Abstract
Desert Truffles are being used in Saudi Arabia and many other Arabian Gulf countries for both food and medicine purposes for centuries. There is a lack of scientific knowledge about the biotechnology, ethnomycology, taxonomy, biodiversity, physiology, preservation, mycorrhization, cultivation, conservation etc of desert truffles in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). We made an extensive survey on literatures of different aspects of research on desert truffles both in KSA and other desert truffle growing countries of the World. In this review, we try to focus on the present status of research on desert truffles in KSA in relation to world literatures and then on the basis of the present literatures, we also suggested areas where immediately research may be conducted in KSA. The suggested areas are i) ethnomycological survey in different parts of KSA, which will provide baseline information about the truffles research, ii) Conventional taxonomic identification as well as molecular identification of the desert truffles to find out the biodiversity of desert truffles, iii) Biotechnology as well as physiological, biochemical and growth behavior of desert truffles, iv) methods of short and long term preservation, v) mycorrhizal association of the desert truffles and their dependency with different Helianthemum species to find out the conservation strategy and sustainable use, vi) development of methods of cultivation etc. The study of desert truffles will have many impacts on Saudi society like sustainable use of biodiversity, mycorrhization, taxonomy, in-situ conservation and the use of indigenous knowledge and also to improve the likelihood of the stakeholders especially the Bedouin community in KSA.