History of the Department - Institute of Horticultural Sciences
History of Department
Until 1946, vegetable growing was only included as a subject at the Faculty of Horticulture and Viticulture of the University of Agricultural Sciences.
Until 1946, István Szabó Csonti taught the subject, and in 1946, András Somos was commissioned to organize the department. The Department of Vegetable Production operated with 2 lecturers and 2 scientific researchers in addition to the head of the department. The deputy head of the department was Angeli Lambert, a well-known pepper breeder, while László Kórodi assisted in education. In 1948, the Department expanded with a new lecturer (Miklós Borka) and 3 demonstrators. The following year, Ferenc Tarjányi was promoted to teaching assistant. In 1951, József Kerekes also joined the department as a teaching assistant, who prepared the lectures on medicinal plants for the external speaker Géza Szathmári and organized the medicinal plants growing research that was starting at that time. From 1952, Sándor Dávid, Sándor Balázs and Ferenc Tarjányi joined the department. In 1954, István Filius became the new instructor of the department.
The 1956 Research work gradually developed and expanded as research conditions improved. We were able to carry out the research in the area of the Budatetény Center of the later Horticultural Research Institute, this work started with pepper breeding. Later, research into the biological foundations of vegetable cultivation became the main task of the department. This topic included the impact assessment of heat and light, as well as carbon dioxide, with respect to various cultivated vegetable species. From 1957, the predecessor of the university, the College of Horticulture, received a research area on the Danube bank in Soroksári. From this point on, the research of outdoor cultures also became more effective. At the same time, we were also able to carry out more and more significant research at the rebuilt and organized Buda site, primarily with propagating cultures and medicinal plants. In 1960, the Dunaparti Kísérleti tér was moved to the center of the Soroksári teaching farm. This period was the most intensive period of departmental research so far. Primarily, the development of cultivation under foil became the main topic of the research work. It is thanks to the research work of István Filius, András Somos and István Túri that the foundations of domestic foil folding were created in Hungary. At the same time, mainly pepper breeding was a successful area of our research, and we were able to achieve European-level results primarily by producing white hybrids grown on the largest surface area. During this time, the department developed the so-called synchronous expert consultation procedure.
The 1956 Research work gradually developed and expanded as research conditions improved. We were able to carry out the research in the area of the Budatetény Center of the later Horticultural Research Institute, this work started with pepper breeding. Later, research into the biological foundations of vegetable cultivation became the main task of the department. This topic included the impact assessment of heat and light, as well as carbon dioxide, with respect to various cultivated vegetable species. From 1957, the predecessor of the university, the College of Horticulture, received a research area on the Danube bank in Soroksári. From this point on, the research of outdoor cultures also became more effective. At the same time, we were also able to carry out more and more significant research at the rebuilt and organized Buda site, primarily with propagating cultures and medicinal plants. In 1960, the Dunaparti Kísérleti tér was moved to the center of the Soroksári teaching farm. This period was the most intensive period of departmental research so far. Primarily, the development of cultivation under foil became the main topic of the research work. It is thanks to the research work of István Filius, András Somos and István Túri that the foundations of domestic foil folding were created in Hungary. At the same time, mainly pepper breeding was a successful area of our research, and we were able to achieve European-level results primarily by producing white hybrids grown on the largest surface area. During this time, the department developed the so-called synchronous expert consultation procedure.
In the 1960s, we began to deal with the issues of the utilization of cultivation equipment and during these researches we started to deal with the cultivation of mushrooms. In the first period, we only dealt with chanterelles, in the later years, in cooperation with the Kecskemét Vegetable Research Institute, we also tried to develop methods for growing other species. Medicinal Plant Cultivation became an independent department and from 1970 József Kerekes became the head of the Medicinal Plant Cultivation Department.
In 1992, the head of the department András Somos retired, and Sándor Balázs took over the management of the department, who headed the department until 1994. He was succeeded by Ferenc Zatykó after his retirement, and from 2000 István Terbe became the head of the department.
It should be mentioned that the Faculty of Horticulture was also institutionalized. In addition to growing vegetables, the institute was also involved in growing herbs. This organizational formula ceased after the system change, and since then the department has been operating under the name of the Department of Vegetable and Mushroom Cultivation.
The faculty and researchers of the department continue to maintain close contact with the producers, and the advisory system continues to function. We have good relations with many foreign educational and research institutions, the previously established Dutch, German, French and Swiss relations continue to function unchanged.