The Current State of Italian Pomegranate Production: Agronomic, Crop Protection, Economic, and Managerial Perspectives

Pomegranate cultivation has gained interest in Italy, driven by the tree’s drought tolerance and temperature requirements, which make it a suitable alternative crop for farmers transitioning from traditional options like olives, cereals, or vineyards. Despite its increasing popularity, particularly in Southern Italy, fragmented knowledge of this crop hinders its diffusion. This review addresses these gaps by synthesizing knowledge across agronomy, crop protection, economics, and managerial aspects. Also, the current review identifies challenges and opportunities for pomegranate farmers. It offers insights into different irrigation, fertilization, and training systems and different soil management strategies by identifying suitable cultivars according to the market outcome. Furthermore, this review examines the main biotic threats, such as the fungal diseases affecting this crop all over the world and in Italy. Moreover, the work explores the extent to which abiotic factors like drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures are responsible for fruit injuries and reduced marketability. Lastly, this review collects market figures on pomegranate production by identifying challenges that undermine market development and discusses managerial strategies to increase the profitability of this crop while avoiding price competition from non-European countries. Therefore, this detailed review, combining knowledge from multiple disciplines, will support the Italian pomegranate sector’s growth, ensuring farmers’ long-term profitability and environmental sustainability according to the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy.