Journalists were welcomed by its director, Michael Oberhuber (below left). Thanks to its research activity, the Laimburg Centre guarantees the cultivation of high-quality produce in the Alto Adige region.
Pomologist Walter Guerra (above right) then took visitors to the display-orchard, with around a hundred trees of wild and ancient varieties.
"Apples have been cultivated in the region for centuries but intensive cultivation started only in the 1900s. The first exports were directed towards Russia, though at the time the fruit was used as a source of sugar in winter and was considered a luxury."
Malus floribunda.
"You might ask yourself what we are doing with these wild apples that cannot be eaten. Well, we think of them as a treasure that has yet to be discovered. For example, an interesting characteristic of the Malus floribunda variety (photo above) is its resistance to scab. These apples are therefore used for cross breeds and to develop new varieties."
"In addition, as 2% of Europeans are allergic to apples, we are trying to develop new low allergenic varieties."
Seventy years ago, the leading variety in Alto Adige was Rosa di Cladaro, which nowadays has almost disappeared because it is only productive on alternate years, has a limited shelf-life and presents cultivation and quality problems. Other varieties were Renetta Champagne, Morgenduft and Gravensteiner.
The planting system was revolutionised in the 1960s-70s because only trees that were three-four metres high were being used, leading to an increased productive efficiency and reducing the number of treatments needed.
There are approximately 80 facilities working on new cross breeds worldwide. "The fact is that, if for example I plant Malus floribunda (foto a lato) seeds, each seed represents a new variety due to the crossbreed between the mother plant and the unknown father-pollen from the bees or the wind. We imitate what bees do - we take the pollen of the variety we want and pollinate flowers in the spring, then we cover it all up and, at the end of the season, we know the seeds are the exact cross breed we wanted."
The Bonita variety was developed in cooperation with a Czech institute and is a cross breed between Topaz and Cripps Pink (Pink Lady®). It is resistant to scab, has a great red colour when ripe and a nice flavour. "VOG is carrying out the first transplants. The idea is to continue with an increasingly sustainable production. Even resistant varieties have finally reached organoleptic qualities that are suitable for commercialisation. The second resistant variety we are introducing is SQ159, i.e. Natyra®, a cross breed from the Netherlands".
The future
The apples of the future will be resistant to scab, with a low allergen content and with red flesh. They will also tend to be small.
"VOG is working with the Laimburg Centre to select new red-flesh varieties. We are testing 50 different hybrids from France and New Zealand."
Red flesh apples can have a deep red (above) or pinkish (below) colour.
"They do not have a name yet but we are carrying out shelf-life, production and marketing tests. Consumers tend to be sceptical because they think these varieties have been genetically modified, though we do not have these kinds of apples. We do follow the entire evolution of the sector though."
According to the 2014 Laimburg Report, the race to conquer the worldwide leadership in the red flesh table apple sector is ongoing. Breeding activities are increasing and many pre-clinical studies are being carried out to examine the effects on our health.
"There will be new hybrids in the future that will combine the benefits of traditional apples with a higher antioxidant content and a distinctive look. We are also hoping for acceptable organoleptic qualities and shelf-life."
Contacts:
Laimburg - Centro di sperimentazione agraria e forestale
Tel.: (+39) 0471 969500
Fax: (+39) 0471 969599
Email: laimburg@provincia.bz.it
Web: www.laimburg.it
Author: Maria Luigia Brusco
Copyright: www.freshplaza.it