Progress 09/15/22 to 09/14/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this TRAPI project is the larger truffle industry including the North American Truffle Growers Association (NATGA), other regional grower associations, affiliated businesses, socioeconomic partners, and truffle extension and research scientists. NATGA is the rallying point for these various stakeholders. With a membership approaching 200, this "growers association" includes veteran, new and aspiring growers but also involves affiliated businesses such as nurseries that produce truffle inoculated seedlings, truffle dog service providers for locating ripe truffles at harvest, wholesale/sales businesses, epicurean chefs and scholars, tourist businesses, equipment suppliers for agronomic monitoring and orchard management, as well as producers of value-added products. The TRAPI planning project also successfully assembled a network of over 30 North American truffle research and extension scientists to support grower efforts to increase truffle orchard yields. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Professional development was provided in several ways during the TRAPI Planning Project. TRAPI scientists refined their knowledge on grower priorities topics by reviewing literature and presenting webinars on those topics. Webinar attendees gained from this scientific expertise on topics of priority interest to them. The TRAPI Grant Writing Workshop included insightful dialog among growers and scientists, which developed all attendees' knowledge of truffle science and research needs. One undergraduate student helped with compiling the truffle reference database and through that she learned how to use citation management software and had the opportunity to read content for the many articles included. Another undergraduate and a graduate student helped with planning and execution of the Workshop and, therefore, had opportunity to learn not only about the organization and execution of such a meeting but also observed and participated in the conversations involved in scientific discussion. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results have been disseminated in several ways. The Webinar series was the primary means of disseminating the literature research occurring during the TRAPI Planning Project. Those webinars generated over 480 contact hours between scientists and webinar attendees and video recordings are now available online to NATGA members. The Truffle reference database was distributed to TRAPI scientists, and its availability announced to the growers association, some of whom have requested copies. The review article prepared by TRAPI scientists was submitted for publication in a high-impact journal which means that the results will be disseminated to an international audience of truffle scientists and practitioners. Of course, the Planning Grant was focused on submitting an SCRI CAP proposal, which we expect to submit to the 2024 RFA, which will further the dissemination of our results. We made a concerted effort to reach potential truffle extension scientists; both those with some knowledge of truffle cultural practices and others that might have some interest and potentially be receptive to training materials. Consequently, TRAPI includes over nine extension scientists, only four of which had prior knowledge of truffle growing practices. Training a greater number of extension scientists on truffle culture will compound our outreach efforts as they develop original extension material or deliver that which we provide. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We continue to develop a CAP proposal and will submit thatin response to the 2024 SCRI request for applications. With that grant, we would implement a comprehensive set of project objectives to accelerate truffle science in North America and promote the TRAPI inspired research collaboration among scientists and practitioners. This continuing effort is intended to reachour goal of doubling North American truffle production year-over-year for 10 years.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Much of the focus of this TRAPI SCRI Planning Project has been on developing an SCRI Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP) proposal designed to increase NA truffle production. We set that target in 2021 and in collaboration with the North American Truffle Growers Association (NATGA) we received the TRAPI Planning Grant. That Planning Grant was used to organize several activities intended to culminate in the submission of a pre-application for the SCRI CAP. To accomplish that goal we surveyed growers on their priority topics, researched and delivered webinars on those priority topics, prepared and submitted a review paper, held a workshop to define the CAP objectives, developed detailed background and approaches for the CAP research, and prepared a detailed project budget. 1) Major activities completed / experiments conducted Several activities occurred during the TRAPI planning project. In leading up to receipt of the TRAPI SCRI Planning Grant, numerous discussions and meetings occurred between the project director, individual growers, the NAGA Research Task Force, and other truffle scientists. We surveyed the growers about their priority research topics at the 2021 NATGA Congress. After receiving the 2022 SCRI Planning Grant, TRAPI scientists were surveyed on their truffle research interests/expertise and growers were again surveyed about priority research topics at the 2022 NATGA Congress. Data from the grower survey were the basis for setting priority research topics. The TRAPI scientists were matched with those priority research topics based on their interest/expertise, and a series of five webinars were presented through NATGA on eight priority topics. Webinar presenters also prepared a review article on these and other topics titled "Status of truffle science and cultivation in North America", which has been submitted for publication in Plant and Soil. In July, 2022, TRAPI scientists and NATGA representatives (growers, orchard owners, truffle seedling suppliers, consultants) attended a two-day workshop to define the project objectives for an SCRI CAP proposal. Subsequently, we refined these objectives and outlined a budget for the CAP proposal. In anticipation of submitting the CAP proposal, we presented these objectives at the NATGA 2023 Congress and solicited interest among growers to participate in research. NATGA leaders assisted in the development of the the CAP proposal, most notably through review and comment, and by soliciting critical support letters for the proposed research from major representatives of the NA truffle industry. 1) Data collection and summarization Both original and existing data have been collected during the TRAPI Planning Project. The original data collected consists of two surveys. First, the growers were surveyed for their priority research topics both before and during the Planning Grant performance period. These data were used to set priority research topics. Response variables were summarized into priority categories. The second survey included asking TRAPI scientists about their scientific interest and expertise. The scientist's survey was helpful to match priority topics from growers with appropriate scientific expertise. The existing data that we gathered was research literature. Over 900 research articles were compiled into a database (universal RIS file format) and distributed to scientists and any other interested TRAPI collaborators. The study of those articles was critical to the preparation of the webinar series and preparation of the TRAPI review article. 1) Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized. The main outcomes included the forming of a strong collaboration among the top North American truffle scientists in partnership with the North American Truffle Growers Association, the identification of priority grower research topics, offering a series of live webinars with video recordings, the preparation of a review article, and the development of a set of CAP research objectives with corresponding hypotheses, approaches, and required budget. This effort is expected to result in submission of an SCRI CAP proposal offered in response to the 2024 request for applications.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Coleman, M.D., S. Berch, G. Bonito, B. Allen, E. Andrews, E.T. Arechiga-Carvajal, S. Cook, R. Garibay-Orijel, G. Guevara, P. Hatzenbuehler, B. Hawkins, R. Heinse, G. Kernaghan, C. Lefevre, B. Lemmond, I. Meadows, S. Onetto, J. Sharma, D. Strawn, A. Turkoglu, J. Tanney, J. Uehling, J. Winfree and M.E. Smith. (submitted). Status of truffle science and cultivation in North America. Plant and Soil
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