Interpoma Tours 2024: Hands-On Best Practices in Apple Cultivation
From November 21st to 23rd, Bozen will host Interpoma, the international fair dedicated entirely to the apple sector. Among its highlights, Interpoma 2024 will feature nine guided tours in English, allowing participants to discover the latest technological innovations in South Tyrolean and Trentino apple farming, areas renowned for their pioneering practices.
Tour Highlights
Tour 1: “Don’t Panic … It’s Organic! Production and Market Strategies in the Organic Sector” Participants will visit Franz Ladurner’s organic farm in Naturns and the Juval cooperative’s organic packaging center in Kastelbell. Juval processes all organic produce from the Vinschgau region, known for its ideal conditions for organic farming.
Tour 2: “The Orchard of the Future: Research and Development at Laimburg” Explore Laimburg’s experimental breeding systems and their Integrated Digital Orchard (LIDO). The tour also includes a visit to their research storage facility to learn about advancements in cold preservation and post-harvest biology.
Tour 3: “The Future Begins Today: High-Tech and New Concepts in Cultivation” This tour takes you to Manfred Ladurner’s farm in Goldrain to see variety experiments and to the Texel cooperative in Naturns, which boasts an automated warehouse sorting fruit by color and size in real-time.
Tour 4: “Keyword Innovation: Variety Experiments and Apple-Gin Distillation” Visit Fuji Landwirtschaftlichen GmbH in Leifers, an innovative farm with a wide variety of apple cultivars, and then tour Roner distillery in Tramin to see the production of Kiku Apple Gin.
Tour 5: “Regional Apple Farming: From Producer to Cooperative” This tour includes visits to the Grufrut cooperative in Branzoll and Klaus Pfeifer’s integrated farm in Leifers, which employs multi-axis training systems and cultivates varieties like Gala, Kanzi, and Pink Lady.
Tour 6: “Micro and Macro: Comparing Two Family Farms” Compare Michael Komiss’s integrated apple farm in Bozen with the larger-scale operations of Egma fruit auction and Fructus processing plant near Vilpian.
Tour 7: “Excellence through Technology: Sprayers and Irrigation” Visit the sprayer testing facility in Lana and Thomas Gruber’s farm in Burgstall, focusing on sustainability aspects such as water use and energy savings.
Tours 8-9: “The Underground Cooling Cells of Melinda: Apples Stored Inside the Mountain” Tour the Rio Maggiore mine’s underground cooling facility, a unique storage solution maintaining apples in optimal conditions year-round.
The Importance of Interpoma
Thomas Mur, Director of Messe Bozen, emphasizes the significance of these tours: “Our goal is to let visitors and the press experience the latest industry innovations firsthand. Our region is rich in expertise and state-of-the-art facilities, and we aim to showcase some of the most advanced cultivation and processing systems.”
Data from Other Sources
According to recent market analyses, the adoption of innovative technologies in apple cultivation has significantly boosted productivity and quality. For instance, automated sorting systems like those used by the Texel cooperative enhance efficiency and product consistency, meeting high market standards.
Interpoma Tours 2024 promises a comprehensive and insightful look into the future of apple cultivation. From organic farming to cutting-edge storage solutions, these tours highlight the advancements driving the industry forward. For farmers, agronomists, agricultural engineers, and scientists, Interpoma provides an invaluable platform to learn and exchange best practices, ensuring sustainable and efficient apple production.
