CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 10/12/15

Pecan truffles are a growing commodity for Georgia's farmers

By Tatyana Phelps

Beyond pecans, a commodity originating in Georgia's pecan orchards is exciting growers and chefs alike: truffles.

“Thanks to Dr. (Tim) Brenneman, I’ve been able to find truffles and find a market for them,” said Eric Cohen, co-owner of Pecan Ridge Plantation in Decatur County, Georgia.

Brenneman, a University of Georgia plant pathologist based in Tifton, Georgia, has researched pecan truffles since he discovered them in the late 1980s. His research involves inoculating trees with the fungus responsible for truffles.

“Right now, the main limitation for truffles is lack of consistent availability,” Brenneman said. “They’re underground; they’re hard to find. We’re doing research on producing truffles more consistently by inoculating trees with the fungus, and then, when you plant the trees, it may take a while, but they will eventually start growing truffles on their roots.”

Pecan growers can locate truffles, but the latest, perhaps more effective trend is to search for and find truffles using truffle dogs.

“In the past, nearly all of the truffles we had in Georgia were just found by people going out with rakes during late summer at pecan harvest, when the truffles were being exposed, and picking them up,” Brenneman said. “Having dogs that are specifically trained for these truffles really helps find the truffles. It also improves the quality of truffles found because they’re locating the mature truffles. The dogs just go to the ones that have the strongest odor, and those are the most mature truffles and most desired by the chefs using them.”

Truffle dogs have made it easier for farmers, like Cohen, to market truffles and net a profitable venture. He has always had pecan orchards, but only started marketing truffles two years ago. Cohen had no prior knowledge of truffles and wasn’t aware that there was a market for them.

“I heard (Brenneman) say how valuable they were, and that’s what got me quizzing him about them, just the sheer amount of money a pound of truffles costs,” Cohen said. “I would not have done that if it had not been for Dr. Brenneman.”

There is high demand for truffles, especially from chefs, but there are only a few people marketing truffles and not a large supply. Cohen said he developed his market by word of mouth among different chefs.

While European truffles cost thousands of dollars a pound—they’re one of the most expensive foods in the world—one pound of truffles grown in Georgia can sell for $200 to $300, Brenneman said.

For more information on pecan truffles and Brenneman’s research, visit timbrenneman.org.

(Tatyana Phelps is an intern with the UGA Tifton Campus.)

Authors:
Tatyana Phelps
Experts/Sources:
Tim Brenneman
A group of truffles are shown next to pecans in an orchard.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
As a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Bob Kemerait is well known for his devotion to the agricultural community of Georgia. He is also known for his international work with colleagues and small-scale farmers around the world. Recently, Kemerait took a team from UGA Extension to the Philippines, where he serves as a Fulbright specialist and works with the faculty at Mariano Marcos State University and farmers in the northern Philippines to improve disease management and other production practices. CAES News
UGA plant pathologist works to improve crop management and empower farmers across the globe 11/05/24 Robert C Kemerait Jr
As a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Bob Kemerait is well known for his devotion to the agricultural community of Georgia. He is also known for his international work with colleagues and small-scale farmers around the world. Recently, Kemerait took a team from UGA Extension to the Philippines, where he serves as a Fulbright specialist.
Seth McAllister and farmer Mark Daniel discuss crop production and agritourism. CAES News
UGA Extension supports agritourism through expert advice and collaboration 10/24/24 Emily Cabrera
On a sunny day with bright-blue skies, I arrive at Mark’s Melon Patch in Sasser, Georgia, and immediately spot the familiar white University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pickup truck, the Terrell County Extension logo prominently displayed on the door. Seth McAllister, the Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Terrell County, greets me with a broad grin and a firm handshake. Terrell County alone has 60,000 acres of row crops, half in cotton. But what McAllister loves most about his role as an Extension agent is the diversity of his work.
Combining data collection and analysis with plant pathology, precision agriculture and robotics, the UGA team will build a photographic library of the foliar symptoms caused by onion diseases and other physiological disorders, feed them into the AI software, and use machine learning to identify the diseases based on pattern and color recognition from the images. CAES News
UGA uses AI, robotics to improve Georgia’s Vidalia sweet onion crop 10/23/24 Jordan Powers
A multidisciplinary team of UGA researchers aims to enhance the competitiveness of Vidalia onion growers in Georgia by providing them with the ability to confidently detect onion diseases early, enabling them to make management decisions on their crop at a critical time. These abilities, researchers say, should result in increased yield and quality of marketable onions and an overall increase in efficiency and productivity.
Helenedamage web CAES News
Hurricane Helene: Preliminary damage assessment on Georgia agriculture and forestry industry 10/10/24 Claire Sanders Kinnard, Matthew Agvent
Today, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, in coordination with Governor Brian P. Kemp, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), and the Georgia Forestry Commission, announced the preliminary estimate of Hurricane Helene’s economic impact on Georgia agriculture is $6.46 billion.
Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium CAES News
Keep on the grass 08/29/24 Emily Cabrera, Scott Michaux
When the University of Georgia Bulldogs step between the hedges at Sanford Stadium, the grass on Dooley Field needs to look perfect. More importantly, though, it needs to help safeguard the health of athletes who compete on it. Gerald Henry plays a big role in the latter. The UGA Athletic Association’s endowed professor in environmental turfgrass leads a research team in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences committed to creating sports fields that look good and perform well to limit the occurrence of injuries.
Melissa Mitchum, CAES professor of nematology, and a multistate research team has identified the resistance-thwarting genes within soybean cyst nematodes, enabling new defenses and better resistance management. pictured are female soybean cyst nematodes on soybean roots. (Photo by Melissa Mitchum) CAES News
Breakthrough discovery opens new doors in soybean cyst nematode management 08/27/24 Julianne Johnston
Researchers have made a major discovery in the fight against soybean cyst nematode (SCN) by focusing on the genetics of the parasitic roundworms. Extensive genetic sequencing and mapping helped them identify a handful of likely genes behind the tricky pests’ ability to skirt soybean genetic resistance. Knowing how these SCN genes and soybean genes interact and evolve will help the industry identify the virulence of SCN populations so farmers can better use the genetic resistance currently available to fight the pest.