The Suriano Rocco & Casalnuovo Pasquale company in Basilicata started harvesting Adelita raspberries on 20th November 2013.
The company opted for soil-less cultivation using polystyrene vases with a coir substrate.
Transplants were carried out at the beginning of July using plants cultivated in polystyrene with peat. Fixed greenhouses (7 m wide and 3.5 m heigh) with shading nets and plastic films are being used.
Adelita is a remontant variety suitable for Mediterranean climates. Fruits are sweet and only slightly acidic, sizes are big and homogeneous and the shelf-life is excellent, meaning resistance to fungal pathogens is very good.
In addition, the variety is rustic, very resistant to fungal pathogens and mites and it adapts well to the climate in Southern Italy.
Production can be progressive, with the first transplants starting in mid-May ,and it is usually harvested at the end of September.
Transplants can be carried out every 2 weeks until July in order to be able to harvest between October and December.
After the first harvesting, plants are clipped at 1.5 m so they can re-blossom in spring with an average production of 1 kg per plant.
The company, which cooperates with Planitalia Srl, is satisfied with the results obtained so far and it plans on increasing cultivated areas in the future.
Author: Berardino Marchitelli
Agronomist for Planitalia
Tel.: (+39) 0835 902132