South Tyrolean Apple PGI
South Tyrolean Apple PGI is a protected geographical indication for 11 apple varieties that are grown in South Tyrol to solid production and inspection rules. The South Tyrolean Apple PGI brand is used by all South Tyrolean marketing firms for the export goods.
History
The first apple trees have evolved in Kazakhstan in middle Asia. About the Silk Road came the apples to the Greeks. With the conquest of the Romans, the apple finally came to South Tyrol. There, built in the Middle Ages, especially monasteries apples and so preserved the knowledge of the cultivation methods and the different varieties. Even farm families used for many centuries the apple for self catering. Even then, the South Tyrolean apple was exported all over the mountain passes to the north. 1867 facilitated the construction of a railway line through the Brenner export. 1880-1890 won the South Tyrolean fruit growers through the regulation of the floodplain on the Adige important acreage added. End of the 19th century, they eventually founded the first fruit cooperatives. Since then, the apple growing has a high priority in South Tyrol.
Cultivation area
With approximately 18,400 hectares South Tyrol is the largest enclosed apple growing region in the EU. It is enough with some 100 kilometers of Tallänge Salurn in the south up through the Adige valley to Mals in the Vinschgau. A smaller growing area is also located in Eisacktal Naz-Sciaves/Natz-Schabs. Overall, the production area covers thus roughly 2.5 percent of the area of South Tyrol.
With approximately 8,000 family farms apple production in South Tyrol is very small structured. The average farm size is only 2.5 and 3 hectares. The annual harvest is about 950,000 tons, of which approximately half is marketed in Italy. Germany is the most important export market.
The climatic conditions in South Tyrol are ideal for apple growing. The climate is thermally embossed almost Mediterranean. With respect to the seasonal distribution of precipitation falls Adige with its summer maximum, however, clearly in the Central European climate regime. The protected inner alpine situation causes but that the rainfall in a normal year are relatively low, especially in the valleys, on the other hand, cold spells are largely kept out of the North. An average of 300 sunny days per year and more than 2,000 hours of sunshine provide a good ripening of apples. The amount of around 800 liters of rainfall per square meter per year are sufficient for basic supplies of fruit growing in dry summers water the fruit growers in addition.
Cultivation
In South Tyrol, both integrated and organic farming is operated. 96 percent of the fruit farms comply with the guidelines of the AGRIOS ( Working Group on Integrated Fruit Production in South Tyrol ), four percent of the biological agriculture.
Integral mounting
Integrated cultivation uses the resistance forces of nature, protects beneficial and encourages their propagation through specific ecological measures. In South Tyrol, AGRIOS has to certain policies. Selected pesticides may therefore be used only when reaching the economic injury level, soil-contaminating weedkillers are not used and fertilization takes place only on the basis of soil analysis.
Organic farming
South Tyrol is the largest organic apple supplier in Europe. Organic apples there are there since the 1980s. Since then, two trends have developed:
- Organic - organic farming: natural method without chemical- synthetic plant protection products and fertilizers
- Biodynamic farming: according to the teachings of Rudolf Steiner. Each measure must be examined in terms of the holistic ecosystem and takes into account the influence of the stars.
Protected geographical indication
Eleven South Tyrolean apple varieties may wear since 2005, the EU community character Protected Geographical Indication ( PGI). Thus, they are recognized across the EU as a regional specialty. In compliance with the production and control provisions, the following apple varieties may sign the South Tyrolean Apple PGI wear: