ITALY
New figures from iSTAT suggest a strong growth in Italy’s greenhouse production of fruits and vegetables based on the hectares reported. Data for 2021 for fruits and vegetables in greenhouses totals 45,000 hectares (see Table 1). Table 1 includes data previously reported in New AG International, which shows the growth from 2010. The area for vegetables and fruit described by iSTAT under greenhouse category has increased from 29,606 hectares (ha) in 2008 to 37,645 ha in 2021. This is an increase of 27 percent, 8,000 ha, and represents a CAGR of two percent. The growth has come in a few crops – radish, spinach, zucchini, lettuce, watermelon and asparagus.
The overall area for protected horticulture is more difficult to quantify. That is partly because of the range of structures for greenhouses, ranging from wooden structures covered with plastic films to glasshouses fully equipped with climate control. “Most greenhouses are covered with plastic films (PE, EVA) with an emergency heating system or lacking heating altogether,” wrote Alberto Pardossi (Università di Pisa) in 1999 when commenting on Italy’s greenhouse sector. From a paper by Pardossi from 2004, he quoted Jouet (2001) when giving an estimate for ‘Greenhouses and large plastic tunnels’ to be 61,900 ha in Italy, and a further 5,800 ha of glasshouses. Totalling together gives 67,700 ha and with low tunnels of 24,000 this gives a total protected area of 91,700 ha. The increase in ‘greenhouse’ vegetables in 2021 over 2008 suggests this protected area has now increased. Table 1 shows an increase in greenhouse vegetables of 8,000 ha, and assuming no reductions in other sectors such as ornamentals, then it would suggest the ‘greenhouse and large plastic tunnel’ sector could be nearer 70,000 ha and, using the same figures for glass houses and low tunnels, would bring the total protected area to 100,000 ha. By comparison, in 2004 Pardossi estimated Spain total protected area as 73,300 ha – with 51,000 ha for greenhouses and large plastic tunnels, 4,800 for glasshouses, with 17,500 ha of low tunnels. In New AG International’s Spain regional report in November 2019, statistics from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food put 2018’s national crops under protective structures, including vegetables, fruit trees, flowers and nurseries as a total of 65,674 ha. Even if this is missing an area for low tunnels, if the number from Pardossi for Spain of 17,500 ha is added, it would be just over 80,000 ha. So, although it is difficult to be too definitive with the numbers regarding protected horticulture, it seems that Italy could have the largest area in Europe. The growth in greenhouse cropping will have offered opportunities for inputs – either biologicals or specialty fertilizer. In New AG International’s country list for Italy of companies with biological products, there are more than 75 operating in Italy, including biostimulants, biologicals and biofertilizers. There are more than 35 large-scale enterprises offering water-soluble fertilizers.
Podium places Italy has a strong roll of podiums when it comes to production and exports. By way of selection: the largest producer of soybeans and rice in EU; the largest producer in the world of artichoke; third largest producer of chickpea in EU; third in world for watermelon exports; second largest producer of kiwis in the world; second largest exporter of hazelnuts; third largest exporter of table grapes. The list goes on.
Weathering the pandemic Following the Covid pandemic, Italy’s GDP contracted by 9.1 percent in 2020, and rebounded by 6.6 percent in 2021. But looking at the impact of the invasion of Ukraine, Italy is heavily dependent on energy imports, including from Russia, and has extensive trade and investment with Russia, so GDP is likely to be affected in 2022, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. However, the agricultural sector managed to weather the pandemic reasonably well. There was disruption and decline in employment in some agriculture-related activity. However, in its Trends in the Agricultural Economy 2020, iSTAT stated: “For strictly agricultural production, however, no particular critical issues have emerged directly attributable to the health emergency. On the contrary, in some areas, such as that of crops, according to recent surveys among farmers, there seems to be a prevailing opinion that the crisis due to the health emergency has not had a significant effect on the activities of farms.”
Field crops Taking the field The general trend has been declining area wheat area with production down slightly, but overall yields maintained at 3.9 tonnes/ha. Between 1998 to 2020, area declined by 26 percent to 1.7 million tonnes (t), and production down 19 percent to 6.7 million t of wheat, according to FAOSTAT. The iSTAT figures for 2021 have production up at 7 million t. When you look at data from iStat, the breakdown is 500,000 ha in common wheat, and 1.2 million ha durum wheat. It’s a similar story for barley – area down by 27 percent 1998-2020 and production down by 19 percent over the corresponding period. Yields have crept up from 3.8 t/ha to 4.3 t/ha. The maize area has declined by more than wheat or barley in this 22-year period, with the area declining by 38 percent and production down by 25 percent, while yields have increased by 21 percent to 11.3 t/ha. Rice is a different story to the other cereals. Italy is the largest producer among EU member states, and represents 50 percent of production for the EU (with Spain representing 30 percent). Over the same time period (1998-2020), the area has increased by a modest 2 percent to 227,000 ha and production is 1.5 million t and yields have increased slightly to 6.6 t/ha. Despite a drop in area, Italy remains the largest soybean producer among EU member states with production of around 1 million t per year. Farmers look to have moved to soybeans away from cereals, partly for import substitution and competition from other cereal production. Since 1998, there has been a steep decline in sugar beet, presumably pushed out by other producers in the EU. Down from 13 million t in 1998 to 27,000 t in 2020. Sunflower production is another crop that has probably felt pressure from other regional production. So too rapeseed. The rapeseed area has declined in 20 years from 69,000 ha to 16,000 ha. Tobacco area has declined by 72 percent but is still grown on 13,000 ha in Italy.
Sorghum on the rise A growth story has been sorghum, with area increasing by 82 percent to 52,000 ha and production up by 132 percent between 1998-2020 to 373,000 t. It has partly become a popular crop because it requires less water, so does well in drier regions. The key growing regions are Emilia-Romagna and Veneto. The potato area has halved in this 22-year period. Production has declined from 2 million t to 1.4 million t in 2020, but yields have increased. Spinach area is another that has remained flat with production around 100,000 t. Some of this will be exported, and as a high value product probably explains why the area is unchanged. There is greenhouse production of spinach (see Table 1). Italy produces some of its own varieties of chickpea. The area and volume have grown in the last two decades. The figures for 1998-2017 the area has increased by 492 percent, to around 20,000 ha, and production has increased 714 percent to 33,000 t with an increase in yield 1.2 to 1.7 t/ha.
Playing the toms Italy is the third largest tomato processor in the world, after the U.S. and China. The tomato area in open fields has stayed around 100,000 ha but production has increased to 6.2 million t, with yield increasing by 25 percent to 62.6 t/ha. The tomato volume for fresh consumption grown in greenhouses is around 520,000 t, while a much smaller volume 16,750 t goes for processing, according to iSTAT for 2021. Despite area and production declining over the last 20 years, Italy remains the largest artichoke producer in the world. Egypt is in second position. Artichoke area has declined by 25 percent 1998-2020 and production down 28 percent at 367,000 t.
Brassica bonanza Cabbage production has done a U-turn since 1998. Twenty years ago, Italy produced around 470,000 t of cabbages, falling to around 300,000 t, but it was back up to 420,000 t in 2020. The cabbage growing region in Italy is concentrated in central and southern Italy, such as Apulia, Campania, Lazio, Calabria, Sicily and Veneto. Savoy cabbage is grown in Basilicata and often exported to the German market. Cauliflower area has declined by around one-third in two decades, but production has increased by 13 percent 1998-2020 and is around 365,000 t. It has been higher, at around 500,000 t/y, putting it in the top-three countries after China and India. Key growing regions include Lazio, where the Romanesco cauliflower is produced. Image: Romanesco cauliflower is a local delicacy grown in Lazio.
Carrot covered The carrot and turnip area has grown by 10 percent over the 20-year period, which partly reflects the growth of carrot juice seen as a healthy drink. Production has increased to just under 500,000 t/y from an area of around 10,000 ha. The main carrot growing regions in the north are Veneto and Emilia-Romagna. In the centre, Abruzzo and Lazio, and in the south Puglia, Sicily and Sardinia. One source put these areas as 80 percent of total production, often with sandy soil suitable for carrots. In Abruzzo the main area for carrots is the Piana del Fucino region, and there is a IGP (Indication Géografique Protégée) "Carota dell Altopiano del Fucino" quality mark. Around 250 hectares are grown nationally under the category that iSTAT describes as ‘under glass or high accessible cover’. The Nantes variety is most common, while the Berlikumer and Flakkee varieties (orange and purple) are mainly grown in central Italy, Abruzzo and Lazio. Currently, 650 ha are being used in Italy for organic carrot farming. A total of 2,600 tonnes is produced, and these organic vegetables are available year-round. This is 6 percent of carrot and turnip area, and less than 1 percent of volume.
Melon making Melon production has been stable at 600,000 t with the area at 23,000 ha. Key growing regions are Puglia (also known as Apulia) in the heel of Italy’s boot. Watermelon has seen growth in production of 10 percent in 20 years, despite a drop in area, with volumes at 650,000 t. Italy is third in the world for watermelon exports with around 300,000 t, behind Spain and Mexico. Around 110,000 t of watermelon in Italy are grown in greenhouses, according to iSTAT. The pumpkin area has increased – Lombardy has doubled its pumpkin area from 260 ha in 2006 to 700 ha in 2017 and forms around one-third of national production. Pumpkins are grown in a number of regions: Campania, Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Lazio, Liguria, and Sicily. Harvesting typically takes place between the middle of August and mid-September depending on the variety. Fun fact: a grower in Italy currently holds the world record for the largest pumpkin. Announced in October 2021, the giant pumpkin weighed 1,226 kg.
Other growers Asparagus area has increased by 9 percent in the last two decades and production is around 8 percent with volume of around 64,000 t/y from 7,000-8,000 ha. Production includes the green and white varieties, with green the predominant one. Green asparagus is grown in higher density. Image: White asparagus is mostly grown in Veneto region
Italy is the world’s second largest producer of kiwi fruit – above New Zealand but below China. Total production was around 420,000 t in 2021. Key regions are Calabria, Piedmont, Lazio and Friuli Venezia Giulia. Italy produces the green pulp (75 percent) and yellow pulp, and a small percentage of red kiwi. The orchards were struck by a mystery illness in 2012, near Verona in the region of Veneto. The syndrome has affected both young and old vines.
Nutty problem Italy is the second largest exporter of hazelnuts, after Turkey. The largest region is Piedmont but there are other regions in the north and centre of the country. New plantations have caused local issues according to some reports, with the loss of hedgerows being one of the cited problems. The majority of hazelnuts are grown for the confectionary industry.
Apple pie-chart Apple production was around 2.2 million t in 2021 according to iSTAT. This is from an area of 56,000 ha, which has been relatively constant since 2011. A volume of more than 2 million t puts Italy in the top 6 globally, with the 5 larger producers being China, U.S., India, Turkey and Poland. The main variety is Golden Delicious, followed by Gala, Fuji and Red Delicious. Production tends to be in the north, with two-thirds in Trentino Alto Adige, with other regions Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont and Campania.
Grape times No discussion of Italian agriculture would be complete without a mention of the grape and wine production. Italy currently produces around 1 million t of table grapes. Italy is the third largest exporter of table grapes after the U.S. and Chile. Italy produces around 7 million tonnes of grapes for wine, producing 50 million hectolitres – 68 percent will either have a protected geographical indication (pgi) or protected designation of origin (pdo).
Some grapes are grown under cover in Italy. “Protected culture of table grapes is necessary in many countries, particularly Italy; temporary protections are used with the aim to anticipate or postpone the harvest and to protect the grape from rain,” according to Pardossi (2004).
Olive branch Italy is the second largest exporter of olive oil. The top importer is the U.S., followed by Germany, Japan and France. In 2021, iSTAT has Italy’s combined olive production (for oil and table) of 2.7 million t, of which 95,000 t will be for table olives, and nearly all the remainder will go to olive oil production. Xylella bacteria has affected orchards in a number of regions in the south of Italy.
Organic area Italy has been a keen adopter of organic farming, which has helped to spawn a thriving agri-tourism industry. The government policy has been to eschew GM crops. This sector is one reason for the development of the biostimulant market in Italy. When looking at the latest agricultural census for Italy 2010 – the area is 754,000 ha, up from 368,000 in 2003. The key growth was between 2003-2007 when the organic area grew to nearly 700,000 ha. In the 2020 statistics produced by CREA – Research Centre for Agricultural Policies and Bioeconomy – the area was given as 1.6 million ha, so more than double since 2010, with a further 380,000 ha in transition. This again provides an insight into the growing biologicals market for Italy. However, the same report said there had been recent difficulties: “2019 marks a year that is not particularly favourable for the development of organic farming. In some southern regions, such as Calabria (-4.6%), Sicily (-1.5%) and Sardinia (-5.9%), organic producers are increasingly abandoning the control system,” stated CREA. The organic area and number of producers will be key figures when the 2020 census data is released. The iSTAT says the 7th General Census of Agriculture started on 7 January 2021.
By Cinzia Margherita Bertea Plant Physiology Unit, Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology
Salinity is an increasing problem, in particular in coastal or irrigated areas and can strongly compromises plant productivity [1]. For plants to be resilient to abiotic stresses like salinity, the root system is of vital importance, since its performance not only is fundamental to recruit nutrients and water, but roots may play a pivotal role in abiotic stress tolerance. The project “Resilience to salinity in tomato – ROOT”, funded under the ERA-NET Cofund SusCrop (Grant no.: 771134) and part of the Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (FACCE-JPI), Horizon 2020, aims to improve the resilience of tomato towards salinity by using complementary approaches all focused on the root system. Phenotyping facilities, omics technologies, genetic and systems biology tools are used to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying root architecture under salinity. The final goal is to prepare tomato as a field crop for the increasing brackish soil surface by controlling the performance of the root system.
In particular, the key aspects addressed by ROOT are: control root architecture by identifying key regulating genes; identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and markers for root adaptability to salinity in order to select salt tolerant varieties; understand the mechanism by which biostimulants contribute to tomato resilience under salinity and understand their mode of action. Regarding this last aspect, this part of the project is carried out by the University of Turin, Italy, in collaboration with Greenhas Italia S.p.A (Greenhas Group, Canale, CN, Italy), an Italian company producing and commercializing plant biostimulants. An investigation about the changes at both biometric and gene expression level (RNA-Seq) was conducted on roots of control and salt-stressed (100 mM NaCl) tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L. Heinz1706) untreated and treated with 1 mL L-1 of VIVEMA TWIN, a biostimulant based on a mixture of hydrolysable and condensed tannins derived from waste industry, applied by fertigation. VIVEMA TWIN application promoted a significant increase of root weight (+24%) and length (+23%) when the plants were grown under salt stress. Moreover, the treatment induced the up-regulation of 285 genes, most of them correlated to root development and salt stress tolerance, whereas the 171 down-regulated genes were mainly involved in nutrient uptake and usually induced with phosphate starvation (Figure 1). Plants treated with VIVEMA TWIN and grown under salt stress conditions might have a better capacity to uptake phosphorus in comparison to untreated and stressed plants [2]. Subsequent biochemical analyses suggested a mitigation effect of the biostimulant towards salt stress (Figure 2). In leaves, VIVEMA TWIN application increased chlorophylls (+19%) and decreased carotenoids (-59%) and the osmolyte proline (-32%), two markers of stress. Also in roots, proline was decreased (-38%) along with total phenolic compounds (-55%), other molecules involved in stress responses. The overall results suggested that VIVEMA TWIN was able not only to restore root development in salty soils, but also to provide the adequate plant nourishment by regulating the expression of genes related to nutrient uptake and stress responses and modulate the synthesis of key metabolites involved in salt tolerance.
References
Food and Agriculture Organization (2021). Global map of salt-affecting soil Campobenedetto, C., Mannino, G., Beekwilder, J., Contartese, V., Karlova, R., Bertea, C.M. (2021). The application of a biostimulant based on tannins affects root architecture and improves tolerance to salinity in tomato plants. Scientific Reports, 11, 354.
Figure Legends
Figure 1. Large-scale transcription studies (RNA-Seq) on tomato roots. VIVEMA®TWIN (1mL/L) modulated the expression of 486 tomato genes (285 up and 171 down-regulated) in salt stress conditions Figure 2. Mitigation effects of VIVEMA TWIN on salt-stressed tomato plants
MAIN ARTICLE REFERENCES
References iSTAT / FAOSTAT
Italian Agriculture in Figures 2020
CREA - Research Centre for Agricultural Policies and Bioeconomy
Mediterranean Greenhouse Technology
Alberto Pardossi, Franco Tognoni and Luca IncrocciChronica Horticulturae 2004
Pardossi, A. and Tognoni, F. (1999). Greenhouse Industry in Italy. Acta Hortic. 481, 769-770
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.1999.481.96https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1999.481.96
