La tecnologia delle radiofrequenze (RFId) nella filiera vivaistico-viticola: una prima sperimentazione per la tracciabilità nel settore.

Summary

Radio frequency identification (RFId) systems seems to be the new challenge for developing traceability programs in agriculture, as widely illustrate in other fields of applications, i.e. logistic, animal identification or environmental monitoring. Dipartimento di Ortoflorofrutticoltura of University of Florence and Dipartimento di Coltivazione e Difesa delle Specie Legnose “G. Scaramuzzi” of University of Pisa carry out trial for evaluating the effects on growth due to the implementation of microchips into plant produced in grapevine nursery. The modified plants will be totally indistinguishable from unmarked plants, and they will maintain this electronic feature throughout their entire existence. By this feature, plants can be monitored easily, and they will be able to supply innumerable information, as, i.e., data about their origin, growth parameter, susceptibility to biotic or abiotic stress factor, productivity, and more. Some advantage connected with grapevine traceability with radio frequency identification system are linked to recent legal documentation (2005/43/CE) concerning “certificate” grapevine production than, as well known, assure a higher genetic-sanitarian quality available of products marketable. The trial was carried out from 2007 in Vivai New Plants di Barbara Gini, Cenaia (Pisa, Italy), considering five different clones supplied by Associazione Toscana Costitutori Viticoli (TOS.CO.VIT., San Piero a Grado, Pisa, Italy; www.toscovit.it). Clones (Sangiovese, Prugnolo gentile, Colorino, Trebbiano toscano and Vernaccia di S. Gimignano) were grafted on rootstock 1103P, inserting the microchips (Transponder Glass TAG, InterMedia Sas, Forlì-Cesena; http://scm360.net/) by two different procedures actually under monitoring. Actually, considering this first phase of experimentation, none significant effects are reported on surviving and growth of plants.