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Climate change: Conserve Italia is investigating new varieties

06/03/2020

François-Xavier Branthôme
CONSERVE ITALIA Soc. Coop. Agr.
Italy,
WPTC
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Climate change requires new responses throughout the tomato industry, starting with the search for varieties that are more vigorous and more resistant to pathogens, less demanding in terms of water and better suited for late ripening in September. This is what emerges from the varietal tests carried out in the summer of 2019 by agronomic technicians of Conserve Italia in the province of Grosseto, with the aim of obtaining useful information for the next tomato season.

The results of these experiments, carried out on different varieties including both early and late transplants, have been presented in recent days to a delegation of farmers who are members of Conserve Italia. The meeting was held at the premises of the Conserve Italia factory in Albinia, where 70 million bottles and cartons are produced each year under the Valfrutta, Cirio and Pomodorissimo-Santa Rosa brands, as well as for private labels.

Speaking at this meeting, the President of Conserve Italia Maurizio Gardini recalled that “Varietal innovation represents a fundamental principle that helps to increase the sustainability of our sector of the food industry, from research and experimentation on seeds promoted by our grain company Tera Seeds, to implementation in the field with varietal trials carried out during the season, including the application of precision farming techniques. These innovations allow us to find the varieties of tomatoes that are most suited to the Maremma (a territory located in Tuscany, by the Tyrrhenian Sea and extending to northern Lazio) and its soil and climate conditions, with a view to reducing the environmental impact of water consumption and increasing the profitability of farms. Our technicians, as well as first-degree cooperatives, are available to member growers to help in the field and support them on the path to ever more sustainable agriculture.”
 
“Seed companies are expanding the varietal landscape of processing tomatoes – added General Manager Pier Paolo Rosetti – and it is up to us to keep growers in this territory constantly informed of new developments that can benefit their businesses. We are in a very competitive market, where each link in the chain must guarantee maximum quality and efficiency; and as a large agricultural cooperative, we want to do it straight from the field.” 

“In addition to accessing and evaluating the innovations proposed by seed companies – added Micol Femminella and Andrea Ardizzoni, from the agronomic department of Conserve Italia – we must learn to improve the time positioning of varieties during the summer, in order to achieve maximum yields. Trials carried out in 2019 provided us with very useful information in this regard. Among the new varieties, those with a clear tolerance to downy mildew reduce the use of plant-health inputs and are of particular interest.”

 
At the end of the meeting, the Consorzio leaders introduced the new Director of the Albinia factory, Dario Santi. Since November, he has replaced Enzo Rossi, who was thanked by the President and Managing Director on behalf of the whole company for the commendable service provided over more than 35 years at the head of the factory.

Some complementary data
https://www.conserveitalia.it/it/il-gruppo/gli-stabilimenti/italia/albinia

Source: freshplaza.it