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The cultivation of oak seedlings inoculated with Tuber aestivum Vittad. in the boreal region of Finland

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Abstract

Despite recent findings, truffles are rarely found in Finland. In 2006, we began to explore the cultivation potential of Tuber aestivum/uncinatum in Finland. In 2006–2008, roughly 1,200 Quercus robur seedlings and 200 Q. pubescens seedlings were planted in 20 orchards. We aimed to challenge the Southern European (France) tree provenances of oak seedlings in a boreal climate. Additional winter coverings made up of fabric or plastic and twigs prevented the seedlings’ mortality even when the air temperature was below −30 °C during the second winter. The results showed that the top soil temperature at 15 cm depth has to be above −5 °C to guarantee the survival of seedlings. Q. pubescens was more sensitive to low soil temperatures than Q. robur. Morphological and PCR analysis of root samples collected over 2007–2010 confirmed the presence of T. aestivum in all orchards despite unfavorable temperatures during the winter time. The first T. aestivum sporocarps were found under Q. robur in October 2012 in the orchards established in 2006 on old agricultural land, showing truffle cultivation to be successful in the boreal climate.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Rajupusu Leader ry and the Regional Council of South Savo for financial support, as well as the orchard owners for their kind cooperation. Thanks also to Mrs Heli Valtonen for her assistance. The partner from the Slovenian Forestry Institute was co-financed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology through Research Programme P4-0107 and the Targeted Research Program Project CRP V4-0492.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology, Aalto University, School of Chemical Technology, P.O.Box. 16100, 00076, Aalto, Finland

    Salem Shamekh, Matti Leisola & Ossi Turunen

  2. Juva Truffle Center, PO Box 19, 51901, Juva, Finland

    Salem Shamekh

  3. Slovenian Forestry Institute, Večna pot 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Tine Grebenc

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  1. Salem Shamekh
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  2. Tine Grebenc
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  3. Matti Leisola
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  4. Ossi Turunen
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Correspondence to Ossi Turunen.

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Shamekh, S., Grebenc, T., Leisola, M. et al. The cultivation of oak seedlings inoculated with Tuber aestivum Vittad. in the boreal region of Finland. Mycol Progress 13, 373–380 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11557-013-0923-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11557-013-0923-5

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