A passion born in 2004, or perhaps it is better defined as a real obsession – the “Altamuran Lentil” – an ancient variety, now almost extinct, cultivated in the area of the Barese Murgia. Before making a chronicle of this adventure, because this is how I want to define it, I would like to do as small preamble:
The lentil (Lens culinaris subsp.culinaris), is one of the oldest plants cultivated by man. A ‘cure all’ for people for a long time, also the possibility of development for our areas in which the renowned “Altamuran Lentil”was cultivated.
In fact, for some decades from the thirties, it has been of added value to the local agro-food industry. The legume was commercialised, not only on the national markets, but was exported all over the World, including USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Germany, France, Switzerland etc. The decline of this product arrived around the seventies through a series of problems, among which, the lack of mechanisation, the use and abuse of herbicides, the community agricultural policy with incentives for the production of grain and the abandonment of the countryside. The “Altamuran Lentil” disappeared and was no longer produced. But the bio-type was saved from extinction by competent research institutions. The Ministry of Agriculture and \Forestry has, in fact, included the “Altamuran Lentil” in the list of traditional agro-food products.
Through a series of collaborations with the University of Bari and the Study Centre “Linen, Wool and Lentil” and interested agricultural businesses, in the course of two years’ of study and research it was possible to appraise the feasibility of this proposal and the work realised can be summarised in the following points:
1. Valuation of mechanical sowing.
2. Mechanical harvesting.
3. Post harvesting disinfestations with innovative methods.
4. Market research.
From this passion, carried forward in the first years almost as a hobby, a discussion developed a wider perspective with scientific implications worthy of attention. In 2007, through participation in the Project “Innovative – Integrated Actions for the Transfer of Innovations in the Mutual Strategic Sectors – I.C. Interreg IIIA/Greece – Italy 2000 – 2006”, in which young graduates, who had to develop innovative projects of methods or products in the agro-food sector, the first occasion had arrived to transform a simple passion into a moment of personal development, also local
From this experience the work title was born – “Setting up of Innovative Agronomic Techniques for the Re-introduction of the Cultivation of Legumes in the Murgia Area”.
This was the first strong point that I was able to give to my passion. When one says ‘fortune’ never comes alone…a short time after the Apulia Region, precisely the Transparency Council Office and Active Citizens Sector Politics Youth and Sport , Hot Spirit Desk, released a contest called “Active Principles – Young Ideas for a Better Apulia” almost wanted to re-confirm my expectation. Perhaps fortune, perhaps perseverance or, why not, the feasibility of the idea proposed, together with the other two girls who belong to the group, was positively appraised and accepted by the Apulia Region. This is more or less everything, actually, I hope that this is not everything but a beginning that allows this passion to structure and develop into an important activity and that the so called dreams are not only desires, but reality.
