Ferrara-based fruit breeding group Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti (CIV) says it sees plenty of opportunity to offer consumers and retailers far better varieties of pear, thanks to recent improvements in several crucial areas.
Speaking on the eve of the second edition of Futuropera, the international trade fair dedicated to fresh pears which takes place in Ferrara on 16-18 November, CIV director Eugenio Bolognesi said the launch of four new varieties represented an important step forward as far as the industry’s ability to meet market demand was concerned.
“For us, the pear represents a segment of strategic, commercial development that in the past few years has registered increasing interest at international level,” he commented. “For this reason, we are very interested in taking part in Futurpera, the only Italian event dedicated to quality pear production.”
At the show, CIV will turn the spotlight on four varieties recently graduated from the University of Bologna’s (UniBo) breeding programme, in which CIV itself is closely involved.
These are PE1Unibo (marketed as Lucy Sweet), PE2Unibo (Early Giulia), PE3Unibo (Debby Green) and PE4Unibo (Lucy Red)
CIV variety manager Marco Bertolazzi said the consortium’s continued commitment to working with UniBo on new pear varietal development was a key reason behind those varieties initial success.
“These four varieties cover a ripening period that extends from the early period (just after Carmen) to the medium-late period (just before Abate), and are distinguished by the following characteristics: aesthetic (bicoloured and red), organoleptic (from a sweet, aromatic taste to a slightly acidic one), agronomic (high productivity, early fruit-set and easy on-tree management) and long storage times, even for the early varieties,” he explained.
