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Country file

Flower under quality control


A biennial info-day organised by the Italian Lazzeri
Agricultural Group at its cuttings facility in Brazil put
technical assistance and sanitation in the spotlight.
By Mauricio C. Mathias

he two-day event in hanging baskets, which are still

T Vacaria, a town in Brazils


southern state Rio Grande
do Sul, took place at the com-
largely unexplored in the local
market, along with more gar-
dening plants.
panys 10 ha greenhouse site, Partnering the periodical
which employs 350 people year release of either new plants or
round. Ninety percent of the product formats is a work phi- The 10 ha greenhouse was opened in 1990 for exports and in 2000 the company
production is exported with the losophy based on two main entered the Brazilian market.
EU as the main market. The concepts, quality and assis-
assortment, marketed under tance. Sales of high-end plants
the worldwide brand name are seen as the growers tool to result in a stock of elite plants mation about species, variety,
Armonia di Colori includes achieve the goal of higher net that can be sent to Brazil. greenhouse number, bench,
almost 1,000 varieties of bed- earnings, even if this means a Once delivered to the site in day and an individual worker
ding plants; the main species higher initial cost per cutting. Vacaria the elite plants are kept number to monitor quality.
are poinsettias, geraniums, Subsequently, the company has in greenhouses with high sani- Control standards are the same
petunias, verbenas, cyclamen a strategy to focus on technical tation levels. No visitors are irrespective of destination,
and chrysanthemums. The assistance, which has helped to allowed in, only designated traceability is guaranteed.
group has been associated with set a standard in the market- personnel in special clothing. If Before the cutting process is
pioneering products over the place, with grower visits every a worker has to go to the stan- initiated, each variety is grown
years, e.g. release of the first three weeks. This proactive dard greenhouses he cannot under the local conditions to
commercial poinsettia cuttings grower contact has filled a void return to the elite section that develop a cultivation protocol
in the local market, and repre- in the Brazilian flower-growing day. Cuttings from elite plants for advising growers about the
sents more than 20 interna- business; easy access to advice. are transplanted to individual optimum growing environ-
tional agencies and breeders. Via the technical assistance, pots and grown in the standard ment. The showcasing of new
Novelties in 2006 include growers have a greater chance greenhouses. In two to three varieties carefully timed to have
of optimising plant production months these become mother- flowers in peak bloom during
(using less pesticides, hor- plants from which the com- the info-day for critical judging
mones and labour) and conse- mercial cuttings are obtained. by growers and marketers.
quently become more confi- Mother-plants are grown on Valentino Lazzeri, the groups
dent to try out new crops. benches and harvested once a managing director, believes in
week over a ten-month period. steady growth for the local
High sanitation level Each bench has its own set of market. His own experience in
The procedure to obtain quali- knives, which are immersed in Brazil has seen growers become
ty cuttings starts out in Italy, at disinfectant and replaced after more demanding and profes-
the Merano site where all the every ten cuttings. A different sionally sophisticated. Their
tissue culture is prepared. This pair of gloves is used for each quality philosophy appears to
phase involves several steps bench, and the workers uni- pay off as Valentino announced
from the hybridisation, ther- forms are replaced daily. Two plans for an expansion in
motherapy and meristem cul- days in advance, a harvest Vacaria along with another
ture to ELISA testing of 100% schedule is prepared for each Lazzeri facility in Brazil.
Valentino Lazzeri, managing director Lazzeri of the plants. Three subsequent variety. Every worker receives
Agricultural Group. steps of plant multiplication plastic bags with harvest infor- mauriciomathias@hotmail.com

www.HortiWorld.nl FlowerTECH 2006, vol. 9/no. 4 15

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