PREFACE

Countries of the region were invited to provide a speaker on the general topic of the vegetable industry of their country. This being the first Congress of I.S.H.S. to be held in this part of the world, speakers and countries were at first uncertain of the scope and content of papers for such an occasion. Some countries were unable to be represented; some could be present only with considerable financial asassistance, and all were concerned with the problem of presenting, in the impossibly short period of twenty minutes, the complex picture of their diverse vegetable industries. The Symposium that took place on Friday 18th August 1978 was a remarkable coming together of Horticultural Scientists from widely scattered countries and diversity of backgrounds. As the Symposium progressed it was obvious that the large audience grew in sympathy and understanding and became itself intimately involved with the problems and prospects of the region.

The initial theme of "Vegetables from the Equator to the Poles" did not emerge as a unifying theme. Indeed there were few countries large enough to span any meaningful range of latitudes, and there was little trade in fresh produce, even in a North-South direction. What did consistently emerge was repeated use of altitude, rather than latitude, to extend into environments allowing the range of produce demanded by the marketplace. The need to improve technology for cropping the lowlands was evident in many of the papers presented at the Symposium.

The job of editing the various papers was not an easy one. Problems inherent in assembling the speakers over such distances and across national and cultural borders was in itself difficult enough, without the requirement that the papers conform to specifications. Furthermore, since the Symposium was conducted entirely in the English language, to produce a paper and to deliver it at all was, in most cases, a personal triumph of no small magnitude. I am indebted to The University of Sydney for approval of a period of study-leave to visit many of the countries here represented, and to arrange, by discussion with the authors and by visits to the production areas and research centres, a short account of the principal points contributed by each speaker. May I here record my appreciation for the many kindnesses and warm hospitality extended to me during the course of these visits.

On behalf of the Committee of Section 7, Vegetables, I wish to express appreciation to the Organising Committee of the XXth International Horticultural Congress and the Australian Development Assistance Bureau (ADAB) for generous support of those of the speakers whose presence at the symposium was contingent on some form of financial support. The Committee is also grateful to the governments of participating countries and to the agencies of international research and aid programmes for supporting their speakers to the Symposium. Costs associated with the organization of the Symposium and the preparation of this typescript were met by the Department of Agronomy and Horticultural Science at the University of Sydney.

Dr. William J. Greenhalgh
Chairman, Section 7, Vegetables
XXth International Horticultural Congress