The time has come to sow new asparagus crops and Coviro (Consorzio Vivaistico Romagnolo) - a nursery located in Cervia (Ravenna) - is working at full steam to harvest, sort and deliver asparagus.
Technician Nicola Bernabini explains that "we sow in April on sterilised and perfectly-levelled land. In addition to geo-pesticides, we used a product with Trichoderma and Mycorrhiza: the former improves resistance to diseases while the latter helps obtain good grades and crops."
"We closely monitor the nursery in summer from a nutritional and watering point of view. We cut the aerial parts in winter and uproot the nurseries in February and March."
The land should be prepared well for transplants to prevent water stagnation. It should be organically fertilised and pre-emergency weeded just a few days earlier. In addition, watering is important as early as the first year."
Sales manager Marcello Sbrighi adds that the season started already in mid-Fabruary but was delayed due to the weather. "The soil was ready, but the snow, cold temperatures and abundant rain affected planting. At this point, operations will continue in May and June as well. Many have started harvesting operations, meaning there's an overlap with transplants." .
"Luckily, we manage to store the shoots in refrigerated units for months. Previous years have taught us that, even with late transplants in June or July, crops perform well."
The most popular varieties in central and southern Italy are Grande and Vegalim. The former was developed by the University of California and stands out thanks to the big grades. The former is of Dutch origin and more recent. It's a 100% male hybrid and it characterised for its productivity and uniformity.
"Northern Italy produces both green and white asparagus. In addition to domestic varieties (Eros, Giove, Franco), there are hybrids such as Cumulus and Vittorio which are not very fibrous and have an excellent flavour."
Contacts
Coviro
Via Romea Nord, 180
48015 Cervia (RA)
Tel.: (+39) 0544 994501
Fax: (+39) 0544 994712
Email: coviro@coviro.it
Web: www.coviro.it