8/9/2019 Flower under quality control Lazzeri

1/1FlowerTECH 2006, vol. 9/no. 4 1www.HortiWorld.nl

Flower under quality control

Country file

The two-day event in

Vacaria, a town in Brazils

southern state Rio Grande

do Sul, took place at the com-

panys 10 ha greenhouse site,

which employs 350 people yearround. Ninety percent of the

production is exported with the

EU as the main market. The

assortment, marketed under

the worldwide brand name

Armonia di Colori includes

almost 1,000 varieties of bed-

ding plants; the main species

are poinsettias, geraniums,

petunias, verbenas, cyclamen

and chrysanthemums. The

group has been associated with

pioneering products over the

years, e.g. release of the first

commercial poinsettia cuttings

in the local market, and repre-

sents more than 20 interna-

tional agencies and breeders.

Novelties in 2006 include

hanging baskets, which are still

largely unexplored in the local

market, along with more gar-

dening plants.

Partnering the periodical

release of either new plants orproduct formats is a work phi-

losophy based on two main

concepts, quality and assis-

tance. Sales of high-end plants

are seen as the growers tool to

achieve the goal of higher net

earnings, even if this means a

higher initial cost per cutting.

Subsequently, the company has

a strategy to focus on technical

assistance, which has helped to

set a standard in the market-

place, with grower visits every

three weeks. This proactive

grower contact has filled a void

in the Brazilian flower-growing

business; easy access to advice.

Via the technical assistance,

growers have a greater chance

of optimising plant production

(using less pesticides, hor-

mones and labour) and conse-

quently become more confi-

dent to try out new crops.

High sanitation level

The procedure to obtain quali-

ty cuttings starts out in Italy, at

the Merano site where all the

tissue culture is prepared. This

phase involves several steps

from the hybridisation, ther-

motherapy and meristem cul-

ture to ELISA testing of 100%

of the plants. Three subsequent

steps of plant multiplication

result in a stock of elite plants

that can be sent to Brazil.

Once delivered to the site in

Vacaria the elite plants are kept

in greenhouses with high sani-

tation levels. No visitors are

allowed in, only designated

personnel in special clothing. If

a worker has to go to the stan-

dard greenhouses he cannot

return to the elite section that

day. Cuttings from elite plants

are transplanted to individual

pots and grown in the standard

greenhouses. In two to three

months these become mother-

plants from which the com-

mercial cuttings are obtained.

Mother-plants are grown on

benches and harvested once a

week over a ten-month period.Each bench has its own set of

knives, which are immersed in

disinfectant and replaced after

every ten cuttings. A different

pair of gloves is used for each

bench, and the workers uni-

forms are replaced daily. Two

days in advance, a harvest

schedule is prepared for each

variety. Every worker receives

plastic bags with harvest infor-

mation about species, variety,

greenhouse number, bench,

day and an individual worker

number to monitor quality.

Control standards are the sam

irrespective of destination,

traceability is guaranteed.

Before the cutting process is

initiated, each variety is grown

under the local conditions to

develop a cultivation protocol

for advising growers about the

optimum growing environ-

ment. The showcasing of new

varieties carefully timed to hav

flowers in peak bloom during

the info-day for critical judgin

by growers and marketers.

Valentino Lazzeri, the group

managing director, believes in

steady growth for the localmarket. His own experience in

Brazil has seen growers becom

more demanding and profes-

sionally sophisticated. Their

quality philosophy appears to

pay off as Valentino announce

plans for an expansion in

Vacaria along with another

Lazzeri facility in Brazil.

mauriciomathias@hotmail.com

A biennial info-day organised by the Italian LazzeriAgricultural Group at its cuttings facility in Brazil put

technical assistance and sanitation in the spotlight.

By Mauricio C. Mathias

Valentino Lazzeri, managing director Lazzeri

Agricultural Group.

The 10 ha greenhouse was opened in 1990 for exports and in 2000 the company

entered the Brazilian market.