Enhancing White Truffle (Tuber magnatum Picco and T. borchii Vittad.) Cultivation Through Biotechnology Innovation

Tuber magnatum Picco, the Italian white truffle, and T. borchii Vittad., the bianchetto truffle, are two European white truffles that command high prices because of their excellent gastronomic properties and unique aromas. Indeed, T. magnatum is one of the most expensive culinary delicacies. Although cultivation of T. borchii began nearly 200 years after the Perigord black truffle (Tuber melanosporum Vittad.), it has rapidly met with market approval and is now cultivated not only in Europe but in countries outside of Europe where this truffle does not grow naturally. In contrast, reliable methods for cultivating T. magnatum have only just been developed which hopefully will quickly lead to its widespread cultivation. In this chapter, we present an overview of the distribution, economic importance, a taxonomic appraisal, genetic resource characterization and conservation, and review current cultivation practices. We also review recent biotechnology developments and their potential application for cultivation and domestication of T. magnatum. The future prospects of genetic engineering for improving truffle strain characteristics are also addressed.