Cluj-Napoca company launches in vitro lab for hazelnut cultivation

Cluj-Napoca startup Vitrotech Transylvania is launching an in vitro lab dedicated to hazelnut cultivation. The project, worth more than EUR 200,000, is developed as an extension of the Pădurea cu Aluni brand, owned by entrepreneur Dorin Bob.

The laboratory will initially produce seedlings for the Pădurea cu Aluni project, which aims to develop the largest hazelnut plantation in the country and create a cooperative to revitalize local fruit growing.

The laboratory in Cluj-Napoca will have an annual production capacity of approximately 300,000 seedlings, the company said. The project can support the planting of over 500 hectares dedicated to hazelnut cultivation.

The laboratory includes a research division dedicated to studies for the multiplication of new varieties of hazelnuts and fruit trees. For this, Vitrotech Transylvania has partnered with the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (USAMV) Cluj-Napoca and will collaborate with researchers from Italy, it said.

Vitrotech Transylvania was founded by Georgiana Bob, the daughter of businessman Dorin Bob. The latter owns Arovit, a canned goods brand. Dorin Bob has set his sights on becoming one of the largest hazelnut producers in Romania. He currently owns, through the company Pădurea cu Aluni, a plot of 460 hectares cultivated with hazelnuts and is preparing to expand by another 211 hectares.

“By integrating the latest technological trends, the Cluj-Napoca laboratory represents an important first step towards advanced research in fruit growing, essential for revitalizing this agricultural sector in Romania. Our country can become an important player in regional hazelnut production, and the technology we are developing will support these businesses,” Georgiana Bob, the owner of Vitrotech Transylvania, said.

(Photo: the company)