Origin of Cultivated Plants | Botany Optional for UPSC PDF Download

Introduction

The fundamental requirement for human survival is food. In ancient times, our ancestors initially relied on gathering food from wild plants. However, over time, people began to cultivate these wild plants. The traditions and beliefs of ancient societies played a significant role in the development of cultivated plants. These early cultures revered and valued plants, leading to the practice of agriculture. People started to cultivate a wide range of useful plants within designated and expansive areas.
Notable ancient Greek and Roman naturalists, such as Theophrastus, Pliny the Elder, and Galen, laid the groundwork for the scientific understanding of domesticating wild plants. Even scholars like Alexander von Humboldt pondered the mysterious origins of useful plants. Finally, Charles Darwin's theory of evolution suggested that the domestication of valuable cultivated plants occurred through processes like natural selection and hybridization.

Alphonse De Condolle: Origin of cultivated plants

Alphonse Louis Pierre de Candolle, a Swiss botanist renowned for his work in phytogeography, published a significant work in 1883 titled "Origin of Cultivated Plants." This work was based on evidence drawn from ancient literature and ethnological studies. Candolle's research delved into the ancestral forms, the regions where cultivation occurred, and the historical development of 247 cultivated plant species.
Candolle's findings suggested that cultivated plants had their origins in the distant past, evolving from wild ancestors in specific, limited regions of the world. He proposed that each crop species had a single region of origin. Candolle categorized economic plants into six distinct classes, with each class containing specific plant species.
Here is a list of plants included in each class:

Class 1: Old world plants that have been cultivated for over 4,000 years

• Millets: Setaria italic, Panicum miliaceum, Pennisetum typhoideum
• Rice: Oryza sativa
• Sorghum: Sorghum vulgare
• Wheat: Triticum vulgare
• Eggplant: Solanum melongenum
• Apple: Pyrus malus

Class 2: Old world plants that have been cultivated for over 2,000 years

• Oats: Avena sativa
• Rye: Secale cereale
• Sugarcane: Saccharum officinarum
• Poppy: Papaver somniferum
• Walnut: Juglans regia
• Beet: Beta vulgaris

Class 3: Old world plants that have been cultivated for less than 2,000 years

• Coffee: Coffea arabica
• Lady’s finger: Abelmoschus esculentus
• Parsely: Petroselinum crispum
• Parsnip: Pastinaca sativa
• Buckwheat: Fagopyrum esculentum

Class 4: New world plants that have been cultivated for more than 2,000 years

• Maize: Zea mays
• Kidney bean: Phaseolus vulgaris
• Cocoa: Theobroma cacao
• Sweet potato: Ipomea batatas
• Tobacco: Nicotiana tabacum

Class 5: New world plants that have been cultivated before the time of Columbus

• Cotton: Gossypium sps.
• Potato: Solanumtuberosum
• Guava: Psidium guajava
• Avocado: Persea americana
• Pineapple: Ananas comosus
• Vanilla: Vanilla Planifolia

Class 6: New world plants that have been cultivated since the time of Columbus

• Blackberry: Rubus biflorus
• Cinchona: Cinchona sps.
• Rubber: Hevea brasiliensis
• Strawberry: Fragaria vesca
• Plum: Prunus domestica

In contemporary times, humans have acquired the knowledge and expertise to cultivate seedless fruits, prevent premature fruit drop, significantly boost crop yields through advanced plant breeding methods, generate novel plant species, manipulate flowering patterns in plants to align with specific schedules, design targeted herbicides, and manufacture precise pharmaceuticals and vitamins.

Regions where first cultivated plants originated

• The origins of the majority of cultivated plants are poorly documented as they were first grown in ancient times. Paleontological records are generally lacking for cultivated plants, and archaeological evidence is often scarce and fragmented.
• In the early 19th century, the origins of most cultivated species remained unknown. There were no plants that were naturally distributed across tropical regions in both hemispheres before they were cultivated.
• Some plants, like strawberries, chestnuts, and mushrooms, were commonly found in northern regions of the world. Many plant species had their origins in various regions, including Europe, India, West Asia, Brazil, and Colombia.
• In summary, the initial distribution of cultivated plant species was highly unequal and did not necessarily align with the needs of early human agriculture or the number of plants that were cultivated.

Why are plants cultivated?

Different plants were grown for their various beneficial qualities. For instance, plants were cultivated:

• For their underground parts such as roots, bulbs, and tubers.
• For their stems and leaves.
• For their flowers.
• For their fruits.
• For their seeds.

Most recently, the majority of newly cultivated plants are of lesser economic significance compared to those that have been cultivated for a longer time. The exploration of new continents and advancements in transportation and communication have led to the wider utilization and distribution of existing plant varieties. Additionally, many valuable new races and varieties of previously cultivated species have been developed, and ongoing efforts aim to enhance existing varieties.