Phenology and cultivation of Suillus bovinus, an edible mycorrhizal fungus, in a Pinus massoniana plantation

Edible mycorrhizal fungi (EMF) are a valuable forest resource, both in terms of their ecological functions as a symbiont of host trees and because of their edible sporocarps. In this study, we characterized the morphological features of Suillus bovinus, a dominant EMF associated with Pinus massoniana Lamb., and conducted a 3-year field survey to clarify the phenology of S. bovinus sporocarps. The morphological features of S. bovinus were generally in accordance with those reported by previous studies, and S. bovinus sporocarp production was largely influenced by meteorological conditions and the intra-annual growth rhythm of P. massoniana. The monthly fruiting pattern of sporocarps correlated with monthly variations in temperature (P < 0.01) and precipitation (P < 0.05). Sporocarp productivity increased as the temperature or precipitation increased and it decreased as the temperature or precipitation decreased. The correlation between P. massoniana growth stages and the production of mature sporocarps was also significant (P < 0.01); sporocarps were mainly formed during the shoot elongation stage, shoot growth ceased stage, and vegetative growth period. The sporocarp productivity data plus the economic evaluation indicate that a considerable amount of S. bovinus sporocarps could be produced in P. massoniana plantations, which merits further commercial use. To facilitate commercial use, both the morphological features of the association formed by S. bovinus and P. massoniana and the influences that determine S. bovinus fruiting should be taken into consideration.