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Field research

Cutting-edge R&D,
from the farm
to the laboratory

We have our feet on the ground and our eyes on the future. We are allocating resources to research at all stages of the production and processing, to support our farmers and offer consumers healthy, tasty and sustainable products.

Production Chain

Let's grow tomorrow's
agriculture today



The research coordinated by our Agronomic Office aims to develop innovative agricultural techniques that improve the productivity of our fields in a smart way, in synergy with research institutes, universities and seed companies. The activities at the centre of our research include:


Monitoring systems that use satellite imagery and drones to check for the onset of disease and pest infestation;


Rationalisation of the inputs collected to manage all stages more efficiently, from irrigation to the use of plant protection products;


Systems for reducing water waste, such as hygrometric probes to detect soil humidity, the use of hygroscopic gel for slow release irrigation, and fertigation systems that combine precision irrigation with the administration of nutrients; 


Precision biological control through remotely managed pheromone traps and drones for the targeted dispersion of beneficial insects;


Experimentation with new tomato cultivars, and organic and zero-residue production.

Responsible
Sourcing Program

A project with objectives including the protection of biodiversity and the restoration of organic matter in fields cultivated with tomatoes, through the adoption of good practices, such as:

> sowing and planting of green manure
> application of “pelleted” organic fertiliser
> distribution of manure
> planting of rows of native tree and shrub species to restore ecological corridors
> seeding of flower meadows to protect bees and pollinating insects.

Casalasco Agricola

The Casalasco Agricola company is our open-air laboratory, where we develop and evaluate new cultivation techniques before making them available to all our members. The company covers approximately 150 hectares between the provinces of Parma, Cremona and Mantua; its fields are the test sites where we assess new tomato varieties and cutting-edge agricultural techniques.  Large-scale field trials and subsequent industrial transformation make it possible to obtain an expert R&D cycle, which allows innovation to be evaluated from both an agricultural and an industrial and marketing point of view, thus reducing time-to-market.

Research in the laboratory

The Fontanellato laboratory is the spearhead for our research and our processing, packaging and product development.

Here, the recipes for the products are developed to fine-tune their properties and organoleptic characteristics, in keeping with the regulations in force and the preferences of the individual reference markets.

The pilot plant

The research and development of a new product is followed by the test phases in a pilot plant, industrialisation, determining the product and process parameters, and the issuing of technical specifications and analytical and control plans.

This work is the result of the joint collaboration of a multidisciplinary team made up of food, legal and industrial experts, to meet the needs of the Casalasco brands and the partners for co-manufacturing and private label projects.

 

 

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