Old and very protein-rich wheat varieties from the province of Potenza made productive again by ILSA

ILSA, along with ALSIA (Azienda Lucana di Sviluppo e Innovazione in Agricoltura = Lucanian Company for Development and Innovation in Agriculture), has been working in the Pantano firm in the province of Potenza on the productivity of old wheat varieties that are less productive than those more commonly grown but have a very high protein content. These varieties are highly adaptable and represent a valuable source of genes in marginal environments by virtue of their quality and productivity. The semolinas obtained from these rare wheat varieties are used for typical dishes and bake products.

There, Ilsa has made a comparison test between nitrogen nutrition and its Azoslow, a product slowly releasing nitrogen, integrated by a dose - supplied through leaves - of Cerealmax Plus Micro, a product with a specific stimulating action on protein accumulation in cereal grains; this latter contains both protein and urea nitrogen as well as microelements, rather than ammonium nitrate only, as is usually the case.

The test has led to an average production increase of over 15% on all the three old varieties of the cereal, besides a qualitative improvement shown by SPAD values (a tool measuring the intensity of vegetative activity) and the electrolytic weight of grains, and a significant improvement in agronomic efficiency overall.

Resa alla raccolta (q/ha)

These characteristic local varieties (Senatore Cappelli, Risciola and Carosella) are more suited for the difficult pedoclimatic conditions marking the typical cereal areas in the region, where, in addition, the difficulty in implementing proper rotation and frequent use of monocultures make it difficult to grow the more well-known recent varieties. They are also more indicated for the typical local products: the Matera bread, buns and friselle made with flours from these varieties have a more fragrant taste and consistency.