From 22 to 24 July, Mantua will host the first Melone Mantovano PGI Symposium, an event that brings the melon supply chain together for the very first time. The event, organised by the fruit’s Development and Protection Consortium in partnership with five major seed producers, will also spotlight varietal innovation, through the creation at Lentigione di Brescello (Reggio Emilia) of trial plots which will be the focus of an important visitor experience of guided tours and tastings during the Symposium.
The five big names in international seed development – Bayer Crop Science, BASF | Nunhems, Rijk Zwaan, HM Clause and Syngenta – will be demonstrating their knowledge, new genetic techniques and technologies and will invite supply chain professionals to an in-the-field experience surrounded by plants and fruit. They will also be presenting the results of their latest genetic selections, enabling attendees to directly compare the different cultivars’ growth and cropping performance.
Surrounded by Netted, Charentais, Yellow, Santa Claus, Galia and Harper melon and a vast range of watermelon from mini to black seedless and through to the new Crimson varieties, visitors will have the ideal opportunity to learn more about the fruits’ climate adaptability and quality, under the watchful eye of the breeders and technical staff who will guide every visit.
At the trial plots, attendees will be able to observe the growth and quality of the various varieties, cultivated in real conditions directly in the field: the plots will provide a real open-air laboratory, where innovation, sustainability and quality combine in operating strategies in a part of the world with a long melon-growing history.
The trial area on the Don Camillo agricultural company at Lentigione di Brescello (Reggio Emilia) will be open to visitors from 8:00 to 12:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00 on 22 and 24 July and from 8:00 to 12:00 on 23 July: booking is required.
