Agronomical experimentation
To keep up with the times, every production activity, and that therefore includes agronomical activities, has to rely on experimentation performed directly in the cultivation surfaces and split into three areas:
- Area 1: concerns the varietal tests that are conducted on crops of peas, sweetcorn, runner beans, borlotto beans and tomatoes. The objective of these tests is to allow the sector managers and their staff to assess the various materials, according to industrial requirements. Every experiment should be conducted with a specific goal. In the case of the tomato, following the increased demand for products such as pulped tomatoes and tomato passatas, the “pulp yield evaluation” project on the choice of the most suitable varieties was started in 2014. In the horticultural and tomato sector, varietal research is increasingly focused, to achieve the most suitable cultivars for each individual intended use.
- Area 2: concerns agronomical tests. Tests were performed on new insecticides in the horticulutral and tomato sector, which showed a high degree of efficiency and a very limited impact on the environment and on useful insects.
As regards the cultivation technique, combined fertilisation and irrigation tests were conducted on tomatoes, with the aim of limiting the use of water and fertilisers, in order to obtain an increasingly sustainable product. - Area 3: new cultivations for the “Italian-ness” project. In 2013 the company began its investments not only in chickpea cultivations but also other pulses such as borlotto beans and cannellini beans, all dry, with the aim of offering these cultivations on a large scale. To do this, a specific agronomical experimentation is necessary, not only as regards the agronomical technique, but also the method used to pick the product. As regards the fruit species, experimentation on the varieties of Clingstone peaches intended for processing into syrup has ended. This activity has made it possible to develop and plan dedicated plants for this new project, which is already being implemented. Experimentation is currently under way on the cultivation of apricots for the pursuit of varieties suitable for industrial processing into fruit juices. This activity is carried out on two experimental fields, where dozens of varieties are observed as well as on the premises of certain producers in the company base, where the best cultivation techniques to reduce production costs are being studied.
