Asian Agri-History

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Crop Improvement in the World - Past, Present and Future


Affiliations
1 GRSV Consulting Services, Bengaluru – 560114, Karnataka, India
2 GRSV Consulting Services, No. 8, Eagle Ridge, Bengaluru – 560068, Karnataka, India
3 GRSV Consulting Services, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
     

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Historically human beings have evolved with the progression of the world. Humans in the wild were hunter-gatherers for meeting their food needs. Agriculture started when they settled down at one place, and started cultivating plants and rearing animals which provided food and gradually other needs. Since then, by selectively propagating and growing the plants of choice, humans have, intentionally or otherwise, changed the genomes of virtually every plant grown for food or non-food purposes. More recently, changing of genetic structure of plants has continued more vigorously and precisely as plant breeding based on the science of genetics developed. In this paper, we describe how humans have used, knowingly or unknowingly, the basic methods of plant breeding, in directing the evolution of plants. References are made, where relevant, to ancient writings, especially from India.

Keywords

Agriculture, Cultivar, Crop Improvement, Domestication, Evolution, Genetics, Hybrid, Plant Breeding, Selection.
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  • Crop Improvement in the World - Past, Present and Future

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Authors

M. J. Vasudeva Rao
GRSV Consulting Services, Bengaluru – 560114, Karnataka, India
V. Ramanatha Rao
GRSV Consulting Services, No. 8, Eagle Ridge, Bengaluru – 560068, Karnataka, India
Sharan Angadi
GRSV Consulting Services, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Abstract


Historically human beings have evolved with the progression of the world. Humans in the wild were hunter-gatherers for meeting their food needs. Agriculture started when they settled down at one place, and started cultivating plants and rearing animals which provided food and gradually other needs. Since then, by selectively propagating and growing the plants of choice, humans have, intentionally or otherwise, changed the genomes of virtually every plant grown for food or non-food purposes. More recently, changing of genetic structure of plants has continued more vigorously and precisely as plant breeding based on the science of genetics developed. In this paper, we describe how humans have used, knowingly or unknowingly, the basic methods of plant breeding, in directing the evolution of plants. References are made, where relevant, to ancient writings, especially from India.

Keywords


Agriculture, Cultivar, Crop Improvement, Domestication, Evolution, Genetics, Hybrid, Plant Breeding, Selection.

References