With a focus on global innovations in avocados and mangoes, as well as minor tropical and subtropical fruit species, organic nursery production, rootstocks and horticultural innovation, and plant variety rights, Plant Nursery is the exhibition dedicated to innovation in the nursery industry. The event will take place from 21 to 23 April 2026 at the Rimini Expo Centre, transforming Macfrut into a meeting place for breeders, publishers, nurserymen, producers, technicians and researchers to share knowledge.
Now in its fourth edition, the Plant Nursery exhibition is organised by the Italian Society for Horticultural Science (SOI) and the Interprofessional Centre for Nursery Activities (CIVI-Italia, founded in 1991 by national nursery associations and producer unions), coordinated by director Luigi Catalano. The exhibition has gained international recognition for its vertical approach, which centres on the national fruit and vegetable nursery sector and explores important topics such as new varieties, breeding, rootstocks, research, plant variety rights, and new commercial strategies.
Macfrut 2026 will host four scientific conferences, starting on Tuesday, 21 April with ‘Mango and Avocado Day: Crops and Supply Chain’. The latest advances in research, innovations and production will be presented alongside insights into market developments, with contributions from world-leading experts. On Wednesday, 22 April, the spotlight will be on ‘Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Growing: Papaya and Minor Species’. These crops are becoming increasingly popular, especially in southern European countries experiencing the positive effects of climate change. The afternoon of 22 April will be dedicated to ‘Organic Nursery Production of Fruit and Vegetable Species’. The final day of Macfrut will explore ‘Grafting and Innovation in Horticulture: from Genome Editing to Field Application’. Issues on the agenda include plant variety rights for new varieties, which could help to develop and boost the competitiveness of national production chains.
‘These conferences, organised in collaboration with the Italian Society of Horticultural Science, will cover a variety of topics and address current issues in anticipation of future challenges,’ explains coordinator Luigi Catalano. ‘We will be looking at the two key products of Macfrut 2026: Avocados and Mangoes. With the help of leading international experts, we will also be taking a supply chain approach to examine so-called “minor species”, such as papayas, cherimoyas (also known as custard apples) and macadamias. These products are playing an increasingly important role in the global market, particularly in Italy, where there is currently double-digit growth but an inability to meet demand for the plants needed to create orchards. A major focus will be innovation in the nursery and horticultural sectors, particularly with regard to advancements in organic farming and horticultural techniques, such as the use of rootstocks. There will also be ample opportunity to discuss innovations in varieties that are protected by plant variety rights. This is a particularly relevant topic given the anticipated changes to the regulation of new genetic improvement techniques, which could have a significant impact on the competitiveness of production chains.’
Fonte: Macfrut 2026
