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Italian horticulture is currently experiencing a real boom in Asian crops. Alongside traditional crops, ginger, turmeric, sweet potatoes, Chinese cabbage and Asian chillies are gaining ground, alongside a growing interest in high-value-added roots and tubers.
These crops, driven by the modern catering industry, the organic market and health-conscious consumers, require precise agricultural techniques and impeccable soil preparation.
And this is precisely where the Ortiflor Group’s stone burier, seedbed preparers and mulchers come into their own, designed to create perfect seedbeds even for the most demanding crops.
Let’s look at some of them in detail
Asian chillies, Thai chillies, Habanero chillies, Cayenne chillies, Shishito chillies
Agronomic requirements
- Loose, well-drained soil, rich in organic matter.
- Ideal pH: 6.0–6.8.
- No waterlogging.
- Mulching to maintain consistent moisture levels and reduce heat stress.
How to prepare the ground
- Stone buriers: remove stones and clods up to 30 cm in size, creating an even bed that promotes root establishment and healthy growth.
- Bed former machines: ideal for creating raised beds that improve drainage and soil temperature.
- Mulching machines: they lay out plastic or biodegradable film whilst simultaneously installing the drip line.
Tangible benefits
- Greater uniformity of the fruit.
- Reduction in fungal diseases.
- Faster cycles and more abundant harvests.
Root vegetables: carrots, radishes, beetroot and daikon
Root crops require very fine soil, free from compaction and obstacles.
Agronomic requirements
- Deep, loose soil, free of stones.
- Slim design to prevent warping.
- Water lightly and regularly.
How to prepare the ground
- Stone buriers: essential for removing stones that would cause the roots to fork or grow crooked.
- Bed former machines: useful for long-rooted vegetables such as daikon and late carrots.
Tangible benefits
- Straight, uniform roots of superior commercial quality.
- Reduction of waste during the sorting process.
Root vegetables: sweet potato, potato, Jerusalem artichoke
Root vegetables – particularly sweet potatoes, which are increasingly in demand – require deep, well-drained soil.
Agronomic requirements
- Loose, well-aerated soil.
- No waterlogging.
- High ridges to encourage tuber growth.
How to prepare the ground
- Combined stone burier: in a single pass, they loosen the soil, clear it and prepare the seedbed.
- Stone burier bed former machines: they create precise and stable ridges, ideal for sweet potatoes, ginger and turmeric.
- Mulchers: they maintain a constant level of moisture and reduce weed competition.
Tangible benefits
- More uniform tubers of a larger size.
- Reduced rot thanks to improved drainage.
- Easier harvesting and less damage.
Ginger, turmeric and Chinese cabbage: the new stars of Italian horticulture
These Asian crops are taking Italian greenhouses and fields by storm because:
- have a high market value,
- meet the demand for health products,
- allow for diversification and higher margins,
- are well suited to Italy’s temperate climate.
Their shared needs
- Soft, deep soil.
- No stones.
- High, well-drained beds.
- Mulching to retain heat and moisture.
The ideal Ortiflor machines
- Stone burier: for rhizomes such as ginger and turmeric.
- stone burier bed former machines: for creating perfect raised beds.
- Mulchers: for managing moisture and weeds naturally.
We’re shaping the future of horticulture, one bed at a time
The boom in Asian crops, speciality chillies and gourmet root vegetables is not just a fad: it is a structural trend that rewards those who invest in precise and reliable agricultural technology.
With Ortiflor Group’s stone burier, bedformer and mulchers, every grower can tackle these new crops with confidence, efficiency and profitability.
You can find all our machines QUI
