Italy: High temperatures and continuous irrigation for the Potato of Bologna PDO

This year the cultivation area of the Bologna PDO grew by 17%, from 419 to 489 hectares, also thanks to the good prices obtained in the last two years.

Davide Martelli, president of the Consortium for the Protection of the Potato of Bologna PDO (Consorzio di Tutela Patata di Bologna Dop):
 

“In order to guarantee high-quality standards of the Potato of Bologna PDO (Patata di Bologna Dop), all of us producers are carefully monitoring the irrigation.”

“Hosepipes, sprinklers, or hose-reels are the three irrigation systems used, although companies are increasingly moving towards the first two.”

“We had a dry April and May and now, with less than a month to go before the start of the harvest, we have to remain vigilant.”

Produced and packaged exclusively in the province of Bologna, in compliance with the regulations, Primura is the first potato in Italy that received a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) certification.

The growth of the planting areas has taken place over a long period of time, reaching +38% in the last two years alone.

Planting took place in the same time frame as in previous years. Currently, we are at the end of flowering and the beginning of the produce.
 Davide Martelli:
 

“We started about two weeks earlier because of the effects of the drought that is affecting the area in this period.”

“It is a situation that has been occurring repeatedly over the last few years, a critical issue on which we need to pay attention and constantly monitor in the light of climate change.”

The cultivation area of the Primura, the only variety of the Potato of Bologna PDO, is mainly between the two rivers Sillaro and Reno within a specific area that includes the municipalities of Budrio, Castenaso, Ozzano dell'Emila, San Lazzaro di Savena, Castel San Pietro Terme, Castel Guelfo di Bologna, Medicina, Molinella, Baricella, Minerbio, Granarolo dell'Emilia, San Giovanni in Persiceto and Crevalcore.