More than 50 technicians, farmers, and traders attended the pomology exhibition organised in Casemurate (Ravenna) last week by Battistini Vivai, which featured varieties and selections of blueberries, raspberries, cherries, apricots, peaches, and nectarines.
Click here for the photo gallery!
"The samples have different origins," explained Paolo Laghi, one of the owners of Battistini Vivai, "as not all selections are already grown in our areas. We are currently in the middle of the cherry harvest in Emilia Romagna. Apart from the variety, we have seen that there is a large attack of Drosophila, and only those who have anti-insect nets have managed to contain the problem well. Repeated treatments are otherwise needed, but effective molecules are not always available."
Staying on the subject of cherries, "it is always necessary to prevent the plants from going into stress, because then recovery is difficult. By now, almost all new plantings are carried out in a protected environment, but then, under the covers, dwarfing rootstocks risk stressing the plants when not managed properly."
Click here for the photo gallery!
Another problem encountered in recent years is that the ripening of the varieties is no longer staggered as expected. This was also pointed out by Giulia Battistini: "After Kordia, varieties that should ripen within 15 or 20 days become concentrated and ripening times become shorter. This is due to the weather. On the research side, now we are also selecting a character that would have seemed unthinkable a few years ago, namely, the thickness of the petiole. The thicker a petiole, the more it endures in the post-harvest period without wilting immediately, thus giving the impression that the fruit is fresher than it may be."
Click here for the photo gallery!
The Sun Pop and Epick 16 varieties are performing well. "Areko is also worth mentioning, as it has a special characteristic, namely a very long stalk, which makes it easy to pick even for the unskilled labour that is entering the orchards for the first time.
Blueberries
Numerous varieties and selections were compared. The spotlight, however, was on Nordica (A81), one of the first varieties in the Blueberica series. "This variety represents a significant innovation in blueberry cultivation with productivity, fruit quality, and adaptability characteristics that make it a valuable addition for European growers. Nordica has already stood out in preliminary trials, delivering excellent results, and marks the beginning of a whole range of varieties that Battistini Vivai will introduce in the coming years."
Click here for the photo gallery!
"With the experience gained by Battistini Vivai in the field of micropropagation and marketing of blueberry varieties since the late 1990s, and the scientific, technical and management support of Commercial Alfa (Chile), Caliplant Group (Spain) and Florep (USA), this new range of blueberry varieties represents an opportunity for Italian and European growers ready to embrace more sustainable and profitable solutions for the production of high quality blueberries."
For more information
Battistini Nurseries
Via Ravennate, 1500
47522 Cesena (FC) - Italy
+39 0547 380545
[email protected]
www.battistinivivai.com