CIV with varietal innovation in apple and strawberries
CIV, the Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti di San Giuseppe di Comacchio, presented at Fruit Attraction in Madrid Exhibition last October, all its range of varietal innovation in apple and strawberries. “The CIV breeding program – says President Mauro Grossi – is based on three pillars: The fruit quality, an increasingly important factor because attention is growing to new varieties that have high organoleptic characteristics and are also highly distinctive from the point of view of shape, aesthetics, colour, firmness and consistency of the flesh and, not least, the storage of the fruit. The second pillar foresees that the varieties are productive from an agronomic point of view and characterized by an architecture of the plant such as to facilitate the harvesting and therefore also to reduce the collection costs. The third pillar is that of eco-sustainability: obtaining varieties that are resistant, or at least tolerant, to some diseases, for example, compared to the most important root and/or leaf diseases, would reduce the use of pesticides and consequent CO2 emissions”.
“Our most recent projects in the apple market – explains the Commercial Director, Federico Stanzani – are RedPop® and Desy®. Today RedPop®/CIVM49pbr is produced in South Tyrol, one of the most suitable areas in the world for apple cultivation, thanks to the partnership with VOG that has acquired the exclusive rights for the production and marketing of RedPop®/CIVM49pbr for the whole European territory and neighbouring countries. The variety is aesthetically very attractive, of medium-small size and homogeneous shape, with an intense red colour. On a taste level, it differs for the very firm and crunchy pulp, for the high sweetness and the unexpected floral aroma”. “Desy®/CIVM65*, developed by the European Exclusive Licensee Rajpol Sp. Z.o.o., has a bright red colour, crunchy flesh, juicy and sweet. The plant is rustic, resistant and easy to manage agronomically. Easy to storage: it is an apple that can also afford a long storage, particularly suitable for export. Both these varieties are scab-resistant, which allows farmers to do less phytosanitary treatments and thus lower the environmental impact”.
“As for the CIV strawberry portfolio – continues Stanzani – in addition to the consolidated presence of our varieties for Northern Europe (i.e.: Holland, Belgium, Great Britain, Scandinavian Countries) – where, thanks to the activity of our Partner Idris Consulting Ltd, we are registering excellent performance together with the evergreen MURANOpbr and also with Ania®/CIVRH612pbr, VIVARApbr and Cantus®/CIVRH621pbr – we are also focusing on the Mediterranean area to increase the weight on the market share of our varieties from the South through a tailormade breeding and evaluation of specific selections in Basilicata (Italy) and Huelva (Spain) with the Partnership of T&V CONSULTING Rafael Vargas and Francisco M. Tirado Monge and the activation of strategic collaborations with major local players.”
“Our strength consists on the fact that, thanks to our long-term cooperations, we can experiment with varieties in the major Research Centers in Europe in different areas, so as to always have a feedback on how a variety will behave in the high mountains, in the valley or in the plains, because it is evident that each area has different needs,” explains the Commercial Director.
“Our main objective – concludes Stanzani – is to launch projects that find a response throughout the supply chain bringing added value to the Production, the Distribution and the Final Consumer. The CIV, in fact, is presented as a partner for varietal innovation with the mission of involving the main actors that oversee the sales channel.”
CIV – the Italian Consortium of Nurseries – leads the way in terms of varietal innovation and the production of certified plant propagating materials. Headquartered in San Giuseppe di Comacchio, in the province of Ferrara, it has been in operation since 1983 and consists of three leading Italian nurseries: Vivai Mazzoni, Salvi Vivai, Tagliani Vivai. Synergy, experience, and substantial investments in research have enabled CIV to offer leading-edge products that better meet market demands. With its long-term outlook, CIV has been engaged for years in selecting varieties that can provide high quality production with lower energy requirements and low environmental impact. Overall, every year the three nurseries produce about 5 million rootstocks, 3.5 million apple, pear and stone fruit plants, and 250 million strawberry plants. CIV is a founding member of the International New Varieties Network (INN), a global association of nursery gardens that promotes the exchange, assessment, and marketing of new varieties in the main production areas on a worldwide scale.
