Mutti’s way of adapting to weather challenges

The Italian Mutti SpA, a leading company in the canned tomato market, is facing significant challenges due to increasingly unpredictable climatic conditions. The current harvest season in the Parma region, a key area for Mutti's tomato production, was marked by heavy rainfall in April and May, leading to excess water and sporadic hailstorms that negatively impacted both the quantity and quality of the tomato crop. Despite these setbacks, Mutti has been able to mitigate the effects of local climate fluctuations by leveraging production from other regions to maintain stable raw material costs.

The situation is different in southern Italy's Puglia region, where water supplies have become uncertain due to ongoing drought conditions. The contrast between the northern and southern regions reflects the broader trend of extreme weather events becoming more frequent and severe as a result of climate change. Mutti notes that the heavy rainfall in northern Italy this year is part of a small percentage of such extreme events recorded since 1961, with a similarly rare drought occurring just last year.

In response to these challenges, Mutti has turned to innovative solutions to optimize water use and improve agricultural resilience. The company has partnered with the Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism of the National Research Council (IMEM-CNR) to develop and trial the Bioristor, an advanced sensor that monitors the health of tomato plants in real-time. This tool, which analyzes the physiological processes of plants and communicates data to farmers using an IoT system powered by photovoltaic energy, has already shown promise in improving water use efficiency.

A trial in Parma demonstrated that the Bioristor, combined with an AI-based irrigation protocol, could save up to 45% of water compared to traditional methods, even under extreme drought conditions. Although there was a slight reduction in overall yield, the quality of the tomatoes, as indicated by the Brix measurement (a key quality metric), actually improved.

The success of the Bioristor trial highlights the potential of technology to enhance the sustainability and efficiency of agricultural practices. As global agriculture faces increasing pressures from climate change, the adoption of such precision tools is crucial for ensuring the long-term viability and quality of agricultural production. Mutti plans to further refine these technologies and expand their use across more agricultural fields, aiming to promote both environmental and economic sustainability in the sector.

Sources: Mutti, Reussir, IMEM
Photo: IMEM