An update meeting on research and experimentation activities in the fruit sector for APOT, Melinda and La Trentina was held at the Edmund Mach Foundation. Some thirty researchers and technologists presented their research and experimentation activities, research equipment and infrastructures, the network, and the future prospects to be proposed to the territory.
THE RESULTS OF FONDAZIONE E. MACH
In the course of the morning, experts took turns to introduce current projects, the main results, challenges and expected developments in research and experimentation in the apple and berries fields. The topics covered ranged from agro-systems to defence via consultancy and services, to post-harvest, quality and big data.
Here, then, are genetic improvement and the selection of new varieties, the fight against plant diseases, extensive consultancy, agro-meteorology, farm certification and the digitisation of fruit growing.
In addition to plant cultivation aspects, post-harvest and fruit quality issues were addressed with a focus on nutritional aspects and the proven health benefits of eating apples.
The focus of the meeting was also on other crops, including walnuts, cherries and berries. In particular, it was on the latter that Melinda's request for innovation was focused, with FEM explicitly asking for new varieties of blueberry.
An activity, that relating to the genetic improvement of berries, on which FEM is heavily involved with research and experimentation activities that take place at the Vigalzano site.
