On 14-15 October, researcher of IPSP-CNR of Florence, Dr. Gianni Della Rocca, Dr. Giovanni Emiliani, Dr. Roberto Danti, Vincenzo Di Lonardo, Dr. Antonietta Mello (from IPSP-CNR of Turin) and Prof. Alfredo Vizzini (mycologist at the Turin University) carried out a soil sampling and the first Phytosanitary survey in the Chestnut orchard.

The Chestnuts are both healthy and affected by Ink disease. The surveys were conducted in Castagno d’Andrea (San Godenzo) and in the Silver fir forest (wind-undamaged and torn down by a big storm) in Vallombrosa Biogenetic Reserve for Soil metagenomic analysis. The campaign was organized by NGS in order to estimate the degree of the mycobiota diversity (richness, evenness) of the studied areas before and after soil inoculation with ‘beneficial’ fungi that will be realized during the project.

An inventory of the macromycetes (species and abundance) has been realized as to evaluate the biodiversity of the living fungal community present in the different conditions and to begin to test the presence of possible biocontrol agents for the diseases affecting Chestnut trees (Ink disease) and Silver fir trees (Armillaria and Heterobasidion root rot).