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.
On this basis, the company has set up the “Next-generation potatoes” Italian project to identify and test an innovative range of seed potato varieties – perfect for all of Italy – that can meet the demand for production sustainability and the new needs of consumers – who are increasingly aware of the environmental issues linked to food production and focused on the quality of the products they eat, thus promoting an environmentally friendly, high-quality diet.
Several partners are involved in the project: theUniversity of Tuscia, Agrico, a leading Dutch cooperative producing certified seed tubers, Legambiente, and the IBE Institute of the CNR in Bologna.
The trial is conducted both in the open field and in the laboratory, in order to test and measure the degree of tolerance of the varieties to the virulence of downy mildew - the main fungal pathogen of potatoes - present in the test area. The results obtained show that the innovative range of potato varieties possesses a high degree of tolerance and offers qualitative and quantitative performance that is in line with conventional varieties.
The three varieties that stand out the most for their performance are Alouette, Levante and Twister.
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 ppm – the value of analytical detection).
As a result of this important milestone, Romagnoli F.lli was the first company in the potato sector to obtain "Residue Free" certification from the Check Fruit certification body, which gave rise to the first model of the potato production chain based on the elimination of the use of chemical solutions.
Because of the success of this trial,
the Emilia-Romagna Region in 2020 awarded the Romagnoli F.lli company a special mention for the "Residue-Free Potatoes" project, as part of the sixth edition of the Responsible Innovators Award, an initiative that rewards 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.
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Responsible Innovators Award 2020
Romagnoli F.lli