Process innovation and product for the production of sustainable zucchini
Application of innovative techniques on the whole chain that allow to obtain a sustainable product, quality and with best shelf-life:
-Implementation of technical itineraries for the agronomic rationalization of cultivation (fertilising and irrigation) and monitoring with use of ICT;
-Improvement of post-harvest fruit treatment (ozone)
-Improvement of fresh product packaging
-Introduction and adoption of control and certification procedures
-Chips processing tests
-Reuse of production waste (compost and pellets)
-Dissemination of results
Action 1: Start of the project. Development of the executive project; Action 2: Coordination, monitoring and management of the project; Action 3: Implementation of technical itineraries for the agronomic rationalization of the cultivation of courgettes; Action 4: Improvement of the post-harvest treatment of the fruits; Action 5: Improvement of the presentability and identity of the commercial product (packaging); Action 6: Introduction and adoption of control and certification procedures, disciplinary; Az 7: transformation tests; Action 8: Reuse of production waste; Action 9: Demonstration, dissemination and dissemination of results
The Project brings together farms from the territories of Ispica and the neighboring municipalities, falling within the provinces of Ragusa and Syracuse. The area is characterized by a massive presence of vegetable crops, including courgette. There are prospects for further growth thanks to off-season production and thanks to expansion into foreign markets.
First of all, there is the need to rationalize the fertilization technique, with regard to the type of fertilizer and the time of distribution and with reference to the doses applied. In fact, there is a general tendency to excess fertilization with respect to the needs of the crop and the availability of nutrients in the soil. This represents an economic loss for agricultural companies, a waste of resources and above all, with particular reference to nitrogen fertilizers, a problem for the environment.
The need to adopt techniques that maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of irrigation arises from the contrast between the high water requirements of courgettes and the need to save water.
In order to respond to the need to expand the offer to consumers and explore new markets, new products will be developed (V range). the use of appropriate packaging, respond to the need to consolidate and expand its cultivation in the Sicilian area.
The courgette leaves a large amount of crop residues in the field that must be disposed of, hence the need to enhance them from an energy point of view and use them in the production of pellets or as compost.
Development of fertilization protocols to meet the real needs of the crop, taking into account both the nutrient content in the soil and the texture. The aim is to reduce the consumption of mineral fertilizers. In fact, there is a generalized trend towards the use of quantities of fertilizers exceeding the needs of the crop. Excess fertilization is harmful on the one hand because it affects production costs, and on the other hand because it has an environmental impact that should not be underestimated, especially linked to nitrogen fertilizers. Nitrogen, in fact, is an extremely mobile element in the soil and can be leached up to the groundwater (nitric nitrogen) or released into the atmosphere in gaseous form (nitrogen oxides and ammonia)
Development of measures in the irrigation technique that increase the effectiveness and efficiency of irrigation. The purpose of this innovation is the reduction of water waste, without compromising the productivity of the zucchini, which is a demanding plant and not very resistant to water stress. To introduce this innovation, the use of tensiometers will be used, to check the availability of water in the soil, and meteorological huts, to assess the evapotranspiration needs of the crop
Test of courgette genotypes already on the market to identify those most suitable for the pedoclimatic environment of the areas in which the companies fall, allowing to expand the offer, extend production calendars and intercept more market spaces. The varietal innovation will also include the identification of genotypes with a high dry matter content, meeting the need to extend the shelf life or shelf-life of a product that is not very storable, such as courgette