PREFACE

The contributions were sent in from 13 countries (Bulgarìa, Great Britain, India, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Thailand, U.S.A., West Germany, Jugoslavia) but the Conference was also attended by members from Belgium, Denmark, France, Hungary, Japan, Tunisia and Zimbabwe. Hence it provided an excellent opportunity for discussing a wide range of issues and experience. This too was a sign of the vitality that characterized the Working Group from the outset, under the lively chairmanship of Mr. George.

The scientific work of the organization was carried out by the staff of the Institute of Plant Breeding and Seed Production, University of Turin, in particular by Dr. P. Belletti and Miss.A.Novaro. The greatest support in arranging for the Conference in the province of Forlì, wich is certainly the most representative for vegetable seed production in Italy, came from Dr. R.Anderlini of Ente Nazionale Sementi Elette, Prof.A.Lovato of the University of Bologna and from Ente Fiera di Forlì.

The Emilia-Romagna Region, the Commune and the Chamber of Commerce of Forlì and the Società Orticola Italiana also gave their support to this initiative; as did the National Research Council of Rome, particularly for the preparation of this volume. I am greatly indebted to all this people and bodies for their help.

Since the production of vegetable and flower seed has now become a vast and complex subject, which takes in such divers themes as plant breeding, phytopathology, physiology and agronomy, the present collection is necessarily heterogeneous. Grouping them in sessions was mainly an attempt at making the discussion more organic; as the division turned out to be quite effectual in practice, it has been maintained in this volume.

L. Quagliotti