Vitroplant

Production Sites

Vitroplant Italia Srl has three different types of production sites: the laboratory, greenhouse, and nursery areas.

The micropropagation laboratory is at the heart of all our nursery activities. All these plants are produced from the start by in-vitro micropropagation and, subsequently, according to the client’s requests, they are set out, hardened, and/or re-micro-grafted and re-potted. In the nursery area, bare rooted, grafted, or self-rooted bare roots and micro-grafts are produced.

The nursery operations of Vitroplant Italia Srl Società Agricola take place in the three designated production areas and result in the following end products:

  • Seedlings induced/rooted in vitro and rooted ex vitro.
  • Seedlings planted in peat, with a growing cycle in the greenhouse varying between 45 and 60 days, depending on seasonal patterns.
  • Self-rooted or grafted plants in a pot/jumbo pot.
  • Plants grown in the nursery in an open-air field, with a lifespan of one or two years.

All production processes take place across three production phases within specifically designated areas: the Laboratory Area, Greenhouse Area, and Nursery Area.

The Laboratory Area

The laboratory area is the heart of all Vitroplant Italia activities. It consists of:

  • A laboratory for the preparation of growing substrates.
  • A sterilization room with industrial autoclaves (with a maximum operating capacity of approximately 10,000 pots with substrate per day).
  • A white room for post-sterilization cooling with controlled temperature and humidity.
  • An industrial washing machine room for the reuse of glass pots in plastic-free mode.
  • Laminar flow hood rooms.
  • Cultivation rooms.
  • In-vivo selection and in-vivo planting rooms.
  • A robotic planting room.
  • Storage rooms at 4°C for conservation of "in-vitro" germplasm.
  • Storage areas for materials necessary for ordinary production.

The laminar flow hood working areas consist of 70 usable hood positions with double capacity potential when a double working shift is used.

Below is the storage capacity of each working area located at Via Loreto 170, Cesena, in the Micropropagation Laboratory:


The laminar flow hood working areas consist of 70 usable hood positions with double capacity potential, if a double working shift is used.
Below are listed the storage capacity of each working area located in Via Loreto 170, Cesena in the Micropropagation Laboratory:

Unit 1:


2 in-vitro culture rooms for 48,600 pots.
1 room for special activities with 7,200 in-vitro pots.
1 in-vitro culture room for the Research phase and initial in-vitro intake for 2,940 pots.
2 cold-storage units for 40,000 in-vitro culture pots.

Unit 2:


5 in-vitro culture rooms for 60,000 deluxe pots (Stage 1 Multiplication – Stage 2 Extension – Stage 3 in-vitro Rooting).
1 room for special activities for 29,000 in-vitro pots.
7 culture rooms for 3,200,000 ex-vitro plants (live Rooting).
Cold-storage units for 110,000 in-vitro culture pots.

The total capacity of these rooms results in an annual production of approximately 28,000,000 plants, with the potential for even greater output.

Research and Development Area

  • 1 hood-processing room with 4 working posts for the Vitroplant Research Team, including growing pallets for 2,940 pots/petri dishes in the in-vitro adaptation stage and for assessing Research and Development Substrates, the phase preceding industrialization.
  • 1 laboratory section dedicated to substrate preparation, focusing on the formulation of new micro and macro elements and innovative Vitroplant substrates.

A team of in-house researchers conducts daily tests to improve production efficiency, introduce new in-vitro processes, and refine techniques for the industrial-level reproduction of new varieties based on market demands. The most valuable know-how lies in the study, development, and refinement of substrates and innovative macro and micro elements, which have been perfected over the years, leading to the current high production levels.

The research phase extends further to evaluating successive production areas, ensuring a comprehensive and repeatable production assessment.

Greenhouse Area

The greenhouse area is divided into two main sites, one in Cesena (Vitroplant 1) and the other in Gatteo (Vitroplant 2).

Vitroplant 1 (VP1) – Cesena Unit (FC)


This facility comprises approximately 20,000 m² of greenhouse area with an automated environment, including:

  • 10,000 m² with full climate control and monitoring (cooling system, fogging system, heating, automatic shading).
  • 10,000 m² of hardening greenhouses, of which 3,500 m² are protected by anti-insect netting.

The greenhouse department handles plant material transplanting. After a growth period, plants are selected for hardening, making them suitable for delivery, potting, or open-field nursery planting.

All Vitroplant greenhouses are fully covered with anti-insect nets, in compliance with D. Lgs. 214/2005 (Italian Legislative Decree). This technology has been reintroduced into the production system over the past 2-3 years.

Key areas in the greenhouse section include:

  • The Transplant Room
  • The Selection Room

Both contain two highly professional automatic production lines for plant transplanting into alveoli and subsequent selection.

Vitroplant 2 (VP2) – Gatteo Unit (FC)


The VP2 greenhouse has 16,200 m² of protected, air-conditioned surfaces, where plants are:

  • Reared in alveoli.
  • Cultivated in small pots (7x7 cm, 9x9 cm) or large pots (over 1 liter).
  • Selected and grafted to provide grafted potted plants ready for open-field nurseries or direct production use.

This area is fully air-conditioned, with interconnected greenhouses that optimize plant material movement.

Nursery Area

The nursery area covers approximately 130 hectares in a fully protected open-field environment.

One of Vitroplant’s key strengths in agro-food exports is the fruit and vegetable sector, where the company is a global leader in terms of quality.

Currently, 35% of Vitroplant Italia’s products are destined for the Italian market, while 65% are exported internationally.

The main recipient countries include:
Spain, France, Portugal, Germany, Romania, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Turkey, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Chile, Israel, and South Africa.