History

Società Produttori Sementi was founded on July 29, 1911, by Prof. Francesco Todaro, with the support of the National Academy of Agriculture and the Cassa di Risparmio Bank in Bologna. Todaro recognized, well ahead of his time, that the development of agriculture would largely depend on research, combined with the use of improved cultivars. For the first time in Italy, this represented the beginning of an integrated organization whose dual objectives are research and seed sale.

A number of successful wheat varieties were selected from Italian and foreign landraces.

Todaro’s successor, Cesare Orlandi, increased the number of seed processing plants and initiated the crossing of the varieties selected by Todaro with those selected by Strampelli, obtaining, among others, the successful varieties San Giorgio, Pieve and Riale.

For the first time the amount of seed sold reaches 2,500 tons.

The research centre in Villa Angeletti expanded its activities of crossbreeding and seed selection, to include the assessment of flour quality, cytogenetics and the conservation of biodiversity.

Following the end of the Second World War, which destroyed Villa Angeletti, Umberto De Beni, with the support of Silvano Selleri, reorganizes the activities of Produttori Sementi.

The newly released varieties Produttore and Argelato were very successful. They carried the dwarfing gene of Saitama 27 and were used in many breeding programs in southern Europe, thus contributing to the spread of that dwarfing gene.

The variety Irnerio, characterized by high yield potential and high quality, was a great success and was used extensively, covering a quarter of the area cultivated with common wheat in Italy.

Produttori Sementi renewed its interest in durum wheat breeding. Two common wheat varieties were prominent during this period: Gemini and Centauro, the latter being the first variety to occupy more than one third of Italian agricultural land cultivated with common wheat. These two varieties contributed to the development of national wheat production, and also became popular in other Mediterranean countries.

Two varieties are prominent in this time period: Gemini and, most of all, Centauro, the first variety to occupy more than one third of the Italian surface cultivated with common wheat. They contribute to the development of national agriculture and also spread to other countries in the Mediterranean basin.

A new seed processing plant was built near the selection fields in Argelato (Bologna).

The durum wheat variety Lira is registered. It is the first Italian variety selected using a biochemical marker (gliadin electrophoresis).

Produttori Sementi incorporates "Renroffi", a Seed Company with half a century of experience in seed production of sugar beet. The sugar beet breeding is aimed at obtaining high yielding cultivars with good tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses.

Produttori Sementi started to work with Barilla, the world leader in pasta products. Varieties well suited to the pasta industry were developed.

The alfalfa variety Prosementi, characterized by high yield potential, high quality and longevity, was reselected, and is still present, as “Top variety”, in the Emilia-Romagna Regional List of recommended varieties.

The durum wheat variety Zenit is released in collaboration with Barilla. It is the first Italian variety characterized by a high yellow index of semolina.

Svevo and Baio, highly suited for pasta production, are released and are cultivated under contract exclusively for Barilla. Svevo in particular, besides being well-adapted to cultivation in the traditional southern areas of Italy, shows a rare balance between qualitative (in particular protein content) and productive characteristics.

The seed processing division was centralized in Argelato (Bologna).

Following reforms in the Italian Savings Banks (Casse di Risparmio), ownership was transferred from the Bologna Savings Bank (Carisbo S.p.A.) to the Foundation “Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna”, which purchased 99.97% of the Produttori Sementi shares.

Produttori Sementi became the first Italian seed company to be granted UNI EN ISO 9001 certification for its activities in plant breeding, variety release, production, and the sale of cereal, industrial and forage crop seeds.

Introduction of new approaches to the activity of research and breeding: identification of genes or QTL (Quantitative Trait Loci) and their associated molecular markers as well as the adoption of MAS (Marker Assisted Selection), that is selection by DNA analysis.

Certification of the Traceability Chain System obtained in conformity with the UNI 10939:2001 norm for common wheat, durum wheat and alfalfa production chain.

PSB Company moves its Head offices at the Seed processing plant in Argelato. The plant enlarges with new facilities: a drying plant for seeds annexed to the processing plant, new laboratories and a phytotron (a sophisticated growth chamber) for the activity of research and breeding.

The durum wheat Aureo is registered. It is the first Top Quality Italian variety where high protein and carotenoids content, together with an high gluten quality, are combined. Developed to become a landmark cultivar for the pasta industry Voiello, the top quality brand of the food industry Barilla, Aureo will replace the high-quality wheat (desert durum) that is imported from abroad.

The project “From Seed to Pasta – Multidisciplinary approaches for a more sustainable and high quality durum wheat production” starts. It is the first project financed by the Foundation “AGER - Agroalimentare e Ricerca”, an association between grant-making foundations aimed at boosting scientific research in the agro-food sector. It is promoted by Società Produttori Sementi which is project leader. This program (www.prosementi.com/fstp) is implemented by a broad partnership that brings together leading research institutions with expertise in different areas such as plant genetics and genomics, breeding and agronomy, food quality and safety.

A new and important investment takes place. Research laboratories and production plants are both involved:

• new equipments and facilities with fit for the current complexity of the breeding activity are purchased. The most important acquisition is the DNA extraction platform which support Marker Assisted Selection (MAS);
• new facilitations will allow PSB to totally itself follow up the whole processing of its own varieties. They are integrated in the plant of Argelato. This new plant is equipped with a high technology machines line (10 ton/h wheat seed) The processing line is completed by two packing machines, one for variable size paper bags (10, 20, 50 kg) and the other for 500 kg big bags, so that seed can be packed according to customer’s demands.

Società Produttori Sementi celebrate is first century of activity. Since 1911 PSB has committed itself to bring innovation to farmers and agrofood world by means of new plant varieties and high quality certified seed.