Everything is in place for the kiwi harvest campaign, which will soon begin with the early yellow varieties, earlier than in other years. The first harvests of yellow and red kiwis are accompanied by laboratory analyses to determine dry matter, colour and quality. It is on the basis of these parameters that the POs release the lots and determine the payment to be made to the growers.
One of the most experienced laboratories in the sector is Sicural in Cesena. "Our laboratory," explains contact person Giusy Riciputi, "is accredited for the main analyses of actinidia. In addition to the dry matter, firmness, Brix and multi-residual analyses for the detection of pesticides, we also carry out all the analyses normally carried out at other times of the year, such as leaf composition, PSA detection, pollen viability and germination, to name but a few."
Depending on the dry matter, the grower will then receive a different payment because the parameter (sometimes combined with colour and °Brix) determines the quality. It is no longer the case that prices are based solely on size and quantity. Nowadays, especially for club products, you are paid on the basis of quality connotations measured by objective parameters.
On the subject of multi-residues, Riciputi adds: "We are able to detect most of the permitted chemical substances, even well below the legal limits. In fact, large retailers often set their own limits, which are up to 50-70% lower than the already low legal limits, and we can go down to those thresholds.
The Sicural laboratory is always up to date with the (often changing) requirements of the various national and international retail chains.
There is also no shortage of tests for PSA, the pathogen that causes actinidia bacteriosis. Samples often come from nurseries, but also from plants where symptoms have been detected. Sicural is one of the laboratories approved by the Emilia-Romagna Region's Phytosanitary and Production Defence Sector to carry out phytosanitary analyses.
For further information:
Sicural
Via Dismano 2855,
47522 Cesena (FC)
Tel.: +39 0547 377303
Email: [email protected]
www.sicural.it