Fitomicorrizas – Mycorrhizal plant production

The EIP AGRI Operational Group FitoMicorrizas developed new sustainable cultivation strategies to produce mycorrhizae between native species of highly valued mycorrhizal fungi and plants.

Project summary: 

The FitoMicorrizas EIP Operational Group aimed to increase the added value that can be created by the forestry sector in Portugal. Given the increasing demand for high valued edible mushrooms, the Operational Group worked on new production protocols for improving the propagation efficiency of mycorrhizal fungi that are of significant economic and environmental value. The operational Group analysed the mycorrhizal process on combinations of different plants and fungi to define the optimum concentration of phytoestrogens.

Project results: 

The Operational Group identified the most profitable fungal species in Portuguese forests, which include Boletus edulis, Hydnum repandum, Lactarius deliciosus and Chantarellus cibarius.

The Operational Group established optimised methodologies for mycorrhizal plant production between the Arbutus Unedo plant, and the truffle Tuber borchii and they achieved a mycorrhisation success rates of 20%.