title: New evidence for the symbiosis between Tuber aestivum and Picea abies.
abstract: The Burgundy truffle (Tuber aestivum Vittad.), an ectomycorrhizal fungus living in association with host plants, is one of the most exclusive delicacies. The symbiosis with deciduous oak, beech, and hazel dominates our concept of truffle ecophysiology, whereas potential conifer hosts have rarely been reported. Here, we present morphological and molecular evidence of a wildlife T. aestivum symbiosis with Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst.) and an independent greenhouse inoculation experiment, to confirm our field observation in southwest Germany. A total of 27 out of 50 P. abies seedlings developed T. aestivum ectomycorrhizae with a mean mycorrhization rate of 19.6 %. These findings not only suggest P. abies to be a productive host species under suitable biogeographic conditions but also emphasize the broad ecological amplitude and great symbiotic range of T. aestivum. While challenging common knowledge, this study demonstrates a significant expansion of the species' cultivation potential to the central European regions, where P. abies forests occur on calcareous soils.
authors.affiliation: Chair of Forest Botany, University of Freiburg, 79085, Freiburg, Germany, ulrich.stobbe@fobot.uni-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Stobbe
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stobbe
authors.forename: Ludger
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sproll
authors.forename: Willy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tegel
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peter
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Büntgen
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Egli
mesh_terms: D001203:Ascomycota / Q000502:physiology*; D005858:Germany; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000502:physiology*; D028222:Picea / Q000382:microbiology*; D013559:Symbiosis