Red pears might become increasingly popular in the future, or at least this is what emerged from the FuturPera in Ferrara.
There were a lot of red pears on display. Falstaff stood out among the rest, a variety that has been planted for the past few years and whose commercialisation could be improved.
Pears on display at FuturPera
Falstaff is a variety that can bring a lot of satisfaction, but it needs to be grown professionally. It has a red skin and crunchy flesh with high sugar levels and good acidity. It must be harvested at the right time as it doesn't taste good if it's too early (like all fruit, actually).
Falstaff variety selected by Lorenzo Rivalta from Crea - Forlì
"Productivity is good and so are grades, if pruning is carried out properly. It's mustn't be too heavy, especially since the fruits grow on two or three year old branches."
The variety is protected by Crea Forlì at a community level and the global exclusive was given to Newplant, the consortium created by Apo Conerpo, Apofruit and Orogel Fresco for the research of new fruit varieties.
German Alessa variety. Below, the stand
One of the stands was dedicated entirely to the German Alessa variety. Creators guarantee it is a productive variety with a bright red colour and a good taste. Just like with most pears, it shouldn't be commercialised before December.
Other red varieties were: Cascade, Aida, Harovin Sundown, Grafin Gepa, Hartmann and Hw623.