Tito Vezio Zapparoli

Who was Tito Vezio Zapparoli?

Tito Vezio Zapparoli was an Italian agronomist and plant breeder.

After graduating in agriculture, he studied the agronomic and morphological characteristics of traditional varieties of maize.

In October 1920 the Stazione sperimentale di maiscoltura in Curno was established, where he was appointed director after working with the agronomist Ottavio Munerati, the director of the "Beet experimental station" in Rovigo, and a master of the applied agronomic research methodology.

Zapparoli fostered genetic studies, breeding, and agronomic research, improving the varieties of maize cropped in northern and central Italy. He selected isogenic lines from the best performing populations of maize, and used the output of such to establish synthetic varieties and to produce inter-varieties crosses. He also developed the agronomic technique of matching the exigencies of the improved varieties. Zapparoli was known as the "Maize Man" by farmers and colleagues, for his wide and deep understanding of crop issues and for his personal good mood, humbleness, practical skills and probity.