In a polytunnel on the Scottish island of Bute, thousands of spindly Scots pine seedlings are growing. This may seem like a common sight in Scotland, but these seedlings are part of a groundbreaking project that could revolutionize the way we produce protein while also mitigating the effects of climate change.
The seedlings have been inoculated with ectomycorrhizal fungi, which form a symbiotic relationship with the plants. The fungi provide the seedlings with essential nutrients and water, while the plants supply them with carbon. As the seedlings grow into trees, they will also produce protein-rich, edible mushrooms.
This project, known as mycoforestry, is a new practice that involves cultivating fungi as a food crop from tree planting. It has the potential to address the issue of deforestation, which is primarily driven by the demand for agricultural land. By growing trees and food on the same plot, mycoforestry can avoid this land-use conflict.
The project is being led by Paul Thomas, an honorary professor at the University of Stirling, and Alistair Jump, dean of natural sciences at Stirling. They are focusing on species like Sitka spruce, which is commonly used as a Christmas tree. Thomas believes that Christmas tree plantations are an ideal use-case for mycoforestry, as they are managed at a good density and are often cared for better than forestry trees.
Thomas, who has spent his career cultivating truffles in orchards around the world, became concerned about food production in a changing climate. This led him to explore the potential of growing other food crops with trees, using his expertise in truffle cultivation. With a grant of £554,000 from the UK’s innovation agency, he is now raising thousands of seedlings on a former farmstead, which has been repurposed into a lab and office.
The potential of mycoforestry is immense, and it could play a crucial role in mitigating the effects of climate change. By growing trees and food together, we can reduce the demand for agricultural land and sequester carbon in the process. This project on the Scottish island of Bute is just the beginning, and it has the potential to pave the way for a more sustainable and carbon-negative future.
