Crop origins and evolution

The origins of agriculture and domesticated crops are intertwined, and the change from a hunter-gatherer mode to tillage, sowing and harvesting was one of the major technologcal innovations of humankind. This occured some 10,000 years ago in several different locations, and involved the domestication of wild-relatives of the major crops (see History of Agriculture).

Domestication involves changes in the genetic makeup and morphological appearance of plants (and animals) but the wild-relatives of crop continue today to be important sources of genetic diversity and traits to protects domesticated crops from stresses and disease (see Plant breeding), and knowledge of crop origins is of significant practical importance.

Development of new crops (such as perennial ls) today has the potential to address some of the current environmental challenges such as better water and soil conservation.

Wheat domestication in the Middle East

See also Wheat

Rice domestication in Asia and Western Africa

See also Rice

Maize and bean domestication in the Americas

See also Maize

New crops by hybridisation and polyploidy

See also Plant breeding

Further reading

• Chapter 13. Ten thousand years of crop evolution. Paul Gepts. In Chrispeels, Maarten J.; Sadava, David E. (editors) (2003). Plants, Genes and Crop Biotechnology, 2th ed.. Jones and Bartlett. ISBN 0-7637-1586-7. 
• Diamond, Jared (1997). Guns, Germs and Steel: A Short History of Everybody for the Last 13,000 Years, 1sh ed.. Vintage. ISBN 0-09-939278-0. 
• Chapman, G. P. (1992). Grass Evolution and Domestication, 1sh ed.. Cambridge, U.K.. 

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