Aragón has recently launched TECNOTRUF, a project aimed at developing new technological procedures based on monitoring ecological variables to optimize the productivity of truffle plantations, as well as improving the commercialization of their derived products. The project, funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food (MAPA) and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (FEADER), is led by the Cluster for Efficient Water Use (ZINNAE) and involves the participation of the truffle company MYTRUFF, the companies QILEX and MICOLAB, the research centers Estación Experimental de Aula Dei (EEAD-CSIC) and CITA, the technology companies ARATECK, GEOSLAB, and ACG DRONE, and the Aragón Food and Nutrition Cluster.
For the project’s execution, a preliminary evaluation will be conducted on three truffle plantations in the provinces of Castellón, Guadalajara, and Teruel. Subsequently, three eco-physiological stations will be developed and implemented to monitor different parameters of the holm oak-truffle complex. Additionally, the tree canopy will be tracked using multispectral cameras integrated into a drone, and the evolution of eco-physiological, mycorrhizal, and production variables will be monitored through data collection and analysis on a dedicated platform. Finally, a pilot agronomic management project will be carried out in truffle cultivation, including the valorization of truffle co-products and the development of an information system to ensure their traceability.
One of the most innovative aspects of the project is that truffle growers will have access to a unique device that monitors the most critical environmental variables for the proper functioning of holm oak in truffle plantations. It will also provide key physiological parameters for functional holm oak monitoring (PRI and canopy temperature), which will be visualized simultaneously alongside environmental parameters. The project will enable, for the first time, the use of plant sensing to optimize water use in holm oak truffle plantations.
The project has a budget of 599,114.11 euros and will last for three years. It is co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (FEADER) at 80% and MAPA at 20%.
