THE ROLE OF IRRIGATION IN THE PRODUCTION OF CANNING INDUSTRY VEGETABLES

In Hungary, about 55–60% of the vegetables produced in the field are processed by the canning industry or, in their less part, by the freezing industry.

From the producers the canning industry – on the base of the market requirements and its processing capacity – demands the raw material in yearly-determined timing, quantity and quality.
On the one hand, the vigorous claims, on the other hand, the quantitative, qualitative and temporal fluctuation of the yield are the sources of continuous strained relations between producers and processors.
Especially this is the situation in Hungary where our weather is changingly influenced by the continental, oceanic and Mediterranean climates.
In our area once the one climatic type gets predominant, at some other time the other does so, and creates favourable or unfavourable economic conditions alteringly during one vegetation time, even during its one period.
In the course of planning the production technologies we accomodate ourselves to this situation, to the factors getting minimal with a high probability.
Therefore the average yield is low, the quantity and quality of yield are fluctuating among wide limits.
Amidst the ecologic factors this can be attributed, first of all, to the water supply of the crop or to the temperature conditions altering in a strict relation to these.
Both of these factors are influencing, in a degree and way changing per species and varieties, the maturation time and maturation dynamic which so important in the cooperation of producers and processors.

In the field production the water supply of crops can only be influenced considerably by the factors of the physical environment.
The temperature conditions of plants, between narrow limits, can be changed similarly by means of irrigation.
Thus it is easy to understand that in our country, when choosing the site, we direct our particular attention to the water supply and irrigation of crops.

Depending on the meteorological conditions of the year, we irrigate 20–30% of the vegetables area, but this provides 50–60% of the yield.
Our cultivation bases and the ecologic demand of the vegetables should give an irrigation rate higher than this.
The cultivation and biologic knowledge of vegetables irrigation should make this possible,

I International Symposium on Vegetables for Processing

L. Cselötei

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1988.220.43