How we produce our truffle inoculum at micofora?

At Micofora, Barcelona, we produce truffle inoculum weekly during the harvesting season. We select the optimum spores from the best truffles using a compound and a stereo microscopes as well as DNA test. The aim of these analysis is to detect potential contaminants species, other that the desired, and also to check the maturity of the spores.  We have and agreement with our truffle suppliers, we return to them the ascocarps that didn’t passed the test (usually more than 50% of the truffle are returned to the supplier, especially early in the season when the spores are not mature yet).

We don’t know which factors are involved that will regulate the truffle size, probably there are several, e.g. a genetic trait; Micofora always prefer to use large fruit bodies to produce inoculum.

We run a DNA test for each truffle to be used as inoculum, as a double check in order to avoid the presence of other Tuber than the desired species on the inoculum.

Micofora can supply pure inoculum to nurseries and truffle plantation. This product was checked under microscopes, the species confirmed with DNA, sterilized, lyophilized (freeze-dried), grounded and sieved, all these process was done under the supervision of highly trained and experienced staff.

In our experience sending freeze-dried inoculum overseas is cheaper and easier because the low weight of the mail order. Around 80% of the truffle weight is water, sending our prepared product will reduce the weight from 1kg of fresh truffle to 200gr.