Global innovations in avocados and mangoes, minor tropical and subtropical fruit species, organic nursery gardening, rootstocks and innovation in horticulture, and plant patents. These are the key themes of Plant Nursery, the trade show dedicated to innovation in the nursery industry, making Macfrut a meeting and sharing hub for breeders, publishers, nursery gardeners, producers, technicians, and researchers. Join the international fruit and vegetable industry leaders at the Rimini Expo Centre from Tuesday, April 21, to Thursday, April 23, 2026, focusing on a strategic sector within the Italian production chains. The fruit and vegetable nursery industry, in fact, accounts for over €600 million in production value, involving around a thousand companies across a dedicated area of 16,000 hectares (source: Civi Italia).

Now in its fourth edition, Plant Nursery is organized by SOI (Italian Society of Horticulture and Flowering) and Civi-Italia (Interprofessional Center for Nursery Activities between national nursery associations and producer unions, founded in 1991), coordinated by director Luigi Catalano. The show has established itself internationally for its vertical approach, focusing on the national fruit and vegetable nursery sector, exploring key topics such as new varieties, breeding, rootstocks, research, plant patents, and new commercial strategies.

Four scientific events are scheduled for Macfrut 2026. It begins on Tuesday, April 21st, with a focus on Mango and Avocado Day: Crops and Supply Chain. Leading international experts will present the latest research, innovation, and production, expanding the scope to include market developments. On Wednesday, April 22nd, the focus shifts to Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Growing: papaya and other minor species, namely those crops increasingly present in Southern European countries, especially those favored by climate change. Also on the afternoon of April 22nd, the spotlight will be on Organic Nursery Gardening of Fruit and Vegetable Species, while the final day of Macfrut will focus on Grafting and Innovation in Horticulture: From Genome Editing to the Field. Another topic that will be addressed is plant protection rights for new varieties as a lever for the development and competitiveness of national production chains.

“The conference activity, organized in collaboration with the Italian Society of Horticulture and Flowering, will cover various fields, addressing current issues and looking ahead to future challenges,” explains coordinator Luigi Catalano . The focus on the two flagship products of Macfrut 2026—avocado and mango—as well as the so-called minor species (papaya, custard apple, macadamia, etc.) will be approached with a supply chain approach, alongside leading international experts. These products are increasingly playing a leading role in the global market, with double-digit growth also in Italy, which is currently unable to meet the demand for plants for orchards. There will also be room for innovation in the nursery sector, with a particular focus on organic farming, and in the horticultural sector, with regard to the use of rootstocks. There will also be a discussion on varietal innovation protected through plant protection rights, a highly topical issue, especially in light of the expected changes in the regulation of new genetic improvement techniques, which can represent important levers for the competitiveness of production chains.