An Open Day event took place at the Sicilian cultivation company Dino Antoci, a member of the Orto Vittoria cooperative, to show visitors the properties of Pizzillo, a pizzutello tomato from TSI Italia.
Photos above and below show some moments during guided tours in the greenhouse.
"Pizzillo is a modern version of the pizzutello tomato. It is identical in taste to the tomato my grandmother used to make pasta. As the name suggests in Italian, the Pizzillo tomato ends in a pointed shape, which is a characteristic of tomatoes that were once grown throughout Southern Italy and also in Sicily," says Rosario Privitera, Area Manager for Southern Italy at TSI Italia.
Pizzillo is a plum tomato with firm fruits and excellent specific weight. It is of medium vigor, with good leaf coverage and regular internodes. It has a very good fruit set throughout the cycle. The clusters of 8-10 tomatoes grow on the stem arranged in a herringbone pattern. The tomatoes have the typical 'pizzo' (lace) shape, culminating in a pointed cone. They are uniform in size and have an average weight of 35-50 grams. The flesh is meaty and firm.
"The relaunch of a product segment also brings along a degree of responsibility. First of all, the responsibility of taste, which must preserve whatever is implied by the shape of the tomato. With Pizzillo, we have not only a tomato with flavor, but also with the right coloring, including the green parts, and a good size; all elements that are extremely interesting," continued the manager.
"Being a modern variety, Pizzillo, of course, also has genetic advantages, such as resistance to cladosporium. This is a greater guarantee for the grower and contributes to the sustainability of the product since no specific treatments are needed," says product developer Fabrizio Iurato.
This new variety was very well received a year after its launch by growers, breeders, and traders who attended the event. The older growers, together with the TSI Italia team, reminisced about the pizzutello of the past, while the younger ones discovered a segment that is quite unusual for Sicily, especially for intensive greenhouse cultivation.
Genetic resistances: HR: ToMV:0-2/TSWV/Va:0/Vd:0/Fol:0,2/Pf: A-E/Ss; IR: TYLCV. Ideal combination with the Top Gun rootstock.
For more information:
TSI ITALIA S.r.l.
Via L. Treggiari 39, 
71121 - Foggia ITALY
[email protected]
www.tsiitalia.com
Rosario Privitera
(Area Manager Centro-Sud)
+39 338 4076575
[email protected]
Fabrizio Iurato
(Product developer and Marcom)
+39 347 058 10 62
[email protected]
Roberto Mantua
(Area Manager Centro-Nord)
+39 393 98 299 15
[email protected]