Advances in molecular genetics have increased knowledge of Tuber species’ life cycle and population genetic structure, indicating ways to improve yield

Truffles are possibly the only high-value cultivated organisms for which some aspects of the habit and life cycle have only recently been elucidated or remain unknown. Molecular techniques have helped explain the biological basis for some traditional empirical management techniques, such as inoculating soil with ascospores to improve yield, and have enhanced the detection of competitive or pathogenic soil microorganisms. Improved precision of assessment of the quality of inoculated seedlings is now possible. New knowledge of the genetic structure of populations has indicated that as trees age, the genotypes of mycorrhizae on inoculated trees change, and that there are large differences in the number of female and male genotypes participating in ascocarp formation. The plasticity of Tuber species has also been revealed, with maternal genotypes growing as an ectomycorrhiza in host tree roots and as surface mycelium or an endophyte in roots of adjacent non-mycorrhizal species. Refinement of management techniques has resulted from applying the new information, and the tools are now available to resolve the many outstanding gaps in our knowledge of Tuber biology.