few minutes so that the scent can permeate the soil and be picked up by the dog. 31