Since the early 1990s, Romagnoli F.lli Spa has conducted its research and development activities with a view to interpreting the evolving needs and tastes of consumers and, at the same time, making the supply chain production eco-friendly: to guarantee quality, productivity, flavour and versatility, while respecting the environment and people's health.

Romagnoli F.lli Spa's Research and Development function operates at all stages of the supply chain: from field research into the most efficient growing techniques to guarantee high quality with a low environmental impact, to processing techniques – where we test the product after harvesting to assess its dormancy and preservability month after month – right up to tests on packaging solutions in order to find those with the best performance in terms of environmental sustainability, safety and product shelf-life.

A key part of research and development is aimed at innovation in potato varieties, which is pursued in close partnership with Europe's leading seed companies, carrying out more than 70 field trials each year in all national production areas to test new cultivars and define the relative production patterns.
This activity, which involves about 2.4 million new hybrids each year, has resulted in the most widely grown and appreciated potato varieties in Italy and Europe today.

The company works by looking at potato farming through the eyes of farmers, and because of this, its innovations are aimed at helping them to produce healthy, quality crops and minimise the use of valuable natural resources.

Varietal selection does not end at the field stage; for the most promising varieties, the company collaborates with the Institute for Bio-Economy (IBE) of the CNR in Bologna, which regularly conducts sensory tests on the selected varieties so as to assess their organoleptic properties based on parameters that have been studied and defined during the 10 years of research and collaboration with the Romagnoli F.lli Research and Development department.

Thus, a new potato variety is born if it meets all the standards sought, from field to table.

 

A NEW GENERATION OF POTATO VARIETIES

Romagnoli F.lli S.p.A.’s research and innovation looks to the future of potato growing by promoting the widespread use of sustainable growing techniques, which also effectively tackle the new risks linked to climate change and problems caused by diseases and, at the same, guarantee good production yields for farms and a long product shelf-life, all this while focusing on economic sustainability for the entire production chain. This is done without overlooking the organoleptic properties of the varieties to guarantee maximum customer satisfaction.

 

Based on these premises, the company has launched the Italian project 'Next Generation Potatoes,' with the aim of identifying and testing new seed potato varieties equipped with natural tolerances and resistance to the main abiotic and biotic factors affecting the crop.

The goal is to provide the production chain with an innovative range of varieties capable of adapting to Italy’s diverse potato-growing areas. This project contributes to the development of a production model based on the reduction of chemical treatments for sustainable, high-quality production. This aligns with the growing demand for economic sustainability within the sector and the evolving needs of consumers—who are increasingly attentive to the quality, healthiness, and sustainability of the food they eat—thereby promoting an environmentally friendly diet.

 

Several partners are involved in the project, including: AGRICO, HZPC and Istituto per la Bio-Economia (IBE) of CNR in Bologna.

The results obtained have made it possible to test and define a coded and repeatable "Residue Free" protocol in all potato-growing areas in Italy, which, thanks to the combination of tolerant varieties and a highly restrictive defence specification, helped create innovative production, free from any pesticide residues (residue under 0.01 mg/Kg – the value of analytical detection).

 

Thanks to the success of this trial, in 2020 the Emilia-Romagna Region awarded Romagnoli F.lli a special mention for the "Residue-Free Potatoes" project. This recognition was part of the sixth edition of the Responsible Innovators Award, an initiative designed to showcase projects that contribute to the implementation of the 17 goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

 

*Chemical residues permitted by law below the limits of analytical quantification (0.01 mg/Kg) and residues of plant protection substances authorised for use in organic farming (according to Annex I of EC Reg. 2021/1165) up to a maximum of 50% of the Maximum Residue Limit.

 

 

 

Learn more

Responsible Innovators Award 2020
Romagnoli F.lli