What should have been the company's end instead sparked its rebirth. In April 1992, a windstorm destroyed much of the Pietro Davì nursery in Lusia, which is located in the northern Italian province of Rovigo. "We had only two options: Shut down for good, or rebuild and carry on. Instead, we chose a third option. We started from scratch and completely reinvented the company, leveraging external expertise and advice. Moreover, many people and customers did not abandon us during that period, which is a sign that our father, Pietro, had laid a solid foundation," says Gabriele Davi, the eldest brother who runs DavìPlant with his brothers Davide and Mosè.
© DavìPlantAerial view of the main body of DavìPlant
"It all started with our father, Pietro," Mosè explains. "In 1979, he started growing horticultural plants for his farm. Then, the neighbors started asking him to do it for them, too. Year after year, the company began to take shape. In 2003, we took over completely and embarked on a growth path that led us to produce over 250 million plants annually on 20 hectares of land. We specialize in supplying plants for large-scale industries and small- to medium-sized farms."
© Cristiano Riciputi | VerticalFarmDaily.comGabriele Davì
Mosè explains that their company is founded on four pillars: facilities, personnel, skills, and organization. "Having qualified personnel adds value. We have nearly 90 employees and strive to foster a positive work environment with designated spaces, opportunities for collaboration, and company-sponsored events."
© Cristiano Riciputi | VerticalFarmDaily.comDavide and Mosè Davì
DavìPlant was one of the first companies to embrace sustainability before it became popular. "We have been collecting and reusing rainwater for 20 years. We use various sources to heat our greenhouses, including biomass, wood pellets, natural gas, and a one-megawatt photovoltaic system."
© Cristiano Riciputi | VerticalFarmDaily.comMosè Davì inside a greenhouse
Gabriele oversees the production process and emphasizes that grafted plants are "Our pride and joy. In recent years," he says, "demand for melons, watermelons, and tomatoes has increased exponentially. Our goal is to provide customers with high-quality, healthy seedlings that can quickly adapt to field or greenhouse conditions."
© Cristiano Riciputi | VerticalFarmDaily.comSanitization plant
"To ensure healthy plants, we sanitize every incoming box before moving it within our facility," Mosè adds. "Many years ago, we installed a disinfection plant, and our controlled process at every stage of production enables us to maintain high quality standards."
© Cristiano Riciputi | VerticalFarmDaily.com
DavìPlant has four sowing lines: two for plug trays and two for cube propagation. Depending on the type of seed and customer requirements, the sowing phase is carried out in plug trays or cubes. This phase is fully automated to ensure precise and accurate seeding, which is essential for achieving a uniform, high-quality product ideal for transplanting.
© Cristiano Riciputi | VerticalFarmDaily.com All phases are highly automated
"The sown and automatically stacked containers begin their growth process in the nine germination rooms, where the temperature, light, and humidity levels are constantly monitored and adjusted," Gabriele continues. After leaving the germination rooms, the sprouted containers undergo rigorous checks before being sent to the repacking and mechanical transplanting lines. These lines prepare the containers for their next transfer to the greenhouse."
© Cristiano Riciputi | VerticalFarmDaily.com
Young seedlings are transferred to an environment with the most favorable microclimate to ensure optimal growth and delivery in an ideal vegetative state. DavìPlant calculates the germination percentage of each seed, ensuring that it always has an accurate count of available seedlings and can meet customer requirements.
© Cristiano Riciputi | VerticalFarmDaily.com
DavìPlant produces more than twenty-five varieties of fruits and vegetables, specializing in strawberry plants suitable for above-ground cultivation. The plants are carefully sorted by variety at the planting stage and then ready to reach their destinations. They undergo additional quality control before being picked from special trays and placed in containers within special boxes. Cubes are stacked in pallets.
© Cristiano Riciputi | VerticalFarmDaily.comGabriele Davì with Raffaello Montanari and Cristian d'Elia of C-LED
The well-established partnership between C-LED and DavìPlant
For about ten years, C-LED has worked with DavìPlant as a technology partner for professional lighting. "Specifically, we have equipped the greenhouses with toplight lamps to extend the photoperiod and compensate for the reduced solar radiation typical of autumn and winter," explains C-LED sales manager Raffaello Montanari. "We have also installed LED systems for the growth chambers during the delicate grafting phase."
© Cristiano Riciputi | VerticalFarmDaily.comC-LED lighting
The grafting phase is critical to producing seedlings. To encourage proper tissue healing, guarantee a compact vegetative structure, and avoid etiolation (spinning), the union of the rootstock and graft requires impeccable environmental conditions.
© Cristiano Riciputi | VerticalFarmDaily.comLights provided by C-LED
"In order to meet these requirements, the lamp must emit a full spectrum of light with an intensity calibrated to optimize development without inducing stress. It must also emit light uniformly across the entire surface of the multilevel carriages," explains C-LED Technical Manager Cristian D'Elia. "Additionally, it must operate in environments with extreme humidity, necessitating a high IP rating."
Supporting the vision of an innovative, forward-thinking company like DavìPlant motivates us to improve daily and is a constant source of pride and inspiration. We look forward to seeing you from 9 to 11 June at the GreenTech trade fair in Amsterdam, where we will present our solutions and discuss future industry technology at stand 05.311," concludes Montanari.
For more information:
DavìPlant Soc. Agricola
Via Marasso, 1713
45020 Lusia (RO) - Italy
+39 0425 607118
www.daviplant.com
C-LED
Via Gambellara, 34
40026 Imola (BO) - Italy
+39 0542 654980
[email protected]
www.c-led.it
