What makes a good truffle infected tree?

Modern truffle cultivation is based on planting Tuber infected plants in suitable sites. The first step is the production of truffle infected plants in greenhouses, generally using spore inoculation techniques. Other less common methods include the inoculating plants with pure cultures and the mother plant techniques. Regardless of the inoculation technique used, it is advisable to check the geographic origin of the inoculum, and selecting the most suitable one for the climatic conditions of the site where the plants are to be planted. It is also important to verify the quality of the inoculum before inoculating the plants. In particular, when using spore inoculation techniques, the ascomata used for making the spore suspension should undergo morphological observation and molecular testing to verify the absence of less valuable Tuber species. It is also advisable to assess the abundance of mature spores and their vitality particularly when the inoculum is not produced from fresh truffle. In contrast when mycelial inoculation or mother plant techniques is used it is important to ensure that the plants are carrying two compatible mating types and that the mother plants are free of contamination with other ectomycorrhizal fungi.