Mushroom production throughout Catalonia is at a minimum and experts believe that this will be a "bad" campaign. This is the assessment of the mycology expert from the Center for Forest Science and Technology of Catalonia (CTFC), Juan Martínez de Aragón, who says that at the moment production is around 2 kilos per hectare, while at this time of year year should be 30.
The researcher says that in the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees the campaign can already be almost over and we will have to see what happens in the Pre-coastal where, if it rains and there is no wind, the situation can still turn around. At these lower levels the campaign begins later and can last until December.
"A bad year." This is how Juan Martínez de Aragón, CTFC researcher and mycology expert, qualifies this year's mushroom hunting season. Martínez explains that, until now, "there has been practically no mushroom production in Catalan forests" with the exception of some regions such as Ripollès or Vall d'Aran where some species have been found.
In fact, the researcher says that in a "normal" year the average production in October would be around 30 kilos per hectare and, however, right now it is around 2 kilos. "A very low production," he laments.
In fact, the expert says that, if the weather does not "radically" change in the coming weeks, this will be a "bad" year, although not "exceptional" either. In fact, Martínez comments that since they began taking mushroom inventories, 25 years ago, there have been several years with very bad productions, such as in 2002, 2004, 2007 and 2017. "They are cyclical moments conditioned by the climate," he comments. Yes, in the last four years production was around the average, which is 50 or 60 kilos per hectare.
Regarding the rain forecast for the next few days, Martínez says that in the Pyrenees area they will no longer have influence because he remembers that, once it rains, there is a period of about 10 or 15 days for the most common mushrooms such as the chanterelle. or the strain bear fruit. "We are leaving at the beginning of November and in the Pyrenees at this time it is already freezing at night, so there will be practically no production," he explains. It is also difficult for the situation to change in Central Catalonia for the same reasons. On the other hand, says Martínez, more mushrooms may bear fruit in the Pre-coastal and Coastal area, since the temperatures there are lower and the season usually lasts until mid-December.
However, the expert remembers that mushrooms need constant rain and not that "100 liters fall in one day and then it doesn't rain anymore." "Constant rain is necessary, that there are no spikes in temperature because if not there is a lot of water evaporation and that it is not windy because it dries out the soil a lot and the mushrooms stop coming out," he explains.
