OPENING ADDRESS

I am very pleased that I am given the opportunity to say some words of welcome to you in my capacity as chairman of the section Vegetables as well as a member of the Executive Committee of the International Society for Horticultural Science and on behalf of this society.

We regard it as a great honour to the ISHS, Mr. Chairman, that a rather considerable number of prominent scientific workers in horticulture from nearly all parts of the world except the Far East and Australia, are attending this symposium and that during this opening session, we have also the pleasure to meet several official guests, notably the representatives of the Government of the State of Israel, Mr. Maas, from other fellow Institutes, as well as the official representatives of the FAO.

I take the opportunity to thank you, but in particular also the chairman of the Organizing Committee and his co-workers, Dr. Kurt Schallinger, for the overall organization and the preparation of this symposium. So far, we have been very impressed. On behalf of the Society I thank you very much for all that you have done and for the very promising program as well!

We are pleased that, in cooperation with our Israeli hosts, the ISHS could invite us for this symposium in such a turbulent but also a rapidly developing country as your young but promising State of Israel; particularly because this State has made such great progress in horticultural research as well as in the field of water supply and distribution in relation to your horticultural production, and the program learns, you even have a Water Commissioner, Mr. Ben Mair.

We also feel obliged to the chairman of the working group, Prof. Dr. Hartmann who established this active working group and stimulated this second symposium during his chairmanship. Thank a lot, Prof. Hartmann, on behalf of us all.

Meetings like the one we are presently attending are promising signs of effective international cooperation in world wide research and friendship, and as such, they serve the purpose of better international understanding and of peace.

From experience may I say that these recurring activities are most worthwhile and moreover, nothing can surpass the exchange of scientific findings and the informal discussions between colleagues as well as the deep and friendly contacts between specialists, than symposia such as these.

At this meeting, once more the opportunity is given to broaden the sphere of our knowledge and ideas and we learn to know the regional work and practices of our colleagues from different countries.

Moreover, today we find many good friends coming from nearly all over the world; seeing each other again is certainly cause for great pleasure! Last but not least I like to express the wish that this meeting may develop very successfully and on behalf of the ISHS I declare it now open. Thank you.


OPENING REMARKS

distinguished guests, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great honour for us to host this meeting of scientists and professional horticulturalists from so many countries who have come here to discuss problems of water and irrigation. We appreciate the acceptance of our invitation by the International Society for Horticultural Science to hold this symposium in Israel, and we express the hope that our guests from abroad will enjoy their stay here both from the professional and from the social point of view.

The limiting factor of Israel's agriculture is water, but despite this you will see that our fields are flourishing - so much so that I may dare to say that we are now seeing the beginning of the fulfilment of the biblical prophecies - to quote Isaiah, 44:18

"I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land springs of water".
"I will plant in the wilderness the erez, the acacia, the murtle and the oleaster. I will set in the desert the fir tree and the pine".

What the prophet is pointing out is that it needs only water to turn the wilderness into a blossoming garden.

When the Jews began to return to this, their ancient homeland, the agricultural methods they found were not much different from those practiced in biblical times. The cultivation tool was the wooden plough, driven by donkeys, oxen or camels, and agriculture depended mostly on the use of rainwater. The only trees that grew without irrigation were the olive, the fig and the vine. Vegetables were grown only during the winter when there was enough rainfall. Over the years, and especially since the foundation of the State of Israel, the countryside underwent a complete change.

Instead of the primitive tilling of the soil, we have developed modern agriculture based on the latest scientific methods. The swamps were drained and thus new agricultural land was created. Thanks to this increase new varieties of crops were introduced which were not grown in ancient times. Citrus was introduced many decades ago, and is still today, one of our most important and valuable crops. After many trials and errors, we have succeeded in acclimatizing various types of fruit, vegetables and flowers. During the last 30 years the irrigated area has been increased tenfold, from 20 000 to 200 000 hectares.

Despite the vast increase in the area of irrigated land, the amount of water available to us has hardly increased. So that our increases in production can be attributed in a large measure to the increase in efficiency of water use. We hope to share with you our experience in this matter during the meeting.

In conclusion, I would like to say that we hope that such an international gathering may contribute to a better understanding between nations. We all look forward to the day when farmers and researchers from neighbouring countries will also participate in such meetings.

And finally, with our tradtional greeting, SHALOM, which means peace, I invite you to start the scientific part of this Symposium.

Bet Dagan
9.1.78