We are a Farming Partnership Company, bringing together knowledge from around the world for the commercial agricultural production of The Black Winter ‘Perigord’ Truffle, Tuber Melanosporum, in the Southern African region. Fresh Local Truffles are available from our Cape Town office in season from June to August.
THE TECHNOLOGY
SCIENTIFIC NURSERY PRACTICES
Over the years, Woodford has developed and refined its method of creating heavily mychorizal saplings, ready for planting into the orchard. Techniques have been garnered from research across the globe. With our international consultants regularly visiting and bringing new found techniques, we are constantly up to date with new developements in the truffle industry. Together, all our South African partner farmers bring their experience and knowledge to the party and in turn advance the groups knowledge of local conditions.
The technology developed and used by us to produce “truffle trees” is novel and has huge advantages over generaly used technology. Our sterile environments and DNA certification ensures superior saplings with thorough mychorizhal colinisation and thus ultimately higher profit margins. High inoculation levels, guarantees colonisation, health and vigour before the truffle trees are supplied to the plantation location. We use large container cultivation ensuring good root development.
MAPPING – SITE ANALYSIS
If you are interested in becoming a Truffle Farmer, your land should fall into a specific set of criteria that can be checked via our extensive database at hand. You need to send us your GPS co-ordinates. These can be found by setting a place marker in Google Maps, and sending this to us.
PROBES – STAY ON TRACK
Soil probes are used to record soil moisture and temperatures patterns. The probes give us an idea of how the tree roots are doing throughout the year and whether there is an adequate soild moisture content.
SOIL & LEAF SAMPLING – CORRECTING DEFICIENCIES
Annual soil samples are taken the progress of the soil health and track the pH. Leaf samples are taken if a mineral deficiency is suspected.
SOIL MANAGEMENT
Soil health is important, as we are growing roots on which the truffles mycelium lives. Anual soil health checks are recomended to understand the changing soil environment. Pests and predators that live in the soil, can degrade the quality of the truffle produced, this needs to be managed. The mychorizha lives on the roots in symbiosis with the host tree, its health is our major concern.
IRRIGATION
Having the ability to control irrigation is important, especially closer to the fruiting period. We insist on all JV partners truffle orchards to be equipped with an irrigation system.
CONTACT
WOODFORD TRUFFLES SA
Harvest Season in Winter – from Late June through to August.
We are also bringing in European Truffles during Northern hemisphere’s season, our February
Contact our distribution office in Cape Town on 021 7901610 to be added to our mailer listing and be the first to know when truffles are harvested and inn stock.