South Tyrolean apple PGI
South Tyrolean apple PGI is a protected geographical indication for 11 apple varieties that are grown in South Tyrol according to fixed production and control regulations. The South Tyrolean Apple PGI brand . is used by all South Tyrolean marketing companies for the export goods.
history
The first apple trees developed in Kazakhstan in Central Asia . The apples came to the Greeks via the Silk Road. With the conquest of the Romans, the apple finally came to South Tyrol. In the Middle Ages, monasteries in particular grew apples there, thus preserving knowledge of the cultivation methods and the different varieties. For many centuries, farming families also used the apple for self-sufficiency. Even then, South Tyrolean apples were being exported north across the Alpine passes. In 1867 the construction of a railway line across the Brenner made export easier. From 1880 to 1890, the South Tyrolean fruit growers gained important cultivation areas through the regulation of the floodplain area on the Adige . At the end of the 19th century they finally founded the first fruit cooperatives. Since then, apple cultivation has had a high priority in South Tyrol.
Growing area
With around 18,400 hectares, South Tyrol is the largest closed apple-growing area in the EU. With a valley length of around 100 kilometers, it extends from Salurn in the south through the Adige Valley up to Mals in Vinschgau . A smaller growing area is also located in the Eisack Valley near Naz-Sciaves . Overall, the cultivation area thus covers around 2.5 percent of the area of South Tyrol.
With around 8,000 family businesses, apple cultivation in South Tyrol is very small. The average farm size is only 2.5 to 3 hectares. The annual harvest is around 950,000 tonnes, around half of which is marketed in Italy. Germany is the most important export market.
The climatic conditions in South Tyrol are ideal for growing apples. The thermal climate is almost Mediterranean . With regard to the seasonal distribution of precipitation, South Tyrol, with its summer maximum, clearly falls into the Central European climate regime. However, the protected inner-alpine location means that the amount of precipitation in the normal year is relatively low, especially in the valleys, while cold spells from the north are largely prevented. An average of 300 days of sunshine per year and more than 2,000 hours of sunshine ensure that the apples ripen well. The amount of around 800 liters of precipitation per square meter annually is sufficient for the basic supply of fruit growing, in dry summers the fruit growers also water.
Cultivation
In South Tyrol, both integrated and organic cultivation is practiced. 96 percent of the fruit growing companies follow the guidelines of AGRIOS (working group for integrated fruit growing in South Tyrol), four percent the guidelines of organic cultivation.
Integrated cultivation
The integrated cultivation uses the resistance of nature, protects beneficial insects and promotes their spread through targeted ecological measures. In South Tyrol, AGRIOS has set certain guidelines for this. Selected pesticides may therefore only be used when the economic damage threshold has been reached, weed control agents that pollute the soil are not used and fertilization is only carried out on the basis of soil analyzes.
Organic farming
South Tyrol is the largest organic apple supplier in Europe. Organic apples have been there since the 1980s. Since then, two directions have developed:
- Organic cultivation: near-natural method without chemical-synthetic pesticides and fertilizers
- Biodynamic cultivation: according to the teachings of Rudolf Steiner . Every measure is checked with regard to the holistic ecosystem and the influence of the stars is taken into account.
Protected geographical indication
Since 2005, eleven South Tyrolean apple varieties have been allowed to bear the EU Community symbol Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). This means that they are recognized as a regional specialty across the EU. If the production and control regulations are complied with, the following apple varieties may bear the South Tyrolean apple PGI mark :
- Golden Delicious
- Gala
- Red Delicious
- Braeburn
- Fuji
- Granny Smith
- Morning scent
- Jonagold
- Winesap
- Idared
- Elstar
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Guidelines 2010 ( Memento of the original from August 25, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , PDF file
- ↑ Operations booklet , controls, analyzes and sanctions ( Memento of the original dated December 12, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed January 4, 2011, 6:30 p.m.
