Evaluation method for the certification of black truffle mycorrhized seedlings

Truffe producing tree

The success of a truffle plantation relies on the presence and abundance of T. melanosporum in the roots of the seedlings the farmers plant to obtain the crop of truffles. Yet, most farmers lack the skills to distinguish a plant with the fungus from one without it. Therefore, independent testing of the plants to be planted is critical to protect the farmers from errors or fraud in the nurseries leading to the sale of plants that will never produce truffles. Our aim was to develop a test that a trained technician could perform in a short period of time to keep the cost low.


Longal Chestnut - the potential of a traditional regional variety from Portugal's Terra Fria Transmontana

Leaves, burr and chestnuts of the Longal variety

Chestnuts are an extremely important product for the Portuguese region 'Terra Fria Transmontana', representing one of the most profitable crops today. Its commercialization is still done based solely on caliber, an essential characteristic to satisfy a consumer little informed about the diversity of existing varieties. Longal is a traditional regional variety from PDO Castanha da Terra Fria, with excellent characteristics for fresh consumption and the processing industry. It is important to work on its promotion with consumers and producers.


Bar-HRM traceability of plants in food and medicine

H2020 MSCA-ITN-ETN Plant.ID network

Barcoding is an important tool towards the solution of traceability issues. Plant.ID is a collaborative network within Europe and addresses the challenges of plant identification in 15 different projects. We focus on common edible, poisonous, allergenic and pharmaceutical plants of the Greek flora. Through sequencing of barcoding regions and metabarcoding techniques, specific barcoding markers will be developed to be used either with PCR and/or with the High Resolution Melting Analysis for species-specific identification.


MicoQr: New App for the wild mushroom trading

The main objective of this application is to provide companies in the mycological sector with a traceability management tool for the purchase of wild mushrooms and fresh truffles from the collector or producer. To identify one more agent in the traceability of the product, by including the collector of wild mushrooms and the space where they have been collected, favoring the control systems in food safety.


Estimating cork stocks through the National Forest Inventory

Quercus suber stand in Extremadura

In the current context in which it can be perceived that climate change is already a reality, one of the issues that most concerns the different sectors dedicated to non-timber forest products (NWFP) is the long-term availability of these forest products, so that a constant supply is ensured. It is important to know the provision of NWFP at the present time in order to know or estimate their future evolution. A key tool in this regard is the National Forest Inventories (NFI). Spanish NFI are a robust, objective and comparable source of information, ideal for carrying out this type of...


ResinApp: A Web/Android App for logistics and natural resin traceability

Natural resin barrel loading

The ResinApp provides the natural resin sector with a tailored tool that allows the traceability of natural resin from the forest to the factory, endowing the industry of first resin transformation with a practical system for the logistic and administrative management of the supply of natural resin, and to the resin tappers with a tool that allows better working conditions, administrative simplification and greater recognition of their work.


SiResin - Resin Information System

The beginning: resin tapping

The Decree-Law nº 181/2015, defines the legal regime for the resin activity and circulation of pine resin in Continental Portugal. The regime requires prior notification to the Portuguese Institute for Nature Conservation and Forestry (ICNF) of resin tapping, resin import and export, resin transportation and storage and resin used by 1st transformation industry. The communication is made online through the Resin Information System (SiResin):

https://fogos.icnf.pt/manifesto/TipoLinksEntradalist.asp