Intensive greenhouse cultivation starts from an extremely delicate activity that is carried out in a plant nursery qualified to fulfill the most complex needs of agricultural companies. One of the most interesting plant nurseries in Italy and Europe, but also beyond, is the Seia Center in Ragusa, Sicily, which has a history that spans over 30 years. We discussed the current potential of the “SIS Group – Centro Seia” with Giovanna Causarano, R&D manager.
“The company now has two plant nurseries in Italy, in Ragusa and in Cingoli (MC), then in France, in Bosnia Herzegovina and the most recent one in the United States, in North Carolina. The European nurseries, which cover a total cultivated area of 20 hectares, produce about 80 million seedlings for protected horticulture. Sixty percent of the production is grafted and used in highly specialized professional crops. The main productions are seedlings of tomato, bell pepper, eggplant, zucchini, cucumber, watermelon and melon,” said the manageress.
Inside the nursery, during the QC phase
“The seeds employed here are selected by the most qualified seed companies to meet the needs of the market with precise characteristics of plants and fruits; thanks to our production systems, these plants can best express their potential,” added Causarano.
Traceability is achieved through the use of a special bar code
Quality is not only certified, but also researched and proven This company’s products are certified according to the standards required by law, including the phytosanitary passport and the international GlobalGAP protocol. Centro Seia also adheres to the Road to Quality, which certifies the use of traceable seeds.
At Centro Seia, the product traceability is totally marked by a bar code in every single step: from the acquisition of the seed in the nursery to the final product at the outlet.
The internal laboratory of Centro Seia
“Our company has always been particularly careful to the phytosanitary safety for this reason we have developed the production protocol Elite, certified by SGS, thanks to which we guarantee the sterile grafting of tomato plants. Inside the Seia Center, we have recently built a laboratory for phytopathological analysis, set up in collaboration with the University of Palermo. Thanks to the laboratory and to the presence of qualified internal technicians, we can quickly carry out the necessary analysis for production control.”
“The first market for our nurseries is the Italian one, followed by France, Hungary, Croatia, Austria. Given the expansion towards new markets and increasingly demanding customers, the company has decided to invest in the technological upgrade of the nursery.”
Overview of the new 1-hectare greenhouse, with advanced technological equipment
“We have recently built a greenhouse of 1 hectare, highly technological, which allows us to obtain more and more standardized productions, regardless of external weather conditions. The use of controlled climate, including the installation of artificial lights, allows us to produce our crops in the best conditions, ensuring high quality standards at any time of the year,” concluded Giovanna Causarano.
For more information:
Centro Seia
C.da Piombo s.n.c
Ragusa (RG) – Italy
+39 0932914070
info@centroseia.it
www.centroseia.it
