The experience of Nova Siri Genetics (NSG) at the Macfrut trade in Rimini, which took place from 6th to 8th May, came to a positive conclusion. The Italian research and experimentation company for new strawberry and berries varieties took part in the event this year within the Berry Area, the new section dedicated exclusively to berries.
“Our expectations on this new way of presenting the strawberry and berries supply chain were confirmed”, says Carmela Suriano, EMEA Director of NSG. "In fact, the Berry Area brought together all the players of the supply chain in a single space, becoming a real point of reference to learn about the innovations of the industry. Moreover, the speeches and debates organised within the Berry Show were important moments of confrontation for the entire sector, which is facing many challenges, but also opportunities for development thanks to new technologies”.

 

 Right inside the Berry Area conference area, NSG played a pivotal role in three moments.
Carmela Suriano took part in the round table organised by CREA to take stock of the current Italian strawberry season. The debate revealed the critical issue of this campaign from the production point of view, linked to the climatic trend and the limitation of plant protection products. The director of NSG emphasised the fact that the strawberry cultivars of its genetic improvement programme are still performing satisfactorily even in the presence of climatic fluctuations and more sustainable cultivation techniques.

 

The speech presented by Nicola Tufaro , breeder of NSG, focused on the innovations of its breeding programme, presenting the company's three new advanced strawberry selections which are considered promising and innovative for the sector.
On this subject, the breeder says: “In today's changing environment, we are constantly working to select strawberry and berries varieties that are suitable for sustainable production and market requirements. The three strawberry selections presented this year at Macfrut have innovative characteristics, which benefit the whole supply chain. Based on the current critical issues in the sector, in fact, our breeding programme is focused on rusticity, earliness and high fruit quality especially in terms of optimal nutritional and sensory properties of the fruit”.

 

Alida Stigliano, marketing and communication manager of NSG, presented the branding project of the Rossetta® strawberry, a brand associated with the NSG 465 variety.
“The project aims to consolidate the positioning of the Rossetta® strawberry in the premium segment of the market, where it is already well established thanks to the characteristics of the fruit, such as its bright red colour and juicy, aromatic flesh, as well as its high shelf life and availability from January to June - said Stigliano - We intend to respond to the growing demand for quality and reliability of the perceived value , through tools to enhance the value of this strawberry, involving the entire supply chain to generate shared and sustainable innovation.

In addition, during the three-day event in Rimini, NSG was Silver Sponsor of the World Symposium on Biotechnology in Horticulture, promoted by the ISHS and organised by the Università Politecnica delle Marche.

 

 Nicola Tufaro says: “The numerous presentations by global industry experts allowed us to broaden our knowledge about the new tools offered by biotechnology in the fruit and vegetable sector. It was an important experience of sharing knowledge and opinions with scientists, experts and breeders from all over the world, from which we will certainly draw important input to continue our research activities”.