Vol. 75 No. 1 (2020):
Technical notes

Chestnut R&D Centre: the strategic project of Piemonte to support the whole chestnut supply chain

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  • Gabriele Loris Beccaro,
  • Alberto Alma,
  • Igor Boni,
  • Roberto Botta,
  • Marco Bussone,
  • Marco Corgnati,
  • Alberto Ebone,
  • Paolo Gonthier,
  • Guido Locatelli,
  • Eva Malacarne,
  • Maria Gabriella Mellano,
  • Marco Rocca,
  • Valentina Saggese,
  • Roberto Zanuttini
Gabriele Loris Beccaro
Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Italy.Chestnut R&D Centre of Piemonte, Cuneo, Italy.
Alberto Alma
Chestnut R&D Centre of Piemonte, Cuneo, Italy.
Igor Boni
Chestnut R&D Centre of Piemonte, Cuneo, Italy. PLA - Istituto per le Piante da Legno e l’Ambiente, Torino, Italy.
Roberto Botta
Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Italy.Chestnut R&D Centre of Piemonte, Cuneo, Italy.
Marco Bussone
UNCEM - National Union of Mountain Towns and Communities, Torino, Italy. Chestnut R&D Centre of Piemonte, Cuneo, Italy.
Marco Corgnati
Regione Piemonte, Torino, Italy. Chestnut R&D Centre of Piemonte, Cuneo, Italy
Alberto Ebone
IPLA - Istituto per le Piante da Legno e l’Ambiente, Torino, Italy. Chestnut R&D Centre of Piemonte, Cuneo, Italy.
Paolo Gonthier
Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Italy.) Chestnut R&D Centre of Piemonte, Cuneo, Italy
Guido Locatelli
Ecoforeste srl, Borgomanero, Novara, Italy.Chestnut R&D Centre of Piemonte, Cuneo, Italy
Eva Malacarne
Regione Piemonte, Torino, Italy.Chestnut R&D Centre of Piemonte, Cuneo, Italy
Maria Gabriella Mellano
Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Italy.Chestnut R&D Centre of Piemonte, Cuneo, Italy.
Marco Rocca
Regione Piemonte, Torino, Italy. Chestnut R&D Centre of Piemonte, Cuneo, Italy
Valentina Saggese
Regione Piemonte, Torino, Italy. Chestnut R&D Centre of Piemonte, Cuneo, Italy
Roberto Zanuttini
Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Italy.Chestnut R&D Centre of Piemonte, Cuneo, Italy
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4129/ifm.2020.1.03

Published 2020-03-02

Keywords

  • Castanea spp.,
  • high-density plantations,
  • sustainable orchard management,
  • germplasm conservation

Copyright (c) 2020 Italian Journal of Forest and Mountain Environments

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Abstract

To improve the R&D strategies in chestnut cultivation and to further develop the chestnut industry, the University of Torino, Dept. of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, with the financial support of the Piemonte Region, established in 2005 the Chestnut Regional Centre, located in Chiusa Pesio (Cuneo Province, North Western Italy). The Piemonte Region supported the institution of the Centre with human resources and structures (nurseries, land to realize the arboretum). The main activity of the Centre is the research, on several fields, including chestnut germplasm, advanced propagation techniques, optimization of cultural prac-tices, pest and diseases management, extension service activities. In the Centre, a germplasm collection of chestnut genetic variability has been established on a 3 ha surface. Main local and national cultivars are included, with several European varieties from Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland and other accessions from U.S.A., China, and Japan. The collection is in progress and will be completed in the next years. A newsletter published in English and Italian informs researchers, technicians and growers periodically. The Centre aims to become a national conservatory of the chestnut biodiversity and a reference center for research activities on Castanea species
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