Two new species of the genus Tuber have been discovered with the assistance of trained truffle-hunting dogs.
Tuber cumberlandense. Image credit: Sow et al., doi: 10.1080/00275514.2024.2407755.
“Tuber is a genus of ectomycorrhizal fungi that produces hypogeous fruiting bodies known as truffles,” said senior author Dr. Gregory Bonito of Michigan State University and his colleagues.
“Many Tuber species are well known for their unique aromas and wide culinary use.”
“As with many other truffle-forming fungi, Tuber species have lost the ability to forcibly eject spores into the air, instead relying primarily on mycophagous animals to consume and thereby distribute spores.”
“Mycophagous animals, including porcupines, squirrels, pigs, and humans, have been shown to consume Tuber species and are sensitive to volatile compounds produced by truffles.”
One of the two new species, Tuber canirevelatum, was named in honor of truffle dogs and Monza, the dog who discovered it with her trainer Lois Martin.
The other, Tuber cumberlandense, was named for the Cumberland Plateau where it was found by Margaret Townsend and her truffle dog, Luca.
Tuber canirevelatum. Image credit: Sow et al., doi: 10.1080/00275514.2024.2407755.
“There is a long history of using specially trained dogs — and less frequently pigs — for tracking truffle aromas to find Tuber in the wild,” the researchers said.
“Truffle-hunting dogs are also regularly used for harvesting truffles commercially, as they can find mature truffles more quickly and consistently than other methods, such as raking.”
“Raking the soil to find and harvest truffles can be destructive to both plant host roots and ascomata.”
“Additionally, it may also lead to the harvest of immature truffles.”
“However, well-trained truffle-hunting dogs consistently find mature truffles, thereby reducing harvest effort and maximizing harvest quality.”
“As such, the use of truffle dogs for harvesting commercial truffles is the standard practice used by truffle cultivators worldwide.”
While Tuber canirevelatum is only known from eastern Tennessee, the United States, Tuber cumberlandense has been opportunistically harvested for commercial sale from orchards across eastern North America.
“Historically, the attention has been on cultivating and selling European truffle species, but there is growing interest in cultivating, wild-harvesting and selling species of truffles native to North America,” Dr. Bonito added.
“More and more people are trying to grow truffles, which means more truffle dogs are needed for sniffing out these fungal fruits since they grow underground.”
“If you have $20,000 of truffles growing underground, you need to find them before they perish, so the dogs are very important.”
The discovery is reported in a paper in the journal Mycologia.
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Alassane Sow et al. 2024. Tuber cumberlandense and T. canirevelatum, two new edible Tuber species from eastern North America discovered by truffle-hunting dogs. Mycologia 116 (6); doi: 10.1080/00275514.2024.2407755
