“New varieties and segments are emerging on the Polish market”

“In Poland there is a long tradition of growing tomatoes which, until the early 1900s, were mainly used as ornaments. Today, 90% of tomatoes are produced in greenhouses and only 10% grow outdoors. fields. ”These figures were shared by Eytan Kachel during the “IV Simposio internazionale sul Pomodoro” (IV International Tomato Symposium) was held in Comiso (RG, Sicily). The event generated a lot of interest from the entire Italian and international tomato chain and, once again, focused on table tomatoes.

Eytan Kachel, sIsrael, traced the history of vine tomatoes and recalled the highlights of the 1st symposium in 2015. Energy is still of fossil origin. About 60 kg / m2 of tomatoes are produced thanks to very precise management of the climate, artificial lighting and nutrition – everything is soil-free and grafted. Phytosanitary products are used less and less with a push towards integrated cultivation techniques Polish tomatoes are cultivated in the open field with average yields of 22 tonnes / ha, but also in cold tunnels obtaining 15 kg / m2. ”

He explained how Polish production has focused on pink tomato varieties that better respond to local consumer trends such as Tomimaru Muchoo F1, which is currently one of the most popular. “Over the past three years, however, new varieties and segments have emerged. Much attention is devoted to packaging, which can be diversified for different age groups with captivating labels for children and snack products.

The Symposium totem pole in the center of Piazza delle Erbe, Comiso (RG)

Biostimulants
The event was organized by Agrisicilia magazine. It started on October 30 with a session dedicated to biostimulants during which Gianluca Caruso, professor of horticulture at the Federico II University in Naples, spoke about a variety of Italian tomatoes. This research was commissioned and sponsored by the magazine through its ISVAM research center and focused on varieties mainly marketed in Sicilian territory.

The audience who attended the event. (Click here for the photo gallery)

Management research
Attention then shifted to an Isvam / Pedonlab / University of Naples research on running a business in Gela (CL) characterized by saline water and soil. Caruso illustrated the data collected over two years and discussed good management in such situations.

The afternoon session began with a welcome message from Eytan Kachel, sharing information on market developments.

Eytan Kachel during video call

There is always something to be learned from the Israelis, starting with the management of the desertification that is looming in many European regions, especially in Sicily. This is why a “Permanent Working Table on Sicilian / Israeli Agriculture” is about to be set up.

Agnieszka Sekara, Cracow University of Agriculture, Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture, spoke about “managing tomato crops in Poland”.

Agnieszka Sekara (Click here for the photo gallery)