Matsutake research in Japan - metla.fi · Matsutake research in Japan Yamada, Akiyoshi Department of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University. 0 2000

Matsutake research in Japan

Yamada, AkiyoshiDepartment of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University

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• Matsutake production in Japan in the past 80 years

1. Histories of the usage and the study of matsutake in Japan

2. Modern forest managements for sustainable production of matsukate

3. Which types of studies are desired for matsutake at present in Japan?

Outline of this talk:


A.D. ca. 700: Some tanka (Japanese old poetry) in Manyoshu presents matsutake picking by aristocrats.

A.D. 1100~1500: Aristocrats gifted a basket of matsutake each other as a expensive and delicious food.

A.D. 1697: Honcho-shokkan, an encyclopedia for Japanese foods, described the detail of matsutake: its morphology, fruiting penology, microhabitat in pine forest, cooking and preservation of fruit-bodies, medical use, and forest management etc.

Matsutake described in Kin-fu (=Descriptions of mushrooms)

by K. Sakamoto (1835)

• Scientific name: 1875~Ito & Imai (1925) : Armillaria matsutakeBefore that matsutake and shiitake had been confused by mycologists

• Fungal ecology in pine forests: 1908~Mimura (1908): mycorrhizal association with pine; Masui (1926): ectomycorrhizal structure; Ogawa and Hamada (1967): parasitic association with pine

• Fungal physiological studies: 1910s~Mimura (1915) : trial of spore isolation; Hamada (1940) : establishment of cultured mycelium; Ogawa et al (1975) : induction of primordium-like structure in vitro

• Modern forest managements for sustainable matsukate production: 1940s~Hamada et al (1967), Ogawa (1978)

• Various biotechnological approaches: 1970s~


• Concentric fruiting of matsutake: “shiro”development

• Estimations of shiro’s developing velocity, age, and productivity of basidiocarps

Hamada (1970)

• Fungal ecology in pine forests:


• Transection of shiro: whitish soil-mycelium-mycorrhizas aggregate

Ogawa (1969)

Ogawa (1975)

Ibaraki Prefecture

• Ectomycorrhizas of matsutake on Pinus densiflora


Yamada et al. (1999)

1. Histories of the usage and study of matsutake in Japan

• Taxonomic treatment: 1875~Ito & Imai (1925) : Armillaria matsutakeBefore that matsutake and shiitake had been confused by mycologists

• Fungal ecology in pine forests: 1908~Mimura (1908): mycorrhizal association with pine; Masui (1926): ectomycorrhizal structure; Ogawa and Hamada (1967): parasitic association with pine, Murata et al.: genetic mosaic of shiro (2005)

• Fungal physiological studies: 1910s~Mimura (1915) : trial of spore isolation; Hamada (1940) : establishment of cultured mycelium; Ogawa et al (1975) : primordium-like structure, etc.

• Modern forest managements for sustainable matsukate production: 1940s~Hamada et al (1967), Ogawa (1978), etc.

• Various biotechnological approaches: 1970s~

1) Selection of suitable Pinus densflora forests:• under acidic mother rock conditions (e.g. granite, sandy soil,

volcanic tuff) and well-drained slopes• already or previously fruiting stand• age: ca. 20-70years; density: 1000-6000/ha

2) Cutting of deciduous trees and removal of shrubs and litter layers:• cut deciduous trees clearly, and remove shrubs and humus layer

of soil (mycelial mats of Thelephoraceae are also removed)• continuous removal of shrubs and litter layers annually or

every two/three years interval in winter or spring season

3) Maintenance of soil temperature and moisture:• presence of small amount of shrubs, irrigation in dry summer

4) Recovery of root density of adult trees and growth of naturally established or transplanted seedlings

2. Modern forest managements for sustainable matsutake production

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ManagedControl

y = 8956.4 - 4.3696x R= 0.21296

y = 18776 - 9.3538x R= 0.62898

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y = 4793.8 - 2.379x R= 0.68193

• Study example at Toyooka, Nagano

• Forest management since1982: cutting shrubs annually, removing litter layer at 2-3 years interval

• Control plot: cutting shrubs only a few times• Both plots are commercially harvested fruit-bodies • Area: both plot ca. 0.5ha

1) Selection of suitable Pinus densflora forests:• acidic mother rock (granite, sandy soil, volcanic tuff etc.) and

well-drained slope• already or previously fruiting stand• age: ca. 20-70years; density: 1000-6000/ha

2) Cutting of deciduous trees and removal of shrubs and litter layers:• Cut deciduous trees clearly, and remove shrubs and humus layer

of soil (mycelial mats of Thelephoraceae are also removed)• continuous removal of shrubs and litter layers annually or every

two/three year in the winter or spring season

3) Maintenance of soil temperature and moisture:• presence of small amount of shrubs, irrigation in dry summer




• Induction of new roots for the natural infection of matsutake’s spores or for the transplantaion of matsutake’s shiro with seedlings

Matsutake Research Association (1983)


Matsutake Research Association (1983)

(Nagano Prefecture)

• Infection of matsutake’s shiro to a pine seedling for the transplantation



• Domestic matsutake production has drastically decreased in the past 60 years.

• The fear that local populations of matsutake could bedecreased in the recent years.

• Around 95 % of matsutake wholesale in Japan is imported from various countries.

• Some imported matsutake were detected chemicals such as pesticides at higher concentration.

Concerned matters

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• Recovering matsutake productions as much as those in the past by reviving modern forest managements

• Establishment of new techniques that enable re-establishment of matsutake colonies in pine forests

• Collaboration with researchers in various countries for the sustainable productions of matsutake in their own countries

• Establishment of the traceability system of imported matsutake


Approaches to solve those concerned matters



Establishment of new shiro?

CulturedMycelium

Mycorrhizal Seedling

Inoculation to bared roots of

adult pine trees

Transplantation at clear-cut forest

sites

• Dikaryotic cultured mycelium of matsutake

(Photos: from Dr Matsushita, The University of Tokyo)


• Inoculation to bared roots of adult pine trees in Hiroshima, Japanby Forest Botany lab., The University of Tokyo

• Mycorrhizal seedling synthesized with cultured mycelium


• Transplantation of mycorrhizal seedlings at a clearcut forest site in Ibaraki, Japanby Ibaraki Prefectural Forestry Institute



Establishment of new shiro?

CulturedMycelium

Mycorrhizal Seedling

Inoculation to bared roots of

adult pine trees

Transplantation at clear-cut forest

sites

• Recovering matsutake productions as much as those in the past by reviving modern forest managements



• Establishment of the traceability system of imported matsutake


• Approaches to solve those concerned matters


• Experiential handling of matsutake by harvesters for the sustainable productions of matsutake in Japan

• Remaining several fruit-bodies in a pine forest

• Burying fruit-bodies with opened cap in the soil surface layer

• Spraying basidiospores on the bared soil surface layer

• Generally, basidiosopres produce new generations, i.e., lacking in spore dispersal of matsutake by over exploitation may lead decrease both the genetic diversity and the population size in forests.

• In fact, spraying basidiospores can lead increased production of mycorrhizal mushrooms, e.g. in the case of Suillus spp.


• Asia: China, North Korea, South Korea, Bhutan• North America: Canada, U.S.A., Mexico• Mediterranean: Morocco, Algeria, Turkey, Spain• northern Europe: Sweden, Finland

• Export of matsutake mushrooms to Japan:

• Are matsutake mushrooms over exploited ?

• Are the forest sites for matsutake are well-managed by foresters?

• Are the seasons for matsutake import competing between countries?

• Concerned matters:

• Chinese matsutake in pine and oak forests

(Photos: from Dr. Matsushita)

• Turkish matsutake in Cedrus forests


• Some countries such as Canada, U.S.A. and South Korea have concerned the handling of matsutake by harvesters in the forest management policy.

• However, in some countries such as China and Turkey,matsutakes may be over-exploited in some local areas, i.e.exhaustion of matsutake could be occurred in near future.

• Mycologists, forest scientists, forest managers, foresters, andmatsutake pickers should collaborate to established suitable forest management program and carry out it in each local forest sites.

• Education for commercial harvesters of matsutake in the over-exploited areas are strongly desired.


1. Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; JSPS)

• Pure scientific studies are ideal, e.g. taxonomy, populational ecology, biodiversity, basic methods for the technology development

2. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:• Estimation of resources, establishment of a forest management

program for the sustainable production

3. Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry:• Exploration of another productive region for matsutake,

establishment of plantation for the artificial production

• Candidates for the project funds in matsutake studies at present in Japan:

Introduction of matsutake research groups in Japan

• The University of Tokyo(from left)Mr. Shindo, KatsumiDr. Matsushita, Norihisa(Dr. Lu-Min Vaario)Dr. Suzuki, Kazuo*(*Presently director of FFPRI )

(Photo: from Dr. Matsushita)

• Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Japan (FFPRI)(from left)Dr. Babasaki, KatsuhikoDr. Murata, Hitoshi

(Photo: from Dr. Murata)

• Nagano Prefectural Forestry Research Institute

Mr.Takeuchi, Yoshie (right)

(Photo: from Mr. Takeuchi)

• Ibaraki Prefectural Forestry Research Institute

(from left)Mr. Terasaki, MasatakaDr. Kobayashi, HisayasuMr. Watahiki, Takeo(technical staff)Ms. Kuramochi, Masumi

(Photo: from Dr. Kobayashi)

KiitosKiitosKiitos!!!Thank you!Thank you!Thank you!

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Matsutake research in Japan - metla.fi · Matsutake research in Japan Yamada, Akiyoshi Department of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University. 0 2000