Our next courses for English speaking clients
International course on
TRUFFLE GROWING
ORCHARD ESTABLISHMENT
AND MANAGEMENT
HARVESTING AND MARKETING
18th-23th of January, 2026
MASTERCLASSES AND FIELD VISITS WITH LEADING EXPERTS AND INNOVATORS
Basic concepts, planting, pruning, tilling and irrigation, Spanish wells, dog training, pests and diseases, financial needs and yield, product trading, truffle selection (marketing qualities), field trips.
International course on
TRUFFLE GROWING
ORCHARD ESTABLISHMENT
AND MANAGEMENT
HARVESTING AND MARKETING
18th-23th of January, 2026
MASTERCLASSES AND FIELD VISITS WITH LEADING EXPERTS AND INNOVATORS
Basic concepts, planting, pruning, tilling and irrigation, Spanish wells, dog training, pests and diseases, financial needs and yield, product trading, truffle selection (marketing qualities), field trips.
Please, click on each day to see the scheduled lectures, professionals and field trips and check the other titles for more info.
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DAY 1
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DAY 2
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DAY 3
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DAY 4
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DAY 5
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DAY 6
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LECTURES, FIELD VISITS AND DEMOS BY
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PRICE AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Sunday the 18th of January
Complete day at MicoLab’s facilities (10:00 to 19:00 hours)
Basic concepts
- What is truffle farming?
- Fungal biology: fungi, truffles, mycelium and mycorrhizae, the brûlé
- Trufflffle species used in trufflffle farming around the world
- Host species used in trufflffle farming (trees and bushes)
- Black truffle, Tuber melanosporum, ecology, helper bacteria
- Productive and life cycle, of Tuber melanosporum, sexuality
- Why do truffle plantations stop producing?
Previous assessment on plantation viability
- Climate: temperatures, rainfall and their annual distribution
- Soil: basic parameters
- Water availability and basic needs for irrigation
- Previous crop and forest contamination
- Plant selection: tree species, plant age, plant quality
- Bibliography and on-line information sources
Monday the 19th of January
Complete day at MicoLab’s facilities (10:00 to 19:00 hours)
Plantation establishment
- Previous steps: correction of soil parameters and fungal contamination
- Soil preparation
- Establishment: planting season, pattttern (spacing), planting, protector
Conclusions: basic failure points in truffle plantations
Annual calendar for plantation tasks
Weed control and tillage
- Objectives
- Tasks depending on plant age and type of soil, machinery and tools
- Working the soil of the brûlé: why, when and how
Tuesday the 20th of January
Complete day at MicoLab’s facilities (10:00 to 19:00 hours)
Pruning and shade control
- Techniques and aims based on plant age
- Pruning young plants
- Pruning older plants, factors that may inflfluence decision-making
- Climatic factors that condition pruning options
- Mulches and other techniques to provide summer shading
Irrigation
- Objectives and aim in each plantation phase
- Moments, frequency and basic tips depending on targeted needs
- Irrigation emitttters, pros and cons. Emitttter selection
- Irrigation system design and other important devices for irrigation
Pests, diseases and other damage factors, by María Martín Santafé
- Do trufflffle plantations really have big phytopathological enemies?
- The importance of assessing the real need for pest and disease control
- Agents of tree damage
- Truffle pests: flies and the truffle beetle (Leiodes cinnamomeus)
- Damage prevention and control
Wednesday the 21th of January
Complete day at MicoLab’s facilities (10:00 to 19:00 hours)
Spanish wells and spore field inputs
- Defifinition, pros and cons and how they operate
- When and how to do spore inputs with substrate
- Manual and mechanical options
- Techniques used to add the spores and how to prepare the inoculum
- Reinoculations: in which situations are they useful? How to do them?
The economics of establishing and running a truffle orchard, by Ricardo
Forcadell Pérez
- Initial investment needs
- Management fifinancial needs in each phase
- Cost and benefifit analysis
- Financial yield
Truffle dog training, by Alba Herranz
- Characteristics of the canine sense of smell, olfactory memory
- Selecting a future trufflffle dog
- Defifinition and stages for the trufflffle dog training
- What it is and how to achieve motivation in working dogs
- Smell association: direct and by reward
- Animal welfare
Final conclusions and group discussion
Thursday the 22th of January
Field trips: morning in truffle plantations (Cella, Teruel) evening in trader facilities (Teruel city)
Truffle search with dogs and dog management in trufflffle orchards, with Alba Herranz
Orchard monitoring to improve management and yield: control of soil, climate and plant parameters, orchard mapping and app design for production data input, by Ricardo Forcadell
Demos on machinery adapted to truffle cultivation: deep tilling (subsoiling), trencher and driller for Spanish wells by Cirilo Hernández
Demos: linear trenching machine to do Spanish wells NIdo-Line and liming equipment, by Chencho Zugasti and Cristóbal Burguete
Truffle menu at lunch time in Restaurante El Óvalo (in Teruel city)
Visit to Mytruff facilities for truffle marketing and export. Truffle trading, facilities and equipment needed for truffle preparation for exportation and quality grading and selection, by Cosme Martínez
Friday the 23th of January
Field trips: morning in intensive plantations (Monreal del Campo, Teruel) evening in traditional high yield plantations (Sarrión, Teruel)
Implantation and intensive management of highly technified truffle orchards: demos on machinery and techniques for tilling, weed control and Spanish wells, explanation of the irrigation design, with Ricardo Forcadell and César Vaquero
Trufffle menu at lunch time in Restaurante Masía La Torre (Mora de Rubielos, Teruel)
Traditional management of high yield truffle plantations with the plantation owner and farmer (aftfternoon, in Sarrión, Teruel)
Truffle search and search dog management in truffle plantations, with Alba Herranz
The schedule and timings for the whole training course may vary slightly as it will be adapted to the group information needs
Lectures, field visits and demos by:
Agricultural Engineer CEO at MicoLab
Forest Engineer Technical Manager at Mytruff
Science degree in Pharmacy Manager at Mytruff
Dog training specialist CEO at Alba Herranz Adiestramiento Canino
Agricultural Engineer CEO at Globaltek, Irrigation and Engineering
PhD in Forest Engineering Researcher at the AgriFood Institute of Aragon (CITA)
Truffle farmer Manager at Todotruficultura.com
Truffle farmer and machinery designer Todotruficultura.com
Truffle Farmer Contractor of machinery for truffle farming services
Price and additional information
The price of the course is 3.350 €
The price includes:
- Bound notes on all the concepts explained during the course
- Lunch meals, including two truffle menus
- Snacks and drinks in between lectures at MicoLab’s facilities
- Round-trip rides for the field trips, from MicoLab’s facilities
- Individual accommodation for Thursday night in a four star hotel in Teruel city
In order to book the course, a 1.350 € down payment has to be made. The remaining amount has to be paid maximum by the 1st of November, 2025. After this date, if the remaining amount hasn’t been paid, the deposit and the reserved place will be lost.
If by the 10th of November of 2025 a minimum of 5 students haven’t applied for the course, it will be cancelled and the full amount paid will be returned to all students.
All students get an official invoice and a training certificate signed by Luz Cocina Romero (Agricultural Engineer with a marster’s Degree on Education).
A maximum of 18 students are allowed per course.
The lectures on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will take place at MicoLab’s facilities, located in:
Avda. Corts Valencianes, 75 bajo izda
46530Puzol (Valencia Province, Spain)
On Sunday the 25th of January there will be a technical training on microscopy
applied to truffle farming for a maximum of 9 students. If interested,
check the courses section of our webpage: www.micolab.com
For more info, please, contact us:
info@micolab.com
+ 34 665 911 457 (phone calls or WhatsApp)
-
DAY 1
-
DAY 2
-
DAY 3
-
DAY 4
-
DAY 5
-
DAY 6
-
LECTURES, FIELD VISITS AND DEMOS BY
-
PRICE AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Sunday the 18th of January
Complete day at MicoLab’s facilities (10:00 to 19:00 hours)
Basic concepts
- What is truffle farming?
- Fungal biology: fungi, truffles, mycelium and mycorrhizae, the brûlé
- Trufflffle species used in trufflffle farming around the world
- Host species used in trufflffle farming (trees and bushes)
- Black truffle, Tuber melanosporum, ecology, helper bacteria
- Productive and life cycle, of Tuber melanosporum, sexuality
- Why do truffle plantations stop producing?
Previous assessment on plantation viability
- Climate: temperatures, rainfall and their annual distribution
- Soil: basic parameters
- Water availability and basic needs for irrigation
- Previous crop and forest contamination
- Plant selection: tree species, plant age, plant quality
- Bibliography and on-line information sources
Monday the 19th of January
Complete day at MicoLab’s facilities (10:00 to 19:00 hours)
Plantation establishment
- Previous steps: correction of soil parameters and fungal contamination
- Soil preparation
- Establishment: planting season, pattttern (spacing), planting, protector
Conclusions: basic failure points in truffle plantations
Annual calendar for plantation tasks
Weed control and tillage
- Objectives
- Tasks depending on plant age and type of soil, machinery and tools
- Working the soil of the brûlé: why, when and how
Tuesday the 20th of January
Complete day at MicoLab’s facilities (10:00 to 19:00 hours)
Pruning and shade control
- Techniques and aims based on plant age
- Pruning young plants
- Pruning older plants, factors that may inflfluence decision-making
- Climatic factors that condition pruning options
- Mulches and other techniques to provide summer shading
Irrigation
- Objectives and aim in each plantation phase
- Moments, frequency and basic tips depending on targeted needs
- Irrigation emitttters, pros and cons. Emitttter selection
- Irrigation system design and other important devices for irrigation
Pests, diseases and other damage factors, by María Martín Santafé
- Do trufflffle plantations really have big phytopathological enemies?
- The importance of assessing the real need for pest and disease control
- Agents of tree damage
- Truffle pests: flies and the truffle beetle (Leiodes cinnamomeus)
- Damage prevention and control
Wednesday the 21th of January
Complete day at MicoLab’s facilities (10:00 to 19:00 hours)
Spanish wells and spore field inputs
- Defifinition, pros and cons and how they operate
- When and how to do spore inputs with substrate
- Manual and mechanical options
- Techniques used to add the spores and how to prepare the inoculum
- Reinoculations: in which situations are they useful? How to do them?
The economics of establishing and running a truffle orchard, by Ricardo
Forcadell Pérez
- Initial investment needs
- Management fifinancial needs in each phase
- Cost and benefifit analysis
- Financial yield
Truffle dog training, by Alba Herranz
- Characteristics of the canine sense of smell, olfactory memory
- Selecting a future trufflffle dog
- Defifinition and stages for the trufflffle dog training
- What it is and how to achieve motivation in working dogs
- Smell association: direct and by reward
- Animal welfare
Final conclusions and group discussion
Thursday the 22th of January
Field trips: morning in truffle plantations (Cella, Teruel) evening in trader facilities (Teruel city)
Truffle search with dogs and dog management in trufflffle orchards, with Alba Herranz
Orchard monitoring to improve management and yield: control of soil, climate and plant parameters, orchard mapping and app design for production data input, by Ricardo Forcadell
Demos on machinery adapted to truffle cultivation: deep tilling (subsoiling), trencher and driller for Spanish wells by Cirilo Hernández
Demos: linear trenching machine to do Spanish wells NIdo-Line and liming equipment, by Chencho Zugasti and Cristóbal Burguete
Truffle menu at lunch time in Restaurante El Óvalo (in Teruel city)
Visit to Mytruff facilities for truffle marketing and export. Truffle trading, facilities and equipment needed for truffle preparation for exportation and quality grading and selection, by Cosme Martínez
Friday the 23th of January
Field trips: morning in intensive plantations (Monreal del Campo, Teruel) evening in traditional high yield plantations (Sarrión, Teruel)
Implantation and intensive management of highly technified truffle orchards: demos on machinery and techniques for tilling, weed control and Spanish wells, explanation of the irrigation design, with Ricardo Forcadell and César Vaquero
Trufffle menu at lunch time in Restaurante Masía La Torre (Mora de Rubielos, Teruel)
Traditional management of high yield truffle plantations with the plantation owner and farmer (aftfternoon, in Sarrión, Teruel)
Truffle search and search dog management in truffle plantations, with Alba Herranz
The schedule and timings for the whole training course may vary slightly as it will be adapted to the group information needs
Lectures, field visits and demos by:
Agricultural Engineer CEO at MicoLab
Forest Engineer Technical Manager at Mytruff
Science degree in Pharmacy Manager at Mytruff
Dog training specialist CEO at Alba Herranz Adiestramiento Canino
Agricultural Engineer CEO at Globaltek, Irrigation and Engineering
PhD in Forest Engineering Researcher at the AgriFood Institute of Aragon (CITA)
Truffle farmer Manager at Todotruficultura.com
Truffle farmer and machinery designer Todotruficultura.com
Truffle Farmer Contractor of machinery for truffle farming services
Price and additional information
The price of the course is 3.350 €
The price includes:
- Bound notes on all the concepts explained during the course
- Lunch meals, including two truffle menus
- Snacks and drinks in between lectures at MicoLab’s facilities
- Round-trip rides for the field trips, from MicoLab’s facilities
- Individual accommodation for Thursday night in a four star hotel in Teruel city
In order to book the course, a 1.350 € down payment has to be made. The remaining amount has to be paid maximum by the 1st of November, 2025. After this date, if the remaining amount hasn’t been paid, the deposit and the reserved place will be lost.
If by the 10th of November of 2025 a minimum of 5 students haven’t applied for the course, it will be cancelled and the full amount paid will be returned to all students.
All students get an official invoice and a training certificate signed by Luz Cocina Romero (Agricultural Engineer with a marster’s Degree on Education).
A maximum of 18 students are allowed per course.
The lectures on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will take place at MicoLab’s facilities, located in:
Avda. Corts Valencianes, 75 bajo izda
46530Puzol (Valencia Province, Spain)
On Sunday the 25th of January there will be a technical training on microscopy
applied to truffle farming for a maximum of 9 students. If interested,
check the courses section of our webpage: www.micolab.com
For more info, please, contact us:
info@micolab.com
+ 34 665 911 457 (phone calls or WhatsApp)
International training course on MICROSCOPY APPLIED TO TRUFFLE FARMING 25th of January, 2026
– Truffle species identification, spore inoculum quality assessment and uses
– Quality control of nursery truffle plants
– Identification of mycorrhiza species commonly found in nursery plants
Please, click on each title to see the scheduled trainings, contents and other useful info.
-
MORNING
-
AFTERNOON
-
THE COURSE WILL BE TAUGHT BY
-
MATERIALS FOR THE STUDENT
-
COST AND OTHER INFORMATION
-
WHERE
MORNING
TRUFFLE SPECIES IDENTIFICATION, SPORE INOCULUM QUALITY ASSESSMENT
- The use of microscopy for truffle plantation management
- Truffle identification, importance and objectives
- Macroscopic characters of truffles
- Microscopy sample preparation
- Microscopic identification of truffles: spores and asci
- Microscopic assessment of spore inoculum quality
- Preserving samples
- Bibliography and web links (including identification keys)
MYCORRHIZA MONITORING IN TRUFFLE PLANTATIONS
- Root sampling, needed materials and statistical considerations.
- Available field sampling methods, pros and cons
- Preparing the root samples for cleanin and extraction
- Preservation techniques.
- Extraction of mycorrhizae from soil samples.
- Cleaning.
AFTERNOON
- Microscopic identification of most common mycorrhizae present in European truffle plantations
- Counting and interpreting the results.
- Assessment of the most adequate management techniques in view of the mycorrhiza species present.
- Bibliography and web links (including identification keys)
Taught by:
Agricultural Engineer
CEO at MicoLab
PhD in Forest Engineering
Researcher at the griFood Institute of Aragon (CITA)
MATERIALS FOR THE STUDENTS
The student will be provided with the following materials to take home with:
- Permanent slides (mounts) prepared by the student for future reference, in a slide carry box
- Fresh samples of truffles for future reference (carefully sealed and labeled)
- Dissection knife, microscopy tweezers and all lab equipment required for truffle and mycorrhiza microscopy
- Basic set of chemicals used in truffle microscopy (carefully sealed and labeled and in small quantities)
- Written notes in English, with identification pictures
- Research papers and other important scientific documents
COST AND OTHER INFORMATION
Date: Sunday, the 25th of January, 2026
Duration: 7,5 hours.
From 10:00 till 19:30 hours, including lunch and snack breaks.
A maximum of nine students are allowed per course and they all work individually with their own set of materials and microscopes.
The trainees will be supported by two teachers who are analysts specialized on Tuber species microscopy in order to offer an individual attention
The price of the course is 1.150 €
In Spain taxes are not applied to training courses.
All students get an official invoice.
The course has to be paid in advance by bank transfer.
The price includes the answering of future questions via e-mail or WhatsApp about the training contents and for when the student starts identifying on his/her own (first year after the training).
It also includes snacks and lunch at MicoLab´s facilities.
Students will be allowed to take as many pictures as they want during the training.
Location: MicoLab’s facilities in Puzol (province of Valencia, Spain)
Please, click on each title to see the scheduled trainings, contents and other useful info.
-
MORNING
-
AFTERNOON
-
THE COURSE WILL BE TAUGHT BY
-
MATERIALS FOR THE STUDENT
-
COST AND OTHER INFORMATION
-
WHERE
MORNING
TRUFFLE SPECIES IDENTIFICATION, SPORE INOCULUM QUALITY ASSESSMENT
- The use of microscopy for truffle plantation management
- Truffle identification, importance and objectives
- Macroscopic characters of truffles
- Microscopy sample preparation
- Microscopic identification of truffles: spores and asci
- Microscopic assessment of spore inoculum quality
- Preserving samples
- Bibliography and web links (including identification keys)
MYCORRHIZA MONITORING IN TRUFFLE PLANTATIONS
- Root sampling, needed materials and statistical considerations.
- Available field sampling methods, pros and cons
- Preparing the root samples for cleanin and extraction
- Preservation techniques.
- Extraction of mycorrhizae from soil samples.
- Cleaning.
AFTERNOON
- Microscopic identification of most common mycorrhizae present in European truffle plantations
- Counting and interpreting the results.
- Assessment of the most adequate management techniques in view of the mycorrhiza species present.
- Bibliography and web links (including identification keys)
Taught by:
MATERIALS FOR THE STUDENTS
The student will be provided with the following materials to take home with:
- Permanent slides (mounts) prepared by the student for future reference, in a slide carry box
- Fresh samples of truffles for future reference (carefully sealed and labeled)
- Dissection knife, microscopy tweezers and all lab equipment required for truffle and mycorrhiza microscopy
- Basic set of chemicals used in truffle microscopy (carefully sealed and labeled and in small quantities)
- Written notes in English, with identification pictures
- Research papers and other important scientific documents
COST AND OTHER INFORMATION
Date: Sunday, the 9th of February, 2025
Duration: 8 hours.
From 10:00 till 19:30 hours, including lunch and snack breaks.
A maximum of nine students are allowed per course and they all work individually with their own set of materials and microscopes.
The trainees will be supported by two teachers who are analysts specialized on Tuber species microscopy in order to offer an individual attention
The price of the course is 1050 €
In Spain taxes are not applied to training courses.
All students get an official invoice.
The course has to be paid in advance by bank transfer.
The price includes the answering of future questions via e-mail or WhatsApp about the training contents and for when the student starts identifying on his/her own (first year after the training).
It also includes snacks and lunch at MicoLab´s facilities.
Students will be allowed to take as many pictures as they want during the training.
Location: MicoLab’s facilities in Puzol (province of Valencia, Spain)
Do you want to have an idea of how the International Truffle Farming and Trading course develops?
Here you can see a summary of the 2023 edition.
How are our courses
In this video you can see how we conduct our courses in the lab.
You can see more videos in our YouTube channel and more pictures in our social media pages.
Dog training courses
Our dog training courses include classroom lessons with practical examples and practical field lessons. In this video you can see how they are conducted.
Truffle farming, basic concepts
We recommend you this video so you can have a view of the options available and understand some basic concepts that are important in order to be able to decide if jumping into this wonderful adventure.
Also, that way you can see a bit of how we teach theoretical lessons.
