The development of the flowers and ornamental plants production in Romania, in the 8^th decade of the last century

Description of the main actions and stages regarding the technical field of flower culture development in Romania during the eighth and ninth decades of the last century (years 1978-1990), including aspects related to the modernization of greenhouses, programs and work plans regarding the increase of cultivated areas such as the role of the research sector in the development of floriculture, are highlighted in this paper through a retrospective approach to these aspects.
The coordination of multiple aspects regarding the seeds and planting material production, the cut flower and potted flowering plants production, gardens and green spaces landscapes, technologies culture creation adapted to Romania’s environmental conditions, the diversification of the assortment cultivated, all aspects represent that have gained an important development starting from 1978 years, with the establishment of a commission made up of specialists from education, research and production, which had the main role in coordinating and dynamizing the solution of these actions.
The main results were: 1) improving the construction system of the greenhouses, by designing greenhouses better adapted to the climatic conditions in our country, with higher heights (4.2 m at the ridge) and bays with a width of 6.4 m; 2) increasing the areas cultivated with flowers and decorative plants, from 38 ha in 1978 years, to 245 ha in 1985 years; 3) improving and modernizing the production of ornamental plants, especially carnations through the process of meristematic propagation, to obtain planting viruses tested material, with superior biological value and testing on indicator plants (the ELISA method was still in its infancy); 4) the modernizing of carnations assortment using hybrids, produced by large European companies, having resistance to vascular diseases; 5) diversifying the assortment with flowering plants, whose production can be obtained mainly in unfavorable climatic periods.
In this paper, only a few aspects of the profession of florist, dendrologist, researcher, designer are presented, which I want to remind my colleagues (only a part being nominated), those who worked and created a long time ago and can have a great satisfaction to see a Romania today – a country of beauty, of flowers, appreciated and indispensable for all the occasions of our lives.

EHC2024: International Symposium on the History of Horticulture in Europe

M.C. Mares

greenhouses, carnation cuttings, devirosis, fusarium, culture conditions, cut flowers

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2025.1438.47