CULTURE MEDIA AND PROCESS FOR IMPROVED ISOLATION AND MAINTENANCE OF TERFEZIA SPP. MYCELIUM CULTURES

Abstract

The present invention relates to a culture media and to a process for improved isolation and maintenance of mycelium cultures of “desert truffles” included within the genus Terfezia, the most species rich of all of desert truffle genera. Cultivation of these ectomycorrhizal Ascomycota implies the co-culture of both fungal symbiont and plant host in sterile or semi-sterile conditions. However, isolation and maintenance of Terfezia spp. pure cultures can be challenging. Moreover, many strains are unable to be sub-cultured, and so far, the few successful attempts, mainly with Terfezia spp. from alkaline soils, were found to grow much too slowly to produce adequate amounts of mycelial inoculum in conventional culture media and conditions.