TY - JOUR

T1 - The crop of desert truffle depends on agroclimatic parameters during two key annual periods

AU - Andrino, Alberto

AU - Navarro-Ródenas, Alfonso

AU - Marqués-Gálvez, José Eduardo

AU - Morte, Asunción

N1 - Funding Information: The authors received financial support from AEI/FEDER, UE (CGL2016-78946-R) and Fundación Séneca-Agencia de Ciencia y Tecnología de la Región de Murcia (20866/PI/18). ANR is a recipient of a postdoctoral contract (IJCI-2016-28252) from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO). JEMG is a recipient of a PhD grant (DI-14-06904) from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO). Acknowledgements

PY - 2019/11/9

Y1 - 2019/11/9

N2 - Desert truffles have become an alternative agricultural crop in semiarid areas of the Iberian Peninsula due to their much appreciated edible value and their low water requirements for cultivation. Although most studies related to desert truffle production point to the sole importance of precipitation, this work is the first systematic study carried out to characterize whether other important agroclimatic parameters, for example reference evapotranspiration, soil water potential, relative air humidity %, aridity index or air vapour pressure deficit, may have an impact on a desert truffle production in an orchard with mycorrhizal plants of Helianthemum almeriense × Terfezia claveryi for 15 years from the plantation. The results show for the first time that T. claveryi production has two key periods, during its annual cycle: autumn (September to October) and spring (end of March). The aridity index and soil water potential seem to be the most manageable parameters in the field and can be easily controlled by applying irrigation during the abovementioned periods. Agroclimatic parameters can influence the final crop a long time before the desert truffle fruiting season contrary to what happens with other edible mycorrhizal mushrooms. Four different models to manage desert truffle plantations are proposed based on these agroclimatic parameters in order to optimize and stabilize carpophore fructifications over the years.

AB - Desert truffles have become an alternative agricultural crop in semiarid areas of the Iberian Peninsula due to their much appreciated edible value and their low water requirements for cultivation. Although most studies related to desert truffle production point to the sole importance of precipitation, this work is the first systematic study carried out to characterize whether other important agroclimatic parameters, for example reference evapotranspiration, soil water potential, relative air humidity %, aridity index or air vapour pressure deficit, may have an impact on a desert truffle production in an orchard with mycorrhizal plants of Helianthemum almeriense × Terfezia claveryi for 15 years from the plantation. The results show for the first time that T. claveryi production has two key periods, during its annual cycle: autumn (September to October) and spring (end of March). The aridity index and soil water potential seem to be the most manageable parameters in the field and can be easily controlled by applying irrigation during the abovementioned periods. Agroclimatic parameters can influence the final crop a long time before the desert truffle fruiting season contrary to what happens with other edible mycorrhizal mushrooms. Four different models to manage desert truffle plantations are proposed based on these agroclimatic parameters in order to optimize and stabilize carpophore fructifications over the years.

KW - Agroclimatic parameters

KW - Aridity index

KW - Helianthemum

KW - Precipitation

KW - Terfezia

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85074729595&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s13593-019-0596-9

DO - 10.1007/s13593-019-0596-9

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85074729595

VL - 39

JO - Agronomy for Sustainable Development

JF - Agronomy for Sustainable Development

SN - 1774-0746

IS - 6

M1 - 51

ER -