OPENING ADDRESS

Some years ago the Commission for Protected Cultivation, the Section for Vegetables and the Section for Ornamental Plants agreed that the problem of water supply of horticultural crops should be discussed during a symposium.

Water as a main growing factor with the greatest difficulties in its regulation so far, is gaining more and more interest in most of the countries. This does not only concern countries with arid climate, but also countries with sufficient water reserves. An increasing demand of the industry and the population is competing with the agriculture for the present reserves which are decreasing mainly in industrial regions by a rising degree of pollution.

According to the importance of this problem, we are glad that we could organize this symposium "Water supply under glass and plastics". Owing to lack of time it was only possible to pick out a small part of the use of water in horticulture. We hope to discuss a sufficient section of this problem by the different topics like physiological fundamentals on water and nutrition, water application, water quality as well as on water control.

Our invitation found a great response and we are very glad that we can greet so many participants of the different countries and we thank already now all those, who are willing to talk about their work.

We hope that out of this meeting comes up an intensivation of international contacts and we would enjoy a working group handling the theme "water" in the future. We want to draw your attention to the possibility of the foundation of a working group during this meeting.

Concerning the date, we think you understand that we put this symposium in the time of celebrations for the centennial of the "Hessische Forschungsanstalt für Wein-, Obst- und Gartenbau".

Last but not least we hope that you will have some informative and nice days in Geisenheim.


SPEECH OF PROF. DR. D. FRITZ, CHAIRMAN,
SECTION FOR VEGETABLES

This symposium is dealing with a subject which is of interest to several branches: the Sections for Vegetables and for Ornamental Plants and the Commission for Protected Cultivation, and thus has been organized by these three technical bodies of the ISHS. As each other symposium, the one taking place today has its own history. The working group 'Water supply and irrigation of vegetables', the chairman of which is Prof. Dr. Hartmann, was to be activated and members were to be found by means of a symposium. The first preliminaries already showed that interest was concentrated upon protected cultivation of vegetables and ornamental plants. So, an opportunity of cooperation was the result. However, we must realize that the aim of symposia should be a most possible scientific specialization and the beginning of collaboration between specialists. The congresses, on the contrary, should deal with a broader range of subjects and mutually inspire all persons concerned.

Therefore, in connection with this symposium the working group 'Water supply and irrigation of vegetables', too, will consider which will be the main objectives within the next few years, who of the colleagues will be ready to actively collaborating as members of the working group, and where the next symposium can take place. Such countries in which water is a minimum factor could, without doubt, be suited for that purpose. Perhaps a main subject may also already be proposed.

On behalf of the ISHS I like to thank all colleagues who have contributed to the occurrence of this symposium. My special thanks go to Prof. Dr. Hartmann, Prof. Dr. von Hentig and their staff members. We appreciate their work because we know the efforts which are necessary to prepare such a symposium. All preliminaries were thoroughly carried out so that a harmonic development of the symposium is guaranteed.

The subject of this symposium can help closing a gap: although water supply and irrigation are a basis of plant production, in different countries science was disregarded on the part of both horticultural engineering and applied horticultural research during the recent years. We hope that by means of this symposium and by the working group 'Water supply and irrigation of vegetables' new impulses will be given from plant production to irrigation techniques. For this, too, I should like to thank the organizers, their helpers, and those sections and commissions which actively take part in this symposium.

The symposium will give us valuable impulses and show uw ways for future scientific cooperation.