Variety development has a long tradition in South Tyrol and a clear future.
With alpoma, the successful work of the Sortenerneuerungskonsortium Südtirol (SK) is being continued and further developed into a shared platform for innovation and long-term sustainability.
From SK to alpoma
South Tyrolean fruit growing looks back on a centuries-old tradition – the first export links across the Passo del Brennero were already documented in the 18th century. With the founding of the first fruit growers’ cooperatives from 1893 onwardsand later the establishment of the VOG (1945) and VI.P (1990) associations, the professionalisation of the sector was deliberately advanced.
A major milestone was the establishment of the Variety Innovation Consortium South Tyrol (SK) in 2002 by VOG and VI.P. Its aim was to identify new apple varieties worldwide with strong market potential and to test them in a structured way under South Tyrolean conditions – with scientific support from the Laimburg Research Centre, the South Tyrolean Extension Service and other partners.
Since March 2025, SK has been fully integrated into alpoma’s new structure. Variety development is being continued there with the same level of ambition: to identify, evaluate and successfully bring new, market-ready varieties into practice.
New varieties for the markets
The variety strategy initiated by SK focuses on market-relevant characteristics such as outstanding flavour, storage potential, sustainability and suitability for integrated and organic cultivation.
These varieties were carefully selected based on criteria such as disease resistance, storage potential, flavour profile and brand potential — in close collaboration with international breeding programmes, rights holders and market experts. Today, more than a quarter of South Tyrol’s cultivated area is already dedicated to contract-protected varieties backed by a clear market strategy.