Press release for immediate release 16/4/08
Australian Company makes Truffle growing breakthrough
Seeking always to improve both productivity and reliability, Tim Terry (Director of Truffles
Australis Pty Ltd), engaged in ongoing research with the leading organic soil analysis
consultancy, SWEP Laboratories and Palm-Ag Services. After taking dozens of soil samples from
truffle producing trees and non truffle producing trees around Australia, Truffles Australis and
SWEP Laboratories have been able to detect a clear difference in the soil requirements to achieve
production.
Terry produced the first truffle grown in Australia, on his farm in Deloraine, near Launceston in
Tasmania in 1999. Since there have been 9 year old trees that had never produced a truffle Terry
decided to test the research, he applied the new management regime to just a few of those trees in
September 2007. In the first week in March 2008 he saw truffles under those trees. This is a
fantastic breakthrough for the industry.
The breakthrough came after examining not only soil nutrition, irrigation management and
climate but also the microbial interaction. This is a multi faceted research project that has taken
many years to come together. Most other truffle research has focused on just the major soil
elements, or water or microbial issues.
SWEP, Truffles Australis and Palm-Ag Services believed the key lay in the interaction between
all of these and the results of the research have proved them to be correct.
“Overseas technology and consultants cannot give us these sorts of answers in our soils” Terry
says “we can proceed with confidence knowing our research is probably the most extensive and
up to date as any in the world.
To get such positive results is a real coup for Truffles Australis and should allow for a positive
expansion of the Australian industry knowing that fruiting is now nearly assured using these
techniques”.
Contacts and further information:
Tim Terry, Director, Truffles Australis, Deloraine, Tasmania: 0418 130 464
Ted Mikhail, Managing Director SWEP Laboratories, Melbourne 03 97016007
Larry Palmer, Director Palm-Ag Services 0419361339
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