Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2006/C 321/07)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006. Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months from the date of this publication.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

Application for registration according to Article 5 and Article 17(2)

‘ASPARAGO BIANCO DI BASSANO’

EC No: IT/PDO/005/0338/17.03.2004

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

This summary has been drawn up for information only. For full details, interested parties are invited to consult the full version of the product specification obtainable from the national authorities indicated in section 1 or from the European Commission (1).

1.   Responsible department in the Member State:

2.   Group:

3.   Type of product:

Class 1.6 — Fruit, vegetables, cereals, whether or not processed, listed in Annex I — Asparagus

4.   Specification (summary of requirements under Article 4(2))

4.1   Name: ‘Asparago Bianco di Bassano’

4.2   Description: The PDO ‘Asparago Bianco di Bassano’ is reserved for shoots of asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) produced, in the geographical area defined at 4.3, from the local ecotype ‘Comune — o Chiaro — di Bassano’.

In order to qualify for the PDO ‘Asparago Bianco di Bassano’, the shoots must be:

white. The bracts and the base may be slightly pink and rusty, provided this does not extend to the tip (the first three centimetres), can be removed through normal peeling by the consumer and does not account for more than 10 % of the product in the bundle;

well formed: straight, intact, with a compact tip, the shoots must not be hollow, split, peeled or broken. The fact that they are not very fibrous means that, at the packing stage, the sides tend to split, so much so that slight cracks are allowed, provided they occur after harvesting and do not affect more than 15 % of the product in the bundle; the shoots may be slightly curved;

soft; shoots showing incipient signs of woodiness are not allowed;

fresh appearance and smell, free from foreign smell or taste,

healthy, i.e. show no signs of rodent or insect damage;

clean, without soil or any impurities;

free of surface moisture and be sufficiently dry after being washed and chilled in cold water. They must be free from chemical additives.

The cut at the base must be as clean as possible and at right angles to the stem.

Sizing depends on the length and diameter. The central diameter of the shoots is measured at the mid-point cross-section. The minimum central diameter is 11 mm, including the tolerance. The packing must ensure that the average diameter of the shoots in each bundle differs by no more than 10 mm. The bundles are classified according to the central diameter of the shoots they contain. The length of the shoots must conform closely to the classification and be in accordance with the following table:

4.3   Geographical area: Geographical area: The ‘Asparago Bianco di Bassano’ production and packing area comprises a number of Vicenza province municipalities near the city of Bassano del Grappa, as listed in the specification.

4.4   Proof of origin: Every phase of the production process will be monitored, showing for each one, the incoming and outgoing products. Thus, and thanks to entries in special registers — kept by the inspection body — of the land under cultivation, of the growers and of the packers, it will be possible to guarantee the traceability of the product upstream and downstream of the operation concerned. All natural and legal persons whose names appear in the registers will be subject to control by the inspection body in accordance with the specification and the control plan. The following in particular will be verified: whether the land on which the product is grown has been entered, in respect of every production year, in the list kept at the headquarters of the inspection body; the land registry details concerned and, for each parcel, the name of the owner, the grower, the locality, the actual surface area under ‘Asparago Bianco di Bassano’; and the serial number shown on the label attached to each bundle.

4.5   Method of production: As laid down in the specification the land must have a pH between 5.5 and 7.5. A soil analysis must be carried out prior to each new planting and, for the main parameters (pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and organic matter), at least every five years. In the case of a new planting a soil analysis carried out in the previous three-year period may be used. The land is prepared in the autumn preceding planting: light tillage, to a depth of 30 cm or less, possibly followed by subsoiling at a depth of 40-50 cm. In the case of new plantings the distance between rows may not be less than 1.8 metres for twin rows and less than 2 metres for single rows; the maximum density may in no case exceed 1.8 plants /m2.

The furrows must be 15-20 cm deep. The transplanting of asparagus root tubers must take place in March or April, plantlets in June. A four-year wait must be observed before replanting asparagus on the same land.

If the presence of plant diseases affecting roots (Rhizoctonia or Fusarium) has been confirmed, replanting may not take place for eight years. Asparagus cultivation may not be preceded by that of potatoes, lucerne, carrots, clover or beet, owing to the risk of Rhizoctonia attack. It is, however, recommended that asparagus-growing be preceded by the cultivation of cereals, viz. barley, wheat or maize.

Propagation for self-supply purposes may be carried out by the growers themselves. Only local ecotypes may be used, which must comply with Article 2 of the specification.

Before a new crop is planted, a full soil analysis must be carried out, to be repeated every five years, for the following main parameters: pH, N, P. K, Ca, Mg and organic matter. Analyses carried out in the previous three-year period may be used.

A quantity of bovine slurry — 600 quintals per hectare — is spread on the soil during the preparation phase and dug in when it has matured. Other organic fertilisers may be used, subject to the same reference values being complied with as for bovine slurry.

At least 50 % of the nitrogen used must be organic. The spreading of the phosphate-based, and part of the potassium-based, fertilisers takes place during the autumn or at the end of the winter, whereas the nitrogen-based, and the rest of the potassium-based fertilisers are spread, in several applications, after the harvest (by the end of July at the latest). The quantity of principal nutrients added each year may not, however, exceed the following number of units per hectare: nitrogen 150; phosphorous 80; potassium 180. The addition, if any, of micro-elements takes place in the autumn or winter.

Mulching is allowed during the harvest period, in which case a dark plastic film suitable for inhibiting the spread of weeds and protecting against sunlight, or any other material which can guarantee the final characteristics of the product, is to be used.

After being allowed to dry out, the material above ground must be scythed, removed and burned and, after the harvest, the mounds must be flattened to prevent undue rising of the roots.

Harvesting must take place between 1 March and 15 June.

In the case of forced or protected (under plastic) cultivation, harvesting may, subject to the prior approval of the control body, take place before then, but not before 1 February.

The maximum full production allowed is 80 quintals/ha.

Preparation and packing must, with a view to ensuring the typical characteristics, the traceability and control of the product, take place within the production area defined in Article 3 of the specification.

4.6   Link: Soils in the ‘Asparago Bianco di Bassano’ production area have a light or light-sandy texture, a subsoil rich in gravel, good permeability and contain a fair amount of organic matter. The pH tends to be around 5.5 -7.5 (subacidic-neutral soil).

The area concerned is of alluvial origin, being located in the Valsugana, through which the Brenta river flows. It owes its characteristics to the physical and chemical composition of the detrital, gravelly, sandy and loamy material ferried by the waters and deposited in the flood plain.

The climate in the production area is heavily influenced by the Brenta river and the shelter afforded upstream by the Venetian Prealps and the Grappa range.

The average annual rainfall is around 1 000 mm, with peaks occurring in April-May and September-October.

The average temperature ranges from 2.5° to 23°, with the lows and highs tending to occur in January and July respectively. A major meteorological factor are the winds that travel south from the Upper Valsugana, creating in the production area a microclimate characterised by low residual humidity, a lower incidence of fog, and fairly stable soil temperatures.

The above combination of characteristics enable the plant to acquire a complex, broad and deep root structure made up of large rhizomes and thick roots. This promotes a very high absorption rate of nutrients and the production of sugars. In turn this leads to the swift growth of well-sized shoots, entirely edible or only slightly fibrous.

In the Republic of Venice the asparagus was a highly prized food, as confirmed by the records kept of banquets held in honour of the nobility as far back as the early 16th century. By the 17th century it was widely grown in the Orti of Terraferma. Travelling through Bassano on their way to the Council of Trento (1545-63) church dignitaries had occasion to taste the local product, and in a number of cases wrote in praise of its nutritional qualities. There are numerous accounts of the qualitative and much sought-after characteristics of ‘Asparago Bianco di Bassano’.

4.7   Inspection body:

The inspection body fulfils the conditions applicable under standard EN 45011.

4.8   Labelling: Every pack must contain bundles of the same size; each bundle must be homogeneous. The shoots must be sold packaged in tightly-bound bundles weighing between 0,5 and 4 kg.

Shoots at the outer part of the bundle must correspond in appearance and size to the average of the bundle and the shoots must be of uniform length.

By tradition, after the asparagus shoots have been cut to the same size at the base, the bundles must be tightly bound using a ‘stroppa’ (a young willow branch or aftershoot). Each bundle must bear a label affixed to the ‘stroppa’ showing the PDO mark ‘Asparago Bianco di Bassano’ and the bundle identification number to ensure traceability.

The bundles must be arranged uniformly in the packaging and may be placed in containers made of wood, plastic or other suitable materials.

The following information must appear, direct or on a label, on the outside of each pack: ‘Asparago Bianco di Bassano’ PDO; the name of the grower, the company name and the address of the packer, the date on which packing took place, and the following commercial details: the quality class (EU standard), the size, the number of bundles and their average weight.

The label bears the logo, the PDO and the serial number identifying, for traceability purposes, the product and the producer.

The label, which constitutes a guarantee of the PDO of the product, is attached, on the ‘stroppa’, on the upper half of the bundle, by means of a device which cannot be used more than once.

4.9   National requirements: —

(1)  European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, Agricultural product quality policy, B-1049 Brussels.