Pat Willmer
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691128610
- eISBN:
- 9781400838943
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691128610.003.0028
- Subject:
- Biology, Ecology
This chapter focuses on the pollination of crops. Animal pollination is important to the large majority of important crops, including those directly eaten by humans. However, there are differing ...
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This chapter focuses on the pollination of crops. Animal pollination is important to the large majority of important crops, including those directly eaten by humans. However, there are differing absolute and relative needs for pollination. The chapter begins with a discussion of food crop types that need animal pollination, including wheat, oats, rice, maize, rye, barley, peanut, potato, cassava, sugarcane, and banana. It then considers a fairly standard set of tests that should be applied to determine what a good pollinator will be. It also provides examples that illustrate particular problems of crop productivity or crop management, from plants grown intensively or on a small and local scale, and in a wide range of habitats. Finally, it examines general approaches to encouraging pollination, along with problems associated with hybrid crops, seed crops, and crop breeding.Less
This chapter focuses on the pollination of crops. Animal pollination is important to the large majority of important crops, including those directly eaten by humans. However, there are differing absolute and relative needs for pollination. The chapter begins with a discussion of food crop types that need animal pollination, including wheat, oats, rice, maize, rye, barley, peanut, potato, cassava, sugarcane, and banana. It then considers a fairly standard set of tests that should be applied to determine what a good pollinator will be. It also provides examples that illustrate particular problems of crop productivity or crop management, from plants grown intensively or on a small and local scale, and in a wide range of habitats. Finally, it examines general approaches to encouraging pollination, along with problems associated with hybrid crops, seed crops, and crop breeding.
R. Ford Denison
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691139500
- eISBN:
- 9781400842810
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691139500.003.0007
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
This chapter considers four ideas—suggested by Wes Jackson and Jon Piper in the classic paper, “The necessary marriage between ecology and agriculture”—for how agriculture might attempt to mimic ...
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This chapter considers four ideas—suggested by Wes Jackson and Jon Piper in the classic paper, “The necessary marriage between ecology and agriculture”—for how agriculture might attempt to mimic nature: perennial grain crops; reliance on only local sources of nutrients; polyculture or intercropping (that is, deploying crop diversity as mixtures, as in many natural ecosystems); and reliance on biodiversity to control pests. The chapter examines each of the proposals in light of the conclusion that copying landscape-scale patterns from natural ecosystems is not necessarily a good idea, arguing that all of them are representative of many self-styled “agroecologists.” It also discusses complementarity in crop mixtures, specifically spatial complementarity, temporal complementarity, and nutritional complementarity.Less
This chapter considers four ideas—suggested by Wes Jackson and Jon Piper in the classic paper, “The necessary marriage between ecology and agriculture”—for how agriculture might attempt to mimic nature: perennial grain crops; reliance on only local sources of nutrients; polyculture or intercropping (that is, deploying crop diversity as mixtures, as in many natural ecosystems); and reliance on biodiversity to control pests. The chapter examines each of the proposals in light of the conclusion that copying landscape-scale patterns from natural ecosystems is not necessarily a good idea, arguing that all of them are representative of many self-styled “agroecologists.” It also discusses complementarity in crop mixtures, specifically spatial complementarity, temporal complementarity, and nutritional complementarity.
Michael Decker
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199565283
- eISBN:
- 9780191721724
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199565283.003.0008
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
Chapter 7 continues to explore agrarian change, by examining the means of intensification. As arable land became more restricted, and less favourable plots in dry regions came to be relied upon, late ...
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Chapter 7 continues to explore agrarian change, by examining the means of intensification. As arable land became more restricted, and less favourable plots in dry regions came to be relied upon, late antique farmers resorted to increasingly intensive farming methods. This chapter argues that the crop monoculture, though often assumed, was rare to non-existent, and that the more common practice was a mixed agricultural regime of small-scale animal husbandry combined with intensive orchard and vine cropping with cereals squeezed into the matrix where possible, not dominating it, as has been presumed. The adaptation of new crops is proposed. Finally, the increasing use of irrigation (qanat and saqiya systems) implies great investment in agrarian structures both in terms of labour and money investment.Less
Chapter 7 continues to explore agrarian change, by examining the means of intensification. As arable land became more restricted, and less favourable plots in dry regions came to be relied upon, late antique farmers resorted to increasingly intensive farming methods. This chapter argues that the crop monoculture, though often assumed, was rare to non-existent, and that the more common practice was a mixed agricultural regime of small-scale animal husbandry combined with intensive orchard and vine cropping with cereals squeezed into the matrix where possible, not dominating it, as has been presumed. The adaptation of new crops is proposed. Finally, the increasing use of irrigation (qanat and saqiya systems) implies great investment in agrarian structures both in terms of labour and money investment.
Pamela C. Ronald and Raoul W. Adamchak
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195301755
- eISBN:
- 9780199867196
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195301755.003.0009
- Subject:
- Biology, Plant Sciences and Forestry
This chapter offers a discussion of why many weeds spread invasively whereas most crops and native species do not. It also looks into pollen flow from genetically engineered crops.
This chapter offers a discussion of why many weeds spread invasively whereas most crops and native species do not. It also looks into pollen flow from genetically engineered crops.
M. E. Turner, J. V. Beckett, and B. Afton
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208044
- eISBN:
- 9780191716577
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208044.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History, British and Irish Modern History
This chapter tests the traditional appreciation of farming in the past, based on crop rotations of two or three crops followed by a fallow year, against the evidence-based practice of 18th- and ...
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This chapter tests the traditional appreciation of farming in the past, based on crop rotations of two or three crops followed by a fallow year, against the evidence-based practice of 18th- and 19th-century farmers. Not only was farming more complex than this, but it also changed and therefore evolved according to farmers' assessments of the market and the diffusion of new crops and techniques. Through measurements derived from farmers' records, the magnitude of this evolution is measured and in particular the temporal diffusion of the Norfolk four course systems of new crops based on the nitrogen cycle is assessed. At the same time, there was a revolution taking place in soil improvements through soil conditioning and fertilizing, and these are also measured and assessed.Less
This chapter tests the traditional appreciation of farming in the past, based on crop rotations of two or three crops followed by a fallow year, against the evidence-based practice of 18th- and 19th-century farmers. Not only was farming more complex than this, but it also changed and therefore evolved according to farmers' assessments of the market and the diffusion of new crops and techniques. Through measurements derived from farmers' records, the magnitude of this evolution is measured and in particular the temporal diffusion of the Norfolk four course systems of new crops based on the nitrogen cycle is assessed. At the same time, there was a revolution taking place in soil improvements through soil conditioning and fertilizing, and these are also measured and assessed.
Carlos H. Vergara
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195316957
- eISBN:
- 9780199871575
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195316957.003.0009
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology, Plant Sciences and Forestry
This chapter reviews currently available information on the success of introduced pollinators, their effects on native ecosystems, and examines the viability of using native pollinators to prevent ...
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This chapter reviews currently available information on the success of introduced pollinators, their effects on native ecosystems, and examines the viability of using native pollinators to prevent unnecessary introductions of exotic species. Exotic species of bees have been introduced to different countries as crop pollinators. Well-known examples are the alfalfa leafcutting bee (Megachile rotundata) and several species of bumble bees (Bombus spp.). In most cases, these imports have been done without prior assessment of possible negative impacts of the pollinators on native ecosystems. Other species have been accidentally introduced, or introduced for purposes other than pollination of crops. The best known of such introductions is the African honey bee, imported to Brazil in the 1950s. African honey bees (Apis mellifera scutellata) have become important pollinators of crops like coffee or avocado in tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas.Less
This chapter reviews currently available information on the success of introduced pollinators, their effects on native ecosystems, and examines the viability of using native pollinators to prevent unnecessary introductions of exotic species. Exotic species of bees have been introduced to different countries as crop pollinators. Well-known examples are the alfalfa leafcutting bee (Megachile rotundata) and several species of bumble bees (Bombus spp.). In most cases, these imports have been done without prior assessment of possible negative impacts of the pollinators on native ecosystems. Other species have been accidentally introduced, or introduced for purposes other than pollination of crops. The best known of such introductions is the African honey bee, imported to Brazil in the 1950s. African honey bees (Apis mellifera scutellata) have become important pollinators of crops like coffee or avocado in tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas.
Graham Bell
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198569725
- eISBN:
- 9780191717741
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198569725.003.0006
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
Artificial selection provides a means of validating evolutionary principles, and is the basis of applied evolutionary biology. This chapter describes both short-term and long-term responses to ...
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Artificial selection provides a means of validating evolutionary principles, and is the basis of applied evolutionary biology. This chapter describes both short-term and long-term responses to selection for defined phenotypic characteristics. The first section of this chapter, Selection acting on quantitative variation, describes inheritance of quantitative characters; stabilizing selection; directional selection of quantitative characters; and stabilizing selection of quantitative characters. The second section is called Generations 1-10, the short-term response, and talks about a bristle experiment; the short-term response; asymmetry; divergence; selection of heritable merit; the indirect response to selection; the tertiary theorem of natural selection; and stabilizing selection. The next section called Generations 10-100, the limits to selection, discusses surpassing the ancestor; the selection limit; heroic experiments; the limits to selection in terms of loss of useful variation; long-continued response in terms of recurrent mutation; long-continued response in terms of environmental variance; limits to selection in terms of countervailing natural selection; the limits to stabilizing selection; and transcending the limit. Finally, the section entitled Generations 100 up - new kinds of creatures, discusses selection for yield in crop plants; historical improvement; and domestication.Less
Artificial selection provides a means of validating evolutionary principles, and is the basis of applied evolutionary biology. This chapter describes both short-term and long-term responses to selection for defined phenotypic characteristics. The first section of this chapter, Selection acting on quantitative variation, describes inheritance of quantitative characters; stabilizing selection; directional selection of quantitative characters; and stabilizing selection of quantitative characters. The second section is called Generations 1-10, the short-term response, and talks about a bristle experiment; the short-term response; asymmetry; divergence; selection of heritable merit; the indirect response to selection; the tertiary theorem of natural selection; and stabilizing selection. The next section called Generations 10-100, the limits to selection, discusses surpassing the ancestor; the selection limit; heroic experiments; the limits to selection in terms of loss of useful variation; long-continued response in terms of recurrent mutation; long-continued response in terms of environmental variance; limits to selection in terms of countervailing natural selection; the limits to stabilizing selection; and transcending the limit. Finally, the section entitled Generations 100 up - new kinds of creatures, discusses selection for yield in crop plants; historical improvement; and domestication.
Lora A. Morandin
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195316957
- eISBN:
- 9780199871575
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195316957.003.0012
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology, Plant Sciences and Forestry
Genetic modification (GM) of crops has been accompanied by concerns of environmental impact, including effects to beneficial organisms such as bees. Currently, most commercial GM crops are modified ...
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Genetic modification (GM) of crops has been accompanied by concerns of environmental impact, including effects to beneficial organisms such as bees. Currently, most commercial GM crops are modified for pest and/or herbicide resistance. Transgenes such as Bt may be expressed in pollen, resulting in exposure to bees. However, studies to date indicate that crops transformed with genes coding for Bt proteins will not harm bees. Herbicide resistant crops are not likely to pose direct toxicity effects to bees; yet, greater weed control in herbicide resistant crops may be responsible for a lower bee abundance in these crops than non-transformed crops. Reduced pesticide use associated with insect resistant GM crops, and reduced tillage that is possible with herbicide tolerant crops, could be beneficial to bee populations compared to conventional agriculture. Risk of GM crops to bees should be assessed on a case-by-case basis in relation to feasible alternatives.Less
Genetic modification (GM) of crops has been accompanied by concerns of environmental impact, including effects to beneficial organisms such as bees. Currently, most commercial GM crops are modified for pest and/or herbicide resistance. Transgenes such as Bt may be expressed in pollen, resulting in exposure to bees. However, studies to date indicate that crops transformed with genes coding for Bt proteins will not harm bees. Herbicide resistant crops are not likely to pose direct toxicity effects to bees; yet, greater weed control in herbicide resistant crops may be responsible for a lower bee abundance in these crops than non-transformed crops. Reduced pesticide use associated with insect resistant GM crops, and reduced tillage that is possible with herbicide tolerant crops, could be beneficial to bee populations compared to conventional agriculture. Risk of GM crops to bees should be assessed on a case-by-case basis in relation to feasible alternatives.
Michael L. Arnold
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199539581
- eISBN:
- 9780191716225
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199539581.003.0007
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
This chapter surveys a set of plant species and species complexes from which Homo sapiens derives nourishment. It highlights the reticulate nature of human food sources by discussing data for plants ...
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This chapter surveys a set of plant species and species complexes from which Homo sapiens derives nourishment. It highlights the reticulate nature of human food sources by discussing data for plants from which humans harvest roots, seeds, fruits, stems, or leaves. Of the twenty lineages discussed, some reflect major, worldwide crop species such as rice and wheat, while others reflect much more geographically-limited species such as cassava and grapefruit.Less
This chapter surveys a set of plant species and species complexes from which Homo sapiens derives nourishment. It highlights the reticulate nature of human food sources by discussing data for plants from which humans harvest roots, seeds, fruits, stems, or leaves. Of the twenty lineages discussed, some reflect major, worldwide crop species such as rice and wheat, while others reflect much more geographically-limited species such as cassava and grapefruit.
Michael Decker
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199565283
- eISBN:
- 9780191721724
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199565283.003.0004
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
Chapter 3 deals with the production of cereal crops and subsistence requirements. Quantitative studies offer tentative yields and consumption rates. from this chapter's calculations, it appears that ...
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Chapter 3 deals with the production of cereal crops and subsistence requirements. Quantitative studies offer tentative yields and consumption rates. from this chapter's calculations, it appears that grain yield was not impossibly low, but cereal farming gave the lowest rate of return than any of the major Mediterranean crops, and as the extended area of land needed to grow it meant that many poorer farmers were probably increasingly discouraged from chancing the feeding of their families by this means alone. Instead, it seems that they turned to more lucrative cash crops and looked to purchase their grain on the market supplied mainly by larger estate owners.Less
Chapter 3 deals with the production of cereal crops and subsistence requirements. Quantitative studies offer tentative yields and consumption rates. from this chapter's calculations, it appears that grain yield was not impossibly low, but cereal farming gave the lowest rate of return than any of the major Mediterranean crops, and as the extended area of land needed to grow it meant that many poorer farmers were probably increasingly discouraged from chancing the feeding of their families by this means alone. Instead, it seems that they turned to more lucrative cash crops and looked to purchase their grain on the market supplied mainly by larger estate owners.
Malcolm Ausden
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198568728
- eISBN:
- 9780191717529
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198568728.003.0010
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
Arable (also known as rowcrop fields) is land that is cultivated regularly for production of food and, increasingly, bioenergy. The value of arable land to wildlife is heavily influenced by the ...
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Arable (also known as rowcrop fields) is land that is cultivated regularly for production of food and, increasingly, bioenergy. The value of arable land to wildlife is heavily influenced by the presence of permanent grassland and other uncropped habitats along its boundaries, such as hedgerows, scattered trees, water-filled drainage ditches, grass strips, and stone walls. This chapter discusses the management of arable land. Topics covered include farming systems and crop types, minimizing pesticide and fertilizer use on field margins, providing cultivated but unsown areas within fields, minimizing destruction of birds' nests during mechanical operations, providing unharvested crops for birds to eat, and manipulating flooding regimes.Less
Arable (also known as rowcrop fields) is land that is cultivated regularly for production of food and, increasingly, bioenergy. The value of arable land to wildlife is heavily influenced by the presence of permanent grassland and other uncropped habitats along its boundaries, such as hedgerows, scattered trees, water-filled drainage ditches, grass strips, and stone walls. This chapter discusses the management of arable land. Topics covered include farming systems and crop types, minimizing pesticide and fertilizer use on field margins, providing cultivated but unsown areas within fields, minimizing destruction of birds' nests during mechanical operations, providing unharvested crops for birds to eat, and manipulating flooding regimes.
S. M. Ravi Kanbur
- Published in print:
- 1991
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198286356
- eISBN:
- 9780191718465
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198286356.003.0003
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter discusses three themes illuminating the regional element in the link between global food balances and individual hunger. First, for a nation-state in a global setting, it underlines the ...
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This chapter discusses three themes illuminating the regional element in the link between global food balances and individual hunger. First, for a nation-state in a global setting, it underlines the importance of non-market-based food-entitlements and the availability of food aid. Importantly, the prices of non-food exports should be considered while constructing early warning systems. It is argued that there can be and usually are significant indirect effects when various traded and non-traded food crops are substitutes in production or consumption. Lastly, in a system of market-based entitlements, there exists net buyers and net sellers, and hence a fall in food price has a mixed impact. The chapter also examines the problem of data availability. For making good use of nutrition-based poverty measures, performing sensitivity analysis using different cut-offs is suggested.Less
This chapter discusses three themes illuminating the regional element in the link between global food balances and individual hunger. First, for a nation-state in a global setting, it underlines the importance of non-market-based food-entitlements and the availability of food aid. Importantly, the prices of non-food exports should be considered while constructing early warning systems. It is argued that there can be and usually are significant indirect effects when various traded and non-traded food crops are substitutes in production or consumption. Lastly, in a system of market-based entitlements, there exists net buyers and net sellers, and hence a fall in food price has a mixed impact. The chapter also examines the problem of data availability. For making good use of nutrition-based poverty measures, performing sensitivity analysis using different cut-offs is suggested.
William R. Clark
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195336214
- eISBN:
- 9780199868537
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195336214.003.0006
- Subject:
- Biology, Ecology
If the purpose of bioterrorism is social and economic disruption, and the spread of fear and uncertainty across as many people as possible, for as long as possible, disruption of food and water ...
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If the purpose of bioterrorism is social and economic disruption, and the spread of fear and uncertainty across as many people as possible, for as long as possible, disruption of food and water supplies – agroterrorism - can be a major weapon. People dying of thirst or starvation is actually a rather low-probability outcome of an agroterrorism attack. The US is a major supplier of food to the world, and agricultural exports account for a sizeable portion of America's trade income – about fifty billion dollars per year. Pathogenic contamination of American food supplies, which feed a sizeable portion of the world community, could bring about economic disaster the likes of which have not been seen since the Great Depression. It would affect not just farmers and agribusinesses who grow food for export: the collateral damage stemming from interference with this sector of our nation's business would ripple through the rest of our economy like a hot knife through butter.Less
If the purpose of bioterrorism is social and economic disruption, and the spread of fear and uncertainty across as many people as possible, for as long as possible, disruption of food and water supplies – agroterrorism - can be a major weapon. People dying of thirst or starvation is actually a rather low-probability outcome of an agroterrorism attack. The US is a major supplier of food to the world, and agricultural exports account for a sizeable portion of America's trade income – about fifty billion dollars per year. Pathogenic contamination of American food supplies, which feed a sizeable portion of the world community, could bring about economic disaster the likes of which have not been seen since the Great Depression. It would affect not just farmers and agribusinesses who grow food for export: the collateral damage stemming from interference with this sector of our nation's business would ripple through the rest of our economy like a hot knife through butter.
Denis J Murphy
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199207145
- eISBN:
- 9780191708893
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199207145.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Plant Sciences and Forestry
This book provides an overview of human-plant interactions and their social consequences, from the hunter-gatherers of the Palaeolithic Era to the 21st century molecular manipulation of crops. It ...
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This book provides an overview of human-plant interactions and their social consequences, from the hunter-gatherers of the Palaeolithic Era to the 21st century molecular manipulation of crops. It links the latest advances in molecular genetics, climate research, and archaeology to give a new perspective on the evolution of agriculture and complex human societies across the world. Even today, our technologically advanced societies still rely on plants for basic food needs, not to mention clothing, shelter, medicines, and tools. This special relationship has tied together people and their chosen plants in mutual dependence for well over 50,000 years. Yet despite these millennia of intimate contact, people have only domesticated and cultivated a few dozen of the tens of thousands of edible plants. Crop domestication and agriculture then led directly to the evolution of the complex urban-based societies that have dominated much of human development over the past ten millennia. Thanks to the latest genomic studies, how, when, and where some of the most important crops came to be domesticated can now be explained, and the crucial roles of plant genetics, climatic change, and social organization in these processes. Indeed, it was their unique genetic organizations that ultimately determined which plants eventually became crops, rather than any conscious decisions by their human cultivators.Less
This book provides an overview of human-plant interactions and their social consequences, from the hunter-gatherers of the Palaeolithic Era to the 21st century molecular manipulation of crops. It links the latest advances in molecular genetics, climate research, and archaeology to give a new perspective on the evolution of agriculture and complex human societies across the world. Even today, our technologically advanced societies still rely on plants for basic food needs, not to mention clothing, shelter, medicines, and tools. This special relationship has tied together people and their chosen plants in mutual dependence for well over 50,000 years. Yet despite these millennia of intimate contact, people have only domesticated and cultivated a few dozen of the tens of thousands of edible plants. Crop domestication and agriculture then led directly to the evolution of the complex urban-based societies that have dominated much of human development over the past ten millennia. Thanks to the latest genomic studies, how, when, and where some of the most important crops came to be domesticated can now be explained, and the crucial roles of plant genetics, climatic change, and social organization in these processes. Indeed, it was their unique genetic organizations that ultimately determined which plants eventually became crops, rather than any conscious decisions by their human cultivators.
Nicholas P. Money
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195189711
- eISBN:
- 9780199790265
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195189711.003.0006
- Subject:
- Biology, Microbiology
This chapter discusses fungal diseases of staple cereal crops and their historical and contemporary effects upon agriculture and civilization. Two thousand years ago, the Romans tried to combat wheat ...
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This chapter discusses fungal diseases of staple cereal crops and their historical and contemporary effects upon agriculture and civilization. Two thousand years ago, the Romans tried to combat wheat diseases by placating their mildew god called Robigus. The scientific study of plant diseases began in the 1750s with experiments on stinking bunt of wheat by the French investigator Mathieu Tillet. Revolutionary work on the same disease by Bénédict Prévost in the early 19th century was followed by the innovative research of Anton de Bary on the rust life cycle. Modern work on fungal evolution, plant breeding, and fungicide development is also considered in this chapter.Less
This chapter discusses fungal diseases of staple cereal crops and their historical and contemporary effects upon agriculture and civilization. Two thousand years ago, the Romans tried to combat wheat diseases by placating their mildew god called Robigus. The scientific study of plant diseases began in the 1750s with experiments on stinking bunt of wheat by the French investigator Mathieu Tillet. Revolutionary work on the same disease by Bénédict Prévost in the early 19th century was followed by the innovative research of Anton de Bary on the rust life cycle. Modern work on fungal evolution, plant breeding, and fungicide development is also considered in this chapter.
C. Neal Stewart
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195157451
- eISBN:
- 9780199790388
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195157451.003.0002
- Subject:
- Biology, Biotechnology
There is a trend towards embracing nature and the acceptance of natural products, even though humans have altered virtually everything. A case in point is food and food crops. No natural human food ...
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There is a trend towards embracing nature and the acceptance of natural products, even though humans have altered virtually everything. A case in point is food and food crops. No natural human food exists except wild game and a few undomesticated plants. There has never been natural corn or wheat, and many vegetable crops such as carrots and Brussel sprouts are recent inventions of crop domestication. Transgenic crops seem transformative since they possess one or two genes from a different species. The process of gene introduction takes place in the lab using biotechnology, but traditional breeding and domestication drastically alter genomes of plants relative to biotechnology, since hundreds to thousands of genes are manipulated in hybridization. Like those of crops, genomes of weeds are also selected and adapted for growth in farmer’s fields. Human and natural selection are powerful forces.Less
There is a trend towards embracing nature and the acceptance of natural products, even though humans have altered virtually everything. A case in point is food and food crops. No natural human food exists except wild game and a few undomesticated plants. There has never been natural corn or wheat, and many vegetable crops such as carrots and Brussel sprouts are recent inventions of crop domestication. Transgenic crops seem transformative since they possess one or two genes from a different species. The process of gene introduction takes place in the lab using biotechnology, but traditional breeding and domestication drastically alter genomes of plants relative to biotechnology, since hundreds to thousands of genes are manipulated in hybridization. Like those of crops, genomes of weeds are also selected and adapted for growth in farmer’s fields. Human and natural selection are powerful forces.
C. Neal Stewart
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195157451
- eISBN:
- 9780199790388
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195157451.003.0007
- Subject:
- Biology, Biotechnology
The monarch butterfly attracted attention as a target of biotechnology risks because it is showy. But what about more obscure but beneficial insects? Would they be harmed by transgenic plants? After ...
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The monarch butterfly attracted attention as a target of biotechnology risks because it is showy. But what about more obscure but beneficial insects? Would they be harmed by transgenic plants? After all, chemical insecticides kill all kinds of insects when a field is sprayed, not just pests. Would transgenic Bt crops be different? While several researchers have looked for specific negative side-effects of insect-resistant plants, and even found some potential problems in lab experiments, no non-target effects have been conclusively demonstrated in the field. Large field experiments have shown that biological answers for insect control in the form of Bt toxin proteins in transgenic crops are more precise and environmentally friendly that chemical insecticide sprays.Less
The monarch butterfly attracted attention as a target of biotechnology risks because it is showy. But what about more obscure but beneficial insects? Would they be harmed by transgenic plants? After all, chemical insecticides kill all kinds of insects when a field is sprayed, not just pests. Would transgenic Bt crops be different? While several researchers have looked for specific negative side-effects of insect-resistant plants, and even found some potential problems in lab experiments, no non-target effects have been conclusively demonstrated in the field. Large field experiments have shown that biological answers for insect control in the form of Bt toxin proteins in transgenic crops are more precise and environmentally friendly that chemical insecticide sprays.
Christof Schuler
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780197265062
- eISBN:
- 9780191754173
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265062.003.0005
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter is an essay in cultural history, exploring the relationship between the forms of epigraphical expression and the expectations of the intended audiences. It does so by studying the ...
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This chapter is an essay in cultural history, exploring the relationship between the forms of epigraphical expression and the expectations of the intended audiences. It does so by studying the (mostly religious) inscriptions of Hellenistic and Roman Asia Minor, and seeks to modify recent interpretative notions of town and country as ‘worlds apart’ or of ‘collective identity’. With much illustrative detail, the chapter shows how anxieties about crops and livestock were reflected in epigraphic forms and terminology, not least in prayers to weather gods. A second section emphasises the prominence and powers accorded to local gods, as are visible both in the prayers offered on behalf of village communities, and in the texts of confession and expiation set up by individuals. The chapter ends by downplaying notions of serious tension between rural Anatolian cult practice and ‘an essentially urban cultural mainstream’.Less
This chapter is an essay in cultural history, exploring the relationship between the forms of epigraphical expression and the expectations of the intended audiences. It does so by studying the (mostly religious) inscriptions of Hellenistic and Roman Asia Minor, and seeks to modify recent interpretative notions of town and country as ‘worlds apart’ or of ‘collective identity’. With much illustrative detail, the chapter shows how anxieties about crops and livestock were reflected in epigraphic forms and terminology, not least in prayers to weather gods. A second section emphasises the prominence and powers accorded to local gods, as are visible both in the prayers offered on behalf of village communities, and in the texts of confession and expiation set up by individuals. The chapter ends by downplaying notions of serious tension between rural Anatolian cult practice and ‘an essentially urban cultural mainstream’.
Christopher Bliss, Peter Lanjouw, and Nicholas Stern
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198288329
- eISBN:
- 9780191596599
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198288328.003.0003
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
Provides a detailed examination of the key forces of change in Palanpur over the survey period. The more than doubling of the village population over the survey period is analysed. The expansion of ...
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Provides a detailed examination of the key forces of change in Palanpur over the survey period. The more than doubling of the village population over the survey period is analysed. The expansion of non‐farm employment opportunities outside the village is documented. The determinants of access to and income from non‐farm sources are studied. Changing agricultural practices are assessed. Agricultural technologies, land‐utilization practices, cropping patterns, and yields are found to have undergone significant change.Less
Provides a detailed examination of the key forces of change in Palanpur over the survey period. The more than doubling of the village population over the survey period is analysed. The expansion of non‐farm employment opportunities outside the village is documented. The determinants of access to and income from non‐farm sources are studied. Changing agricultural practices are assessed. Agricultural technologies, land‐utilization practices, cropping patterns, and yields are found to have undergone significant change.
R. Ford Denison
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691139500
- eISBN:
- 9781400842810
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691139500.003.0004
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
This chapter introduces the three core principles of Darwinian agriculture. First, natural selection is fast enough, and has been improving plants and animals for long enough, that it has left few ...
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This chapter introduces the three core principles of Darwinian agriculture. First, natural selection is fast enough, and has been improving plants and animals for long enough, that it has left few simple, tradeoff-free opportunities for further improvement. Therefore, implicit or explicit acceptance of tradeoffs has been and will be key to crop genetic improvement, through biotechnology or traditional plant breeding methods. Second, competitive testing of individual adaptations by natural selection is more rigorous than nature's testing of natural ecosystems merely by endurance. Although testing by endurance shows sustainability, there may still be considerable room for improvement. Third, we should hedge our bets against future uncertainty with a greater variety of crops and of research approaches. The chapter argues that this bet-hedging will require allocating some land and other resources to crops and research programs that seem less promising today but may outperform today's winners if conditions change.Less
This chapter introduces the three core principles of Darwinian agriculture. First, natural selection is fast enough, and has been improving plants and animals for long enough, that it has left few simple, tradeoff-free opportunities for further improvement. Therefore, implicit or explicit acceptance of tradeoffs has been and will be key to crop genetic improvement, through biotechnology or traditional plant breeding methods. Second, competitive testing of individual adaptations by natural selection is more rigorous than nature's testing of natural ecosystems merely by endurance. Although testing by endurance shows sustainability, there may still be considerable room for improvement. Third, we should hedge our bets against future uncertainty with a greater variety of crops and of research approaches. The chapter argues that this bet-hedging will require allocating some land and other resources to crops and research programs that seem less promising today but may outperform today's winners if conditions change.
