The Fieragricola exhibition in Verona on February 9-12 will feature masses of new varieties of a range of products including pears, apples and kiwifruit.
The show is only held once every two years and expects to welcome more than 1,000 exhibitors and some 130,000 visitors from the fields of horticulture, farm machinery and wider agricultural sectors.
One of the many innovations to be unveiled at the coming show is the special focus on the fruit and vegetable sector featuring the first key top fruit exhibition of 2006. In total more than 600 different fruit plants will be on show.
With a myriad of different species, of particular interest are the new entries. From China there is JinTao®, the first ever Chinese variety of kiwifruit, grown in association with Udine University. It has yellow skin and harvest 25 days before Hayward. It also keeps well for four to six months in cold store.
Among the many new apple varieties at the show, is Fuji Zhen Aztec, a new generation clone that very quickly deepens to a deep red, increasing the percentage of prime quality fruit and hence the yield of the fruit orchard. Of interest is also the Gold Chief-Gold Pink which resists apple scab and can be kept for five to six months. Similarly resistant to apple scab, are new Golden Orange, Brina and Enova.
Tosca, Turandot and Carmen, namesakes of Giacomo Puccini and Georges Bizet's famous operas, are three new varieties of pear that will be on show in Verona.
