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Cultivation and mycelium production from spore suspensions of desert truffles: prospective use as inoculum for host plants in arid zones

Summary

Desert truffles are valuable edible fungi that grow in arid regions and have health benefits. This research successfully grew two desert truffle species (Terfezia boudieri and Tirmania nivea) in laboratory conditions using standard culture media. The study found that potato dextrose agar was the best medium for rapid growth, while both media supported good mycelial development. This breakthrough could enable large-scale production of truffle inoculum for reforestation programs in Morocco’s degraded desert areas.

Background

Desert truffles Terfezia boudieri and Tirmania nivea are mycorrhizal fungi endemic to arid and semi-arid Mediterranean regions, naturally associated with Helianthemum species. These fungi are valuable culinary resources with significant economic importance in Morocco, containing essential nutrients and bioactive compounds with antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant properties. Cultivation of these species could support reforestation and soil restoration in degraded arid zones.

Objective

This study aimed to isolate and cultivate two Moroccan desert truffle species from spore suspensions, determine their apical growth rates on different culture media, and produce wet mycelial biomass for potential use as ectomycorrhizal inoculum in arid zone reforestation programs.

Results

Both species showed successful isolation and growth on PDA and MEA media. PDA outperformed MEA for apical growth rate (0.05 ± 0.01 cm/h vs 0.04 ± 0.00 cm/h). Wet weight mycelial biomass production was comparable between species but higher on MEA (T. boudieri: 22.75 ± 2.12 g/100mL; T. nivea: 24.42 ± 2.12 g/100mL) than PDA. Statistical analysis showed culture medium had a highly significant effect on growth rate (p < 0.0001) but not on biomass production.

Conclusion

PDA is the optimal culture medium for apical growth rate, while both media supported substantial mycelial biomass production. The successful cultivation of T. boudieri and T. nivea demonstrates their potential as ectomycorrhizal inoculum for host plant development in arid zone reforestation and edible mushroom production programs.
  • Published in:BMC Microbiology,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMID: 41146019, DOI: 10.1186/s12866-025-04436-z
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