The Project
The project PEANUTPUGLIA-Production and valorization of the fruit peanut in Apulia-was financed under the public notice for the submission of applications for support under Submeasure 16.2 and 2 supports the implementation of pilot projects and activities for the development of new products, practices, processes and technologies in the agri-food and forestry sector, as well as the transfer and dissemination of the results obtained by Operational Groups.
The project has been granted aid under the Public Notice approved by D.A.G. No. 194 of 12/09/2018, published in the B.U.R.P. No. 121 of 20/09/2018, which provides for a total contribution of €. 452,714.00 against a total expenditure eligible for benefits of €. 452,714.00.
Peanut, belonging to the leguminous plants and as such nitrogen-fixing, is a soil-improving crop, favored moreover by a fast cycle, with sowing in early May and harvesting in late September.
In the cultivation of legumes, Apulia represents one of the first in the south in terms of area and volume produced, second only to Molise (ISTAT), also boasting many typical varieties.
The demand for nuts in general, and peanuts with it, has been growing steadily for several years in Italy and in most Western countries, with particularly high rates in recent years, up to +10% in 2017, in a market that exceeded €1 billion in the same year (ISTAT, ISMEA).
Therefore, there is an opportunity for Apulian farmers, linked to a growing market and a crop in particular, that of peanut, which is almost totally imported from the USA, Argentina, Israel, China and India, in a market context that instead tends to value national supply chains and that in general likes less and less products from areas considered "unsafe" in terms of food safety.
However, based on the insights made by GO members at their meetings, although attempts have been made and are ongoing in Puglia as well, the development of a peanut supply chain at the local level is far behind. There is a lack of adequate knowledge of cultivation techniques suited to our environments, of varieties suited to the area, there is a need for variety selection, experimentation and development of specialized agricultural machinery, testing the use of biofertilizers and optimal conditions for stabilization and storage of the fruit, to avoid the occurrence of post-harvest spoilage phenomena.
Solving these gaps would put Puglia's cereal farmers in a position to seize an attractive market opportunity, differentiating production with positive effects on farm profitability.
The project has been granted aid under the Public Notice approved by D.A.G. No. 194 of 12/09/2018, published in the B.U.R.P. No. 121 of 20/09/2018, which provides for a total contribution of €. 452,714.00 against a total expenditure eligible for benefits of €. 452,714.00.
Peanut, belonging to the leguminous plants and as such nitrogen-fixing, is a soil-improving crop, favored moreover by a fast cycle, with sowing in early May and harvesting in late September.
In the cultivation of legumes, Apulia represents one of the first in the south in terms of area and volume produced, second only to Molise (ISTAT), also boasting many typical varieties.
The demand for nuts in general, and peanuts with it, has been growing steadily for several years in Italy and in most Western countries, with particularly high rates in recent years, up to +10% in 2017, in a market that exceeded €1 billion in the same year (ISTAT, ISMEA).
Therefore, there is an opportunity for Apulian farmers, linked to a growing market and a crop in particular, that of peanut, which is almost totally imported from the USA, Argentina, Israel, China and India, in a market context that instead tends to value national supply chains and that in general likes less and less products from areas considered "unsafe" in terms of food safety.
However, based on the insights made by GO members at their meetings, although attempts have been made and are ongoing in Puglia as well, the development of a peanut supply chain at the local level is far behind. There is a lack of adequate knowledge of cultivation techniques suited to our environments, of varieties suited to the area, there is a need for variety selection, experimentation and development of specialized agricultural machinery, testing the use of biofertilizers and optimal conditions for stabilization and storage of the fruit, to avoid the occurrence of post-harvest spoilage phenomena.
Solving these gaps would put Puglia's cereal farmers in a position to seize an attractive market opportunity, differentiating production with positive effects on farm profitability.
Objectives
The general objective of the project is to lay the foundations and build a background of knowledge for the development of an Italian peanut supply chain, with particular reference to the Apulian territory. This general objective will be pursued through a series of intermediate focuses, which, step by step, will contribute to the construction of the supply chain: (1) starting from agrotechnics, to address the issues related to the selection of the most suitable and adaptable varieties for the Apulian areals and their agronomic management, (2) it will go through the use of biofertilizers (PGPB), to meet the need for a crop with low production impacts, (3) up to the study, monitoring and development of integrated tools for the control of harmful insects. (4) Finally, attention will be paid to optimizing the packaging and storage phase to achieve a shelf life compatible with the income levels required by farmers.
The operational objectives of the project are as follows:
Optimization
of cultivation techniques using market-proposed varieties for sustainable peanut cultivation in Apulian growing areas where peanut could develop.
Evaluation
of the relationship between the microbiological activity of Nitrogenfixers and/or Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) and possible health-nutritional aspects and in efficient water management.
Evaluation
of the presence and harmfulness of insects on peanut cultivation, in pre- and post-harvest and development of defense methodologies.
Optimization
of the postharvest stages (optimization of oven treatment and storage, in terms of humidity and temperature) and characterization of the nutritional characteristics of the product.
Evaluation
of the environmental and economic impact of process innovations in order to transfer awareness and knowledge to supply chain actors and consumers.
Conduct
market analysis, to assess potential target markets for the fruiting peanut and the best ways to enhance its value.
Know
the dynamics and actors in the supply chain in order to foster its development.
Expected Results
From an economic and production perspective, the impacts appear particularly relevant. The introduction of a new culture, in a fast-growing market progressively oriented toward the domestic product, brings with it important income opportunities, as well as diversification, for Apulian farmers. In addition, the crop would have benefits on the productivity of approached crops (e.g., cereals) resulting in improved yields (likely in the face of reduced inputs) and profitability on "traditional" crops as well. The possibility of getting to build a local peanut supply chain, all the way to market, further raises the prospects of income and competitiveness for regional agriculture.
Environmentally, the project will focus on developing eco-friendly techniques for peanut cultivation, which through innovative agronomic techniques and the use of biofertilizers contribute to "water-use efficient" products. In parallel, it will be geared toward establishing low-impact pest control strategies aimed at reducing the use of pesticides. Finally, the inclusion of a leguminous crop in rotation would result in positive effects on soil fertility, leading to a possible reduction in the use of synthetic inputs even in rotated crops. Carrying out environmental impact analyses throughout the project, will allow the quantification of benefits and the identification of technical solutions with lower impact, fostering the dissemination of knowledge and awareness of operators on these aspects as well.
From the social point of view, the benefits are identifiable primarily in those resulting from improved incomes of the farmers involved and their living standards, increased knowledge and the spread of lower impact production techniques with positive effects on the health of those involved.
Level of innovativeness
The main innovation of the project lies in the supply chain on which it is centered and in the possibility of bringing to Italy, starting from Apulia, a supply chain that seems to present optimal characteristics for adaptation to our territories, but which is currently almost absent from them. The approach for this purpose is integrated, touching the entire supply chain from the agricultural phase to packaging.
The experimentation at the agricultural level will be based on tests of innovative technologies already existing for the crop (particularly in the USA) but not tested in our territory, and of innovative technologies already present in the territory but not tested on the specific crop, through adaptation and testing (e.g. use of biofertilizers, innovative systems for monitoring and control of insects, innovative technologies for conditioning, adaptation and testing of machines for harvesting the product) also thanks to the knowledge acquired in these areas by the partners.
The activities
WP1 – COORDINATION3000$
Coordination activities include secretarial duties and technical-operational coordination, management of project committee meetings, financial control and reporting of partners working within the Project Operations Group.
WP2 – MONITORING3000$
This section encompasses all activities pertaining to project control, which is divided into several phases: execution process (the set of activities to ensure the implementation of what is planned in the project); the control and monitoring process; risk analysis and mitigation methods.
WP3 – PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION3000$
TASK 1. Setting up agronomic trials for agrotechnical optimization.
The task is aimed at optimizing agrotechnics, involving 3 different activities: (a) Agrotechnics, evaluating 2 seeding densities, 2 varieties, 2 water regimes (control and low environmental impact), 3 inoculation conditions with commercial PGPB formulations (negative control, 2 formulations). (b) Soil chemical and physical analysis: skeleton, texture, organic carbon, electrical conductivity, total nitrogen, assimilable phosphorus. (c) Biometric and physiological surveys, crop water status, production parameters at harvest.
TASK 2. Selection of Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria.
TASK 3. Setting up field trials to test the PGPBs best results.
TASK 4. Seed treatment with PGPB and liquid rhizobia and microbiological analysis in the field.
TASK 5. Assessment of the presence and harmfulness of insects on peanut crop in pre- and post-harvest.
TASK 6. Definition of an environmentally sustainable control protocol (biological and/or integrated).
TASK 7. Optimization of post-harvest peanut conditioning.
TASK 8. Post-conditioning peanut storage evaluation trials.
Task 9. Assessment of health quality in relation to product antioxidant activity.
TASK 10. Environmental impact assessment.
TASK 11. Economic impact and profitability analysis.
TASK 12. Market Analysis.
TASK 13. Supply chain analysis.
WP4 – DIVULGATION3000$
The dissemination of project activities makes it possible to reach both the direct audience interested in the cultivation innovations, carried out by the scientific part, and a broader audience that does not have specific knowledge but may still be interested in learning about the developments and problems of some vegetative species, even as an end consumer. This section includes all activities concerning the dissemination of the project: the choice of the corporate image, communication campaigns, creation of the website and social channels, event management, and the monitoring plan.
