An open day was organised by the Sicilian seed company Southern Seed Srl and held in Pachino at the Rubera Marilena farm, which featured operators in the sector such as farmers, traders, retailers and nurserymen, with the aim of involving several links in the horticultural production chain in order to disseminate the latest variety news
Above, left, Salvatore Cassibba (CEO of Southern Seed) with some producers
The new products presented featured three tomato varieties including the Gustavo F1 cherry tomato, developed for the counter-seasonal cycle and launched on the market in 2023/24. There were also Corrente F1 and Romulus F1, respectively midi plum and date tomatoes. The latter two were previewed.
Left. Sebastiano Spadaro, Southern Seed technician, with a tomato grower
Midi plum type Corrente F1 is suitable for cycles from the beginning of August onwards and is characterised by a vigorous plant, which makes it possible to overcome the climatic difficulties of recent years. Other strong points are the high productivity and a fruit characterised by a bright red colour and high resistance to cracking.
Small exhibition of Southern Seed products
On the other hand, the date variety Romulus F1 is versatile for all production cycles: it is characterised by short internodes, long and elegant bunches, a very high resistance to drops during the summer period and a very good resistance to cracking. It therefore solves two of the most frequent problems when it comes to small fruit varieties.
Above: the star of the event was the Gustavo F1 cherry tomato, because it is already known and appreciated in the region for its high production, fruit shelf-life and elegant length of the bunches
In short, Gustavo F1 is a cherry tomato variety capable of satisfying both farmers in terms of profitability and traders, who especially appreciate it processed in crates because it looks very aesthetically pleasing. Fruits weigh about 25 grams and the plant is vigorous, with medium-long internodes. Gustavo F1 is resilient, thus able to overcome the climatic difficulties that affect transplants from the beginning of August. The fleshy, dark-green rachis makes it easy to market to foreign destinations, without affecting the quality and freshness of the product.
Second from left. Vincenzo Cassibba, the company's geneticist, with some operators in the supply chain
Other varieties were presented, including the new black midiplum Chopper F1, appreciated for its deep colour and high Brix level, the red midiplum Tenten F1, suitable for high-end markets without sacrificing yields, the green oblong Pietrone F1, which has been arousing much interest among farmers for a year, the beef Tinkitè F1, renowned for its high production yields, and the cherry Tokyo F1, already known to some large Sicilian horticultural entrepreneurs, thanks to its elegance and economic value at the marketing stage.
For more information: 
Salvatore Cassibba
Southern Seed Srl
+39 0932861054
[email protected]
www.southernseed.it