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For the first time, Lamboseeds is to offer the market a different variety of asparagus, characterised by a more marked and bitter taste than traditional asparagus. “Saent was born out of a research and development project developed together with Luciano Trentini, who also takes care of the agronomic aspects, and developed commercially by Ortofrutta Castello, supplier of Coop. Saent is a recent variety with rustic characteristics and a tendency to develop a purplish red colour. It is medium-sized and the result of a cross between the Officinalis genus of asparagus and wild asparagus, selected from the species of the Veneto coast. It is ideal for lovers of strong-flavoured vegetables. In 2021, we’ll launch the first major volumes in sustainable packaging containing an information sheet to inform customers of the product’s value,” said sales manager Sandro Colombi. Meanwhile, in addition to producing asparagus for the fresh market, the first trials of industrial processing are set to get underway in collaboration with Sipo to create derivative products for the kitchen such as spreads and pesto. Italian retail will be the target market in the initial commercial phase, focusing particularly on connoisseurs of niche and high-value products.

Over the past couple of years, Coviro has presented new varieties suited to growing in Mediterranean climates, such as Starlim, Atticus, two early green hybrids of Dutch origin, and an absolute novelty Espada, which is also very early and was developed by the University of California. These join a range of well-known varieties such as the early Atlas and De Paoli, Grande (a high-yielding Californian hybrid), and Vegalim (a late hybrid). “As for the varieties suitable for continental climates, we have had great success with green ones of Italian origin, which represent about 80% of our offering. These include Eros, Giove, Ercole and Franco, as well as the Dutch Magnus. Among our white varieties, we have the Dutch Grolim and Cumulus, and, above all, the Italian Vittorio, which is a new hybrid with high climatic adaptability and can be used for the production of both white and green asparagus,” said Marcello Sbrighi, sales manager. The current campaign seems to have started promisingly, with the prospect of repeating the good results of 2020, when 2.5 million plants were sold. This followed two difficult years during which yields had dropped by as much as 40%. Coviro’s production is destined mainly for the Italian market, as well as Slovenia, France, Germany and Hungary.

Bejo has presented the first 100%-male purple asparagus, Erasmus, which can be cultivated in cold

and intermediate areas. Erasmus is delicious when used fresh and unpeeled. This super sweet salad asparagus is best left uncooked in order to keep the bold purple colour, which can be lost during cooking process. The special characteristics of the Erasmus purple asparagus distinguish it from well-known green and white varieties and represents an interesting addition to the current asparagus market.

Bejo’s Cumulus variety is a well-known beautiful and tender white asparagus with an exceptional taste that can also be enjoyed when cultivated as a green asparagus. When grown slightly beneath the soil surface, it develops attractive tricolour spears: white, green and purple. Besides offering a colourful asparagus, Cumulus also promises a special taste experience and can be consumed fresh unpeeled. Easy to prepare, healthy and tasty, this tricolour asparagus can meet the changing consumer demands. It’s delicious used raw in fresh salads, as well as cooked in stir-fry dishes and on the BBQ.

Tenrit has added a new product to its range of asparagus peeling machines: the TENRIT SOLO A GREEN. The innovative feature of the machine is that it peels both white and green asparagus, with the latter only being peeled in the last third of the asparagus. The change from white to green is made quickly at the push of a button. “This makes it possible not only to peel green or white asparagus continuously, but also to respond flexibly to customer requests,” said Carl Philipp Tenge-Rietberg, managing director of Tenrit. Via the touchscreen, peeling pressure can also be selected to match the selected sorting: thin asparagus requires less pressure than thicker asparagus. The device also peels products with curved shapes and bent heads, which are more common in green asparagus. This new peeling machine is suitable both for production, with a continuous output of 3,600 pieces per hour, as well as for farm shops or weekly markets. The machine has a footprint of 1.90m x 0.70m and can be equipped with compressor and water supply for mobile use. It only requires 230V electricity.

Strauss Verpackungsmaschinen is a world-famous supplier of harvesting, sorting, weighing and packing equipment for asparagus. The company is focused on optimising processes and reducing labour costs by using machinery. The firm’s latest invention, released in 2020, is the PLC software solution for existing combination weighing units, providing easy handling thanks to a powerful and precise machine. Strauss sorting machines come with an improved counter-rotation system under the camera for even better turning of bent asparagus. Moreover, thanks to its weighing segments, the customer can process exact bundles to achieve best-quality results. Meanwhile, the firm also offers the GUB buncher to cut foil consumption. As a stand-alone machine or in addition to a sorting or weighing machine, the device bunches products with two rubber bands and an optional label application, or with one rubber band and one ElastiTag®. Strauss customers can benefit from the support of a close network of sales and service teams (especially important during Covid-19 restrictions), which the firm has developed over the past 20 years. Along with online training and remote control opportunities, Strauss also provides consultation, service and maintenance directly by the customer’s side. The firm is currently working with a university and specialised robotic companies on a green asparagus harvesting prototype, which should be launched within the next 1½-2 years.

Reyenvas, S.A. has developed a new product for cultivating white asparagus called Rey Pro TR, which is revolutionising the European markets. This new pocket-film is designed to reduce labour costs and improve crop quality. The figures obtained to date show that it boosts yields by two or even three times compared to traditional films and offers a clear improvement in crop quality.  The Rey Pro TR is a multilayer sheet, the underside being of black PE, the middle of white PE and the top of black Biopolymer. With growth, the biodegradable sheet is stretched, at which point, the white colour of the middle-sheet appears to prevent burns or the opening of the asparagus heads and improves fruit size. This biodegradable sheet disappears within 12 to 16 weeks. Asparagus can grow to up to 15cm above the ridge, significantly reducing the percentage of colouration or open heads and cutting harvest frequency to every 4-10 days, thus increasing profits by up to €10,000 per hectare. This innovative product is distributed in Europe by F.I. Trading, which actively participated in developing the Rey Pro TR.

In the fight against asparagus beetle, Oxybiotop proposes SILSTIM. The product consists of macerations of insect-repellent plants, which are classified as “basic materials”, making it eligible in AB). Recommend dosage is 10L/100L of water sprayed with 2L of (very viscous) black soap. The application must be used preventively (i.e. before the presence of insects), even before the appearance of stems and foliage in the summer. It must be reapplied every 15 days, or every 7 days in cases of heavy rains. SILSTIM repels insects before they can even lay their eggs and it also prevents the development of any eggs by gluing larvae and adults together with a very viscous black soap as well as through the plants’ repellent effects. According to the Oxybiotop, SILIBOOST allows soil oxygenation despite compaction and thus stimulates biological activity, providing a healthy bacterial shield and guaranteeing soil and plant balance.

ESPASO – the most sold automatic asparagus grading machine for white, green and purple asparagus over the world, is developed by Neubauer Automation with the best technology to simplify work flow, reduce costs and increase productivity. Now we are glad to introduce the unique system in the market: The SEC -WATER JET CUTTING -. This is an option you can add to the ESPASO. The length of each spear is determined and its curvature is also taken into account. Then the spear is cut to the exact length according to your requirements by the water jet cutting robot. This procedure significantly reduces the waste of each spear and will markedly improve your profits up to 12%!

MEDINBIO, pioneer and leader in the System Approach, has just obtained the approval of GAIA Sol for all crops and particularly relevant for Asparagus. An unique combination of 2 synergetic microorganisms: Trichoderma, strong soil colonization and Bacillus, close to the roots and rebiotics (algae, humic acids,etc) to promote the microorganisms’ development.

Better yield with

• accelerating of the nutrients’ release
• occupying the soil, thus reducing fungal pressure
• eliciting the roots and the plant protection against Stemphylium.

For these actions, GAIA offers a remarkable cost effectiveness ratio.

Application: Autumn: 1,5-3 kg/ha depending on sanitary conditions; Postharvest if risk of soil diseases increases during winter: 1,5 kg/ha; End of summer 1,5 kg/ha to activate the defense systems to face the risk of Stemphylium.

MEDINBIO’s product range for ASPARAGUS also includes GREENFLASH and KHI2 for defense systems activation, while SCUD and CLEANHEX will be applied during the risk period.