The Eden Field Days will return on 5 August 2025. This annual event is free to attend and takes place at the Cairo & Doutcher agricultural company's location in Cairo Uzi, Copertino, in the Apulia region. The event provides an opportunity to learn about the evolution and future of the Eden pear project, a leader in varietal innovation in the Italian pear-growing sector.
The project is the result of a collaboration between breeder Ben-Dor and Cairo & Doutcher, the exclusive Italian distributor of TP 1541 pear plants, as well as Green Yard Fresh Italy Spa. The project also benefits from the technical expertise of Fruit Net System and agronomists Mauro Bonamini, Angelo Alfano, Elena Littime, and Roldano Calzolari.
 © Cairo & Doutcher Di Cairo Uzi & C. S.S.. |  © Cairo & Doutcher Di Cairo Uzi & C. S.S.. |
"The numbers are growing, and so are the opportunities," says nurseryman Uzi Cairo. Over the past year, the project has seen substantial development. An additional 60 hectares of land have been cultivated, marking a 50% increase compared to 2024. This brings the total area dedicated to farming in Italy to 110 hectares. An additional 100 hectares are planned for 2025–2026, along with 250,000 new plants. To date, 275,000 Pero TP 1541 plants have been planted in Italy. The long-term goal is to reach 1,000 hectares by 2030. However, we're not quite finished yet. Given the significant reduction in historical areas dedicated to pear trees in Italy, our goal is to double these numbers. In recent years, more than 2,000 to 3,000 hectares have been grubbed out of a national total of 16,000."
© Cairo & Doutcher Di Cairo Uzi & C. S.S.. Uzi Cairo
A viable alternative to traditional varieties 
© Cairo & Doutcher Di Cairo Uzi & C. S.S..Thanks to its organoleptic characteristics, the Eden variety is a viable alternative to traditional cultivars. Eden consistently achieves high productivity. The ambitious goal is to produce 120 fruits per tree by the fourth or fifth year and stabilize at an average yield of 24 to 25 kilograms per tree. This would result in an estimated yield of around 40 tons of prime product per hectare," Cairo explains.
Innovative and agronomically sustainable
During the Field Days, new pollination techniques that address the inefficiencies of the traditional pollinator, the Coscia variety, will be presented. These new solutions will reduce the number of pollinators needed, increasing the number of productive plants and optimizing planting and management costs.
Pears on vineyard rows
Another strategic advantage of the Eden variety is its ability to utilize existing vineyard structures for planting pear trees. This makes it particularly attractive to wine-growing companies in Apulia that want to diversify their production using existing infrastructure. It is also part of our efforts to create a complete supply chain that encompasses everything from logistics to processing.
|
|  © Cairo & Doutcher Di Cairo Uzi & C. S.S.. |
Eden pears cultivated using the vine training system
The manager explains that new logistical partnerships are being considered to support the project's development. These partnerships would include the construction of warehouses for harvesting and processing that are closer to the production areas. The plan includes three new logistics centers: two in southern Italy (one in the Apulia region and one in the Calabria region) and one in northern Italy in the Verona province.
The fourth edition of Field Days will provide technicians, producers, nurserymen, and operators in the fruit and vegetable supply chain with an opportunity to explore the potential of the Eden pear, meet experts, and learn about a project confidently and concretely looking to the future of the pear tree in Italy.
For more information:
Uzi Cairo
Vivai Cairo&Doutcher di Uzi Cairo e figli
Contrada Vigna Grande - Location Seminaristi
73043 Copertino (LE) - Italy
+39 328 9863911
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.cairodoutcher.com
