It was a complicated campaign: yields per hectare were overall low and, in many cases, the higher price obtained for 2019 did not compensate in terms of Gross Salable Production (GSP).
We started with the transplants in the first week of April, with a favourable pedoclimatic situation and with well prepared soils, then in May we suffered heavy and frequent rainfalls which, in many areas of Northern Italy, were obligated to suspend the transplants between 15 and 20/25 of May. This situation meant that more than 20% of the planned area was planted in June that lasted even until 15-20 of June.
Finally, after the rainfalls and low temperatures, there was an explosion of heat in July with peaks clearly above the seasonal averages.

The early transplants, carried out from early April to the end of the month, have suffered a decisive return of cold right at the end of the month with night temperatures close to zero. For this reason, many little plants have not developed according to the standard and have highlighted some plant protection issues such as bacterial disease and, subsequently, the alternaria. In terms of results, production was poor while maintaining the good quality besides with some colour reduction in some varieties.

The average yield of the premature was between 450 and 500 quintals per hectare, when generally it stands between 550-600 quintals per hectare.
The average transplants (during May) are those that, as predictable, suffered the most from the continuous and heavy rainfalls, the ripening forward to June.
What was planted in the first fifteen days of May, however, developed in normal conditions and gave good yields (over 700 quintals per hectare) and excellent quality.
As for late transplants (end of May and June) many varieties, coming from the planning of May shifted forward, showed a long cultivation cycle (110-120 days) and the rains, the lowering of the temperatures, especially the night ones, and the reduction of the photoperiod of September prevented the same degree of ripeness with consequent yield loss due to the unripe product evaluable at 40% with average yields obtained of 600-650 quintals per hectare.
The ASIPO final production during the 2019, compared to the contracted quantity, is approximately – 19%, mainly due to climatic problems and to an increase in natural calamities such as excess water and hail, much more significant than in the past, mainly in the Piacenza area.
About 19% of the shortfall, an estimated 9% share is due to natural calamities, while the remaining 10% is due to differences in ripening and/or limited vegetative development and to a precautionary contractual yield.

From the plant protection point of view we have recorded the slight reduction of the pressure of the red spider (Tetranychus Urticae), especially in the pedecollinare piacentino area, thanks also to the effective prophylaxis of contrast developed with the Plant Protection Consortium and the Inter-branch Organisation of industrial tomato of Northern Italy.
As far as fungal diseases are concerned, particular problems have not been highlighted except the slight presence of alternaria in the early plants and late blight at the end of the season (September – October) due to the rains.