Lilibet a new apple variety from Italy was launched. This comes from partnerships with an agreement signed between CIV and the Piedmontese company Sanifrutta - agricultural cooperative with two warehouses in Costigliole Saluzzo and Verzuolo in Italy. The aim was to start the experimentation for the subsequent development of an exclusive club project in Italy of the Lilibet®/CIVM35* apple tree variety.
This bicolour variety of early apple, which ripens five days before the Gala, is characterized by its bright red colour and particularly sweet, crunchy, and juicy flesh. Distribution will above all appreciate the excellent shelf life of this variety, which guarantees excellent conservation performance.
Alex Tallone, Head of the Technical Office and Technological Development of Sanifrutta, describes the work that led to the final result: "The current challenges of apple growing concern environmental and meteorological conditions, linked to climate change. Lilibet presents various characteristics that make it suitable for the challenges of agriculture and finds an ideal area in the foothill crops where the bright red colour of the fruit stands out, with an excellent response to the so-called «easy to grow», a fundamental point for today's apple grower".
The scab resistance displayed by this variety makes it a perfect choice for farmers who place sustainability at the heart of their production activities. The production itself takes a notable advantage from the ease of plant management, which has a low sensitivity to alternative bearing.
Eraldo Barale, CEO of Sanifrutta, expressed his satisfaction with the result: "This variety performs well from a taste point of view and is particularly attractive, with a great advantage in entering the apple market early". The collaboration with Sanifrutta will allow both companies to leverage each other's strengths for more efficient and rapid joint development, with a consequent improvement in agronomic and production results.
For Federico Stanzani, Commercial Director of CIV, this experience is critical for the apple market: "The partnership with Sanifrutta was born from the idea of developing a project capable of bringing tangible innovation to the apple sector. Lilibet immediately proved to be the right apple for this purpose and allowed us to create a wide-ranging activity for the Italian panorama thanks to the skills of the CIV with its partners and of Sanifrutta. We are happy to share the beginning of this partnership and a relationship of strong synergy that will allow both companies to achieve exciting goals over the next few years," concludes Stanzani.
For more information:
Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti
Tel +39 0533 399431
E-mail: [email protected]
www.civ.it