The transplanting of the remaining 20 hectares of avocados in Apulia, specifically in Castellaneta, in the province of Taranto, is being completed these days by Masseria Fruttirossi, one of Italy's largest producer of pomegranates.
"There are now 15 thousand avocado trees of the Hass variety added to the 20 hectares transplanted in May 2019, which were also managed entirely from remote. The trees have been placed at a distance of 2 meters from each other and will be grown to a maximum height of about 3.5 meters, so as to facilitate harvesting operations," said Davide De Lisi, production manager at the Apulian plant.
"For about two weeks now, we have been following these delicate operations in great detail. The seedlings' supplies have been staggered, so as to allow immediate planting and a streamlined workflow. All the workers have a very specific task. There are those teams who drill the soil, others who plant the trees, and then there are those who take care of the tying, the whitening of the trunks with kaolin, and the irrigation."
Davide and Dario De Lisi
"Once the tree is set in place, we also add our humus from pomegranate processing waste in the soil. This is followed by covering this organic matter with wood chips, which is also made from the shredding of the Paulonia tree, which ensures that the roots develop as superficially as possible, so as to allow better oxygenation."
Whitewashing with kaolin
"This is an exotic crop and therefore very sensitive to low temperatures, but nothing is impossible with prevention and protection. In addition to anti-hail nets, we have set up anti-freeze systems on the 40 hectares of avocados (the largest in central and southern Italy, ed.), which are activated when temperatures drop between 1-3°C."
Team engaged in the distribution of wood chips
The sales manager of Masseria Fruttirossi, Dario De Lisi, added that "the areas planted are significant and the expected productions in the coming years do not worry us at all. We have received requests for these fruits even before the trees had been planted. This confirms how much interest there is for avocados not only in Europe but also in Italy. Therefore, having a national supply only increases the demand. Last February we shipped at no cost to our customers the first avocado fruits produced from the trees planted 3 years ago. The feedback has been extraordinary. Their availability was limited because we are still prioritizing the growth of the plant instead of production yields."
"International researchers refer to the avocado as the food of the future, because it meets the ever-increasing consumer awareness of having a fruit that is good for health, rich in vegetable fats and with vital nutrients for the body."
For more information: 
Masseria Fruttirossi
C.da Terzo Dieci snc
74011 Castellaneta (Taranto) – Italy
+39 099 9647688
info@masseriafruttirossi.com
lomesuperfruit.com