Testimonies of some producers and retailers. Salvatore Palermo says: “Excellent productivity. The fruit quality remains high even at high temperatures. Interesting commercial results”. And Francesco Cirilliano [adds]: “Vigorous, rustic and easy to manage. The fruit is firm and brightly coloured with organoleptic characteristics that are highly appreciated by the market”.

Since several years, partly thanks to the success of Candonga®, it is well-known that Basilicata region has shown its potential as a particularly suitable area for strawberry growing.

Many companies in the Policoro and Scanzano Jonico area in the Basilicata region are testing the commercial varieties of CIV with great interest, in particular the variety Flavia^pbr, characterized by early ripening, mid-vigour, fruits that are external to the foliage therefore easy to harvest, high resistance to powdery mildew and leaf and root diseases in general, excellent flavour, very sweet, low acidity and high percentage of extra quality fruit. It is also suitable for terrain with soil fatigue and it has a good adaptability to stubble crop practice, organic or low environmental impact cultivation.

The CIV interviewed three producers – two of them are also retailers.

The first producer, Salvatore Palermo, is in his fourth season of Flavia^pbr variety growing. He is currently growing 60,000 plants that were planted – quite belatedly – on October 20, 2020 with subsequent tunnel covering on December 20, 2020.

Mr Palermo [tells] “From an agronomic point of view Flavia^pbr is an easy variety: it is a vigorous plant that quickly reaches a balanced development in terms of vegetative and productive growth, allowing early and constant fruiting. The variety is highly adaptable to different pedo-climatic conditions, which are not always optimal; it confirms to be a very easy to manage variety with high productivity”.

In terms of production quality, “the scarlet-red fruit is particularly bright with aesthetic qualities that last for several days postharvest. Moreover, the ability of this variety to achieve a uniform fruit colouration even at the beginning of the harvest season, when low temperatures normally influence epidermis pigmentation, should not be forgotten”. Finally, Mr Palermo concludes by saying: “it should be stressed that Flavia^pbr always demonstrated another very interesting aspect: even at high temperatures, those typical at the beginning of May, where in most cases the fruit quality of most varieties starts to worsen, Flavia^pbr produces fruits which keep high organoleptic characteristics and does not deteriorate quickly!”

The farmer then highlights the shape of the fruit and the firmness of the flesh: “The fruit is of medium to large size throughout the season and the flesh is extremely firm – making it easier to handle the fruit during picking”.

Promising commercial potential: “The size uniformity and morphological regularity of the fruits provide for easy marketing of the variety in different types of packaging. Its flesh firmness, excellent shelf life and good organoleptic qualities give Flavia^pbr an interesting position in the medium-high range segment. All that is needed is to introduce it more to professionals within the sector!”

Further testimony comes from the producer Francesco Cirilliano, who has been producing Flavia^pbr for two consecutive years with excellent results in terms of productivity and fruit quality. Mr Cirilliano confirms the rusticity of the plant, also suitable for terrain with soil fatigue; the structure of the plant, characterised by a strong but well-managed foliage distribution that does not cause shading and ensures the growth of the fruit outside the foliage, thus making harvesting easier; the right balance between the quantity of ripening fruit, new blossoms and the growth of attached flowers, which induces a constant and uninterrupted production. “Last year, on May 10, the plant reached a total productivity of around 750-800 grams with the first very early harvest. This year, due to the cold temperatures during the second half of January/early February, we started harvesting slightly later, but the plant is recovering well and has already reached a good production level”.

Finally, this year De Pascalis’ farm is testing 10,000 Flavia^pbr plants. This confirms an easy agronomic management of the plant and an excellent quality of fruit that – as the owner Aldo De Pascalis declares – “is very bright and is so even in the delicate postharvest phase with a medium-large size, uniform in terms of shape and dimension, with a crunchy flesh”. De Pascalis concludes: “With these characteristics, there is every reason to believe that Flavia^pbr will be able to achieve an excellent commercial development”.

• Info Sheet / CIV Strawberry breeding program

Active since 1984, it has been developed following four lines of research: strawberries for mild Mediterranean climate environments, for continental climate environments, re-flowering and varieties suitable for industrial transformation. The use of traditional techniques, and the development of new varieties that guarantee high production and excellent-quality fruit, together with a natural rusticity and vitality of the plants, are CIV’s primary objectives, in order to offer the national and international markets not only quality but also the highest level of eco-sustainability.

• Info Sheet / CIV – Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti

CIV – Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti – is the Italian leader in variety innovation and the production of certified propagation material. Operating since 1983, based in San Giuseppe di Comacchio, in the Italian province of Ferrara, CIV is a joint venture between three leading Italian nurseries: Vivai Mazzoni, Salvi Vivai, Tagliani Vivai. By means of synergy, experience and significant investments in research, CIV is in a position to offer the latest and most market-driven products. For years, and with a great foresight, CIV has been involved in selecting varieties which can provide high quality production with reduced energy requirements and low environmental impact. Altogether, the three nurseries produce about 5 million rootstocks, 3.5 million apple, pear and stone fruit trees and 250 million strawberry plants every year. CIV is a founding member of the International New-varieties Network (INN), a worldwide association of nurseries which encourages the exchange, evaluation and marketing of new varieties in the world’s major production areas.

C.I.V. CONSORZIO ITALIANO VIVAISTI

S.S. Romea 116, 44020 San Giuseppe di Comacchio (Ferrara) Italy

Tel +39 0533 399431 Fax +39 0533 399441

E-mail: info@civ.it  Web: www.civ.it   E-mail Media: media@civ.it