The Municipality of San Vincenzo La Costa in collaboration with the Consortium for the Protection and Valorization of Olio di Calabria IGP and the O.P. Associazione Olivicola Cosentina under the patronage of the National Academy of Olive, Olive Oil, Asso-pr-oli Calabria and the Crea Research Center for Olive, Fruit and Citrus Cultivation have announced the National Competition for the “Nino Luigi Iannotta” Award. At the end of February, therefore, the figure of Iannotta, a researcher at Cra – Oli, Research Center for Olive Growing and the Olive Oil Industry in Rende, will be strongly remembered. “Nino has always been involved in the agronomic part of the supply chain but mainly in the phytosanitary defense of the olive tree,” recalls Consortium President Massimino Magliocchi. “He implements pest, phytophage and pathogen control strategies in conventional, integrated and organic olive growing. Studying the susceptibility of cultivars to different pests, especially the fly, and alternative control methods to chemical means,” he adds. “Experimenting with spatial sensing systems to reduce treatments as a function of environmental protection. Not forgetting researching the factors of oil quality improvement in relation to pest attacks,” Magliocchi says. So many were the young researchers and assignees who succeeded each other in the Experimental Institute for Olive Growing, first, then Cra, and, finally, Create Center for Research in Olive, Fruit and Citrus Growing, who found in him a point of reference for a constructive and pleasant discussion on work issues, receiving, at the same time the right advice also on the problems of everyday life.
The memory of Iannotta therefore as a well-known and respected agronomist, a man of great culture, always present at the initiatives promoted where “tirelessly, with great passion and professionalism, he made his contribution and actively collaborated for the best success of numerous conferences and events,” assure friends and colleagues. The news of his passing has upset the entire Olive, Fruit and Citrus Research Center. “We remember not only the researcher, valid, curious and always attentive to changes, but above all we remember the man he was. With his passing comes the loss of a sure reference point for the olive sector and the culture of olives and oil,” the organizers of the national award want to reiterate today.
In fact, the competition aims to enhance the value of certified (dop, igp and organic) Italian extra virgin olive oils and extra virgin olive oils from different territorial areas by selecting and indicating the best Italian quality oils obtained from the current oil campaign; “but also to support operators in the sector who tend to improve product quality, with actions that help them stand out in the global market and market their product and to enhance the ¬figure of the Italian taster as a professional able to promote, through panel experience, the quality of Italian oil, to Italian and foreign operators and consumers,” the conclusion of the president of the Consortium Olio di Calabria Igp Massimino Magliocchi.
