Antonino Filippo Lonobile
Deputy Director Olive Tree Pruning School
George Panels
On September 13th, 14th and 15th the following events took place: Laterza (TA) the exams by the aspirants Master Pruners and, subsequently, two days of alignment and evaluation dedicated to the figures of Certified Pruner e Master Pruner.
The School congratulates the two new Masters (in alphabetical order), Luke Ioannilli e John Onofrio who, in addition to having demonstrated great competence in the field during the commented practical test, also brought a thesis (mandatory) to support their profession.
The certified olive grove
The two excellent works exhibited had as a common denominator the certified olive grove of which the School is the only legal entity that has established values of absolute respect regarding the health of the plants, the olive grove area and environmental sustainability (it has been over 40 years that the director of the School Giorgio Pannelli spreads the culture of pruning and soil management practices and, since the School of Recycling was born, of materials once defined as waste such as pruning residues, grass cuttings, oil waste) with an increasingly focused focus on promoting professionalism in the field through the unique figure of the certified pruner, a trained professional capable of emphasizing the value of national varieties and olive groves that, we recall, cover almost 1,2 million hectares of agricultural land.
The titles of the theses were as follows, always referring to the order above, and presented to the audience of over 50 people present: “Leccino and Carboncella varieties compared in the Sabina area” by Luca Ioannilli and “Development models for a specialized olive growing company in disadvantaged internal areas” by Giovanni Onofrio.
The new Master Luca Ioannilli has evaluated and compared various parameters including growth and fruiting of the Leccino and Carboncella varieties including soil analysis, plant structure, reaction to cuts following reform, quantification and evaluation of emissions from latent buds up to the analysis of the oil obtained. A work that lasted 7 years that fully reflects the dedication, patience and seriousness with which this work was carried out both on and off the field.
The new Master Giovanni Onofrio instead, starting from necessary historical-social contexts, explained to those present the development of his research by listing the necessary evaluations for doing business. As he himself describes “the mission of the model under examination is to conduct and promote the creation of Certified Olive Groves” defining them “Profitable olive groves managed in polyconic vases with the utmost attention to sustainability”. The final objective is achieved by contextualising the certified olive grove to its territory. To this end, assiduous training at the Olive Tree Pruning School Giorgio Pannelli srl social enterprise and a Allied Agronomist capable of contextualizing the programs of defense and fertilization of olive groves to the heterogeneity of soils and production specifications. The model is aimed at young people and operators who intend to work mainly in the olive sector, who have the availability of even modest olive groves to practice and the financial capacity of 4.000-5.000 euros of investment during the first year and subsequently a VAT number to access the Regional Complements for Rural Development CSR (formerly PSR).
Once again, well done to the two new Masters who will be able to transfer their experiences and knowledge to future certified pruners and to already certified pruners.
On the 14th and 15th instead the School Trainers (Giorgio Pannelli, Barbara Alfei, Raffaele Antonello and myself) they evaluated the pruning work done by 48 certified pruners who came from all over Italy and Slovenia. Each participant obtained a training credit valid for the future of a curricular path that the School continues to increase with its own method called “scientific-practical” and to give this profession the credit it deserves.
In conclusion, we will never stop repeating that Pruner is a term that is too reductive in the common popular meaning, a term that is part of an imaginary idea that does not at all reflect that of the professional operators who graduate with the School. When we talk about pruners, most people think of our grandparents and parents who climb the plants with ladders equipped with chainsaws and scissors. This period is over. The technical operators of our School, often graduates, are seen by the masses as workers, as executors, but this is not the case. You do not become Certified Pruners of the School because it has been cut for generations, but it becomes one by following the educational, practical, cultural and scientific path that the Olive Pruning School proposes. Then everyone is free to make their own choices but Man forewarned ...
On this page the only operators certified by the School, the only ones authorised to display the attached coat of arms:
https://www.scuolapotaturaolivo.it/index.php/crediti/elenco-potatori-certificati
