THE INFLUENCE OF IRRIGATION ON THE STRUCTURE OF CROPS ON ARABLE LAND, UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF ROMANIA'S PLANNED ECONOMY AND FREE MARKET

The paper describes the main criteria that were taken into account during the planned agriculture period, the communist period before 1990, compared to the current period under the conditions of the market economy. During the first period, at the beginning of each year, the Law on the socio-economic development of the country was published, in which the parameters which had to be reached by the end of that year were set. In terms of agriculture, the structure of the crops, livestock, plant and animal production, average yields per hectare and per head of livestock were planned. However, the structure of the crops was compulsory. Both the areas of the different crops and the level of yields were established according to the natural favorability of the land, but especially according to the extension of the areas equipped for irrigation. And during the second period, when the irrigated areas were drastically reduced, they were a major criterion for establishing the structure of the crop.