Origin of cultivated plants

This ppt describes about the origin of cultivated plants along with Vavilov's centres of origin as well as about definition, scope and importance of ethnobotany in Indian context.

1. Origin of cultivated plants Prepared By- Dr. Sangeeta Das Assistant Professor Department of Botany Bahona College Jorhat, Assam, India.

2. Definition A center of origin is a geographical area where a group of organisms, either domesticated or wild, first developed its distinctive properties. They are also considered as centers of diversity . Centers of origin were first identified in 1924 by Nikolai Vavilov .

3. Centres of Origin Nikolai Vavilov proposed that crop plants evolved from wild species in the areas showing diversity and termed them as primary centres of origin . According to him, the crops moved from their primary centres of origin to other areas with the movements of man. However, in some areas, certain crop species show considerable diversity of forms although they did not originate there. Such areas are known as secondary centres of origin of these species.

4. Vavilov’s Centres of Origin Vavilov has suggested eight main centres of origin which are as follows: Mexico-Guatemala , Peru-Ecuador-Bolivia , (2A) Southern Chile, (2B) Paraguay-Southern Brazil Mediterranean Middle East Ethiopia Central Asia Indo-Burma , (7A) Siam-Malaya-Java, and China and Korea.

5. Vavilov’s Centres of Origin Later in 1935 Vavilov divided the centres into 12, giving the following list: Chinese center Indian center Indo-Malayan center Central Asiatic center Persian center Mediterranean center Abyssinian center South American center Central American center Chilean center Brazilian-Paraguayan center North American center

6. Center Plants 1) South Mexican and Central American Center Includes southern sections of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica. Grains and Legumes: maize, common bean, lima bean,  tepary bean, jack bean, grain amaranth Melon Plants:  malabar gourd, winter pumpkin, chayote Fiber Plants: upland cotton, bourbon cotton, henequen (sisal) Miscellaneous:  sweetpotato , arrowroot, pepper, papaya, guava, cashew, wild black cherry, chochenial , cherry tomato, cacao. 2) South American Center 62 plants listed; Three subcenters 2) Peruvian, Ecuadorean, Bolivian Center : Root Tubers: Andean potato, Other endemic cultivated potato species. Fourteen or more species with chromosome numbers varying from 24 to 60, Grains and Legumes: starchy maize, lima bean, common bean Root Tubers: edible canna, potato Vegetable Crops:  pepino , tomato, ground cherry, pumpkin, pepper Fiber Plants: Egyptian cotton Fruit and Miscellaneous: cocoa, passion flower, guava, heilborn , quinine tree, tobacco, cherimoya, coca 2A) Chiloe Center  (Island near the coast of southern Chile) Common potato (48 chromosomes), Chilean strawberry 2B) Brazilian-Paraguayan Center manioc, peanut, rubber tree, pineapple, Brazil nut, cashew,  Erva -mate, purple granadilla.

7. Center Plants 3) Mediterranean Center Includes the borders of the Mediterranean Sea. Cereals and Legumes: durum wheat, emmer, Polish wheat, spelt, Mediterranean oats, sand oats, canarygrass , grass pea, pea, lupine Forage Plants: Egyptian clover, white clover, crimson clover, serradella Oil and Fiber Plants: flax, rape, black mustard, olive Vegetables: garden beet, cabbage, turnip, lettuce, asparagus, celery, chicory, parsnip, rhubarb, Ethereal Oil and Spice Plants: caraway, anise, thyme, peppermint, sage, hop. 4) Middle East Includes interior of Asia Minor, all of Transcaucasia, Iran, and the highlands of Turkmenistan. Grains and Legumes: einkorn wheat, durum wheat, poulard wheat, common wheat, oriental wheat, Persian wheat, two-row barley, rye, Mediterranean oats, common oats, lentil, lupine Forage Plants: alfalfa, Persian clover, fenugreek, vetch, hairy vetch Fruits: fig, pomegranate, apple, pear, quince, cherry, hawthorn. 5) Ethiopia Includes Abyssinia, Eritrea, and part of Somalia. rich in wheat and barley. Grains and Legumes: Abyssinian hard wheat, poulard wheat, emmer, Polish wheat, barley, grain sorghum, pearl millet, African millet, cowpea, flax, teff Miscellaneous: sesame, castor bean, garden cress, coffee, okra, myrrh, indigo, enset .

8. Center Plants 6) Central Asiatic Center Includes Northwest India (Punjab, Northwest Frontier Provinces and Kashmir), Afghanistan, Tadjikistan , Uzbekistan, and western Tian-Shan. Grains and Legumes: common wheat, club wheat, shot wheat, peas, lentil, horse bean, chickpea, mung bean, mustard, flax, sesame Fiber Plants: hemp, cotton Vegetables: onion, garlic, spinach, carrot Fruits: pistacio , pear, almond, grape, apple. 7) Indian Center Two subcenters 7) Indo-Burma: Main Center (India): Includes Assam, Bangladesh and Burma, but not Northwest India, Punjab, nor Northwest Frontier Provinces, 117 plants Cereals and Legumes: chickpea, pigeon pea, urd bean, mung bean, rice bean, cowpea, Vegetables and Tubers: eggplant, cucumber, radish, taro, yam Fruits: mango, tangerine, citron, tamarind Sugar, Oil, and Fiber Plants: sugar cane, coconut palm, sesame, safflower, tree cotton, oriental cotton, jute, crotalaria, kenaf Spices, Stimulants, Dyes, and Miscellaneous: hemp, black pepper, gum arabic , sandalwood, indigo, cinnamon tree, croton, bamboo, turmeric, 7A) Siam-Malaya-Java: statt Indo-Malayan Center : Includes Indo-China and the Malay Archipelago, 55 plants Cereals and Legumes: Job's tears, velvet bean Fruits: pummelo , banana, breadfruit, mangosteen Oil, Sugar, Spice, and Fiber Plants: candlenut, coconut palm, sugarcane, clove, nutmeg, black pepper, manila hemp. 8) Chinese Center A total of 136 endemic plants are listed in the largest independent center Cereals and Legumes: e.g. rice, broomcorn millet, Italian millet, Japanese barnyard millet, sorghum, buckwheat, hull-less barley, soybean, Adzuki bean, velvet bean Roots, Tubers, and Vegetables: e.g. Chinese yam, radish, Chinese cabbage, onion, cucumber Fruits and Nuts: e.g. pear, Chinese apple, peach, apricot, cherry, walnut, litchi, orange Sugar, Drug, and Fiber Plants: e.g.sugar cane, opium poppy, ginseng camphor, hemp.

9. Ethnobotany It includes very ancient knowledge. It provides information regarding the traditional uses of plant wealth which can be utilized in integrated tribal development. The ethno botanical studies throw light on certain unknown useful plants and new uses of many known plants which can be exploited for developing new sources for some plant products and agro based industries. The term ethno botany was coined by J.W. Harshberger in 1895 to include the study of plants used by the primitive people.

10. Definition of Ethnobotany Several definitions have been put forwarded to define ethno botany. A few of them are as follows: According to Schultes (1962), ethno botany is defined as the study of the relationships between the people of a primitive society and plants. Alcom (1984) states that ethno botany is the study of contextualized plant use.

11. Scope of Ethnobotany Today ethno botany has become an important area of research and development in resource management, sustainable utilization and conservation of biodiversity and socioeconomic development. Now the botanists, social scientists, anthropologists, the practitioners of indigenous medicines all over the world are engaged in the study of man-plant interactions in natural environment.

12. Importance of Ethnobotany in Indian Context Ethno botanical knowledge is very ancient and helps in the traditional uses of plant wealth. The ethno botanical studies throw light on certain unknown useful plants and new uses of many known plants which can be exploited for developing new sources for some plant products as well as agro based industries such as, food processing, fibres and floss, extraction of edible and nonedible oils, gum, resins, tannin, dye extraction, etc. The tribals depend mostly on forest flora for meeting their day to day needs for food, medicines, fibres , oils, gums, tannins and dyes from the ambient vegetation of their localities. The agricultural practices are not technologically advanced and most tribal groups in north-east part of India resort to shiffing cultivation widely known as jhum cultivation.

13. Even today, the medicinal plants are almost the exclusive source of drugs for the majority of world population. Plant products constitute approximately 25% of the total prescribed medicines even in most advanced countries like U.S.A. In India, the record of use of herbal medicines is very old . India with diverse ethnic groups and rich biodiversity has a century old heritage of medicinal phototherapy for the treatment of various diseases and promotion of health. The branch of ethno botany which deals with the traditional systems of medicine or folk lore medicines is called medico-ethno botany . Importance of Ethnobotany in Indian Context..

14. In India, Tribal communities utilize ethno medicinal plants for the treatment of various diseases and disorders like diarrhea, dysentery, fever, headache, skin diseases, boils and blisters, rheumatism and gout, piles jaundice, ophthalmic diseases, toothache, bone fracture, snake bite, helminthic or worm infection, cuts and wounds, cough, cold, asthma, leprosy etc. During the last few decades, a succession of the so called Wonder drugs e.g. reserpine quinine, ephedrine, cocaine, emetine, khelline , colchicine, digitoxin , artemisin , podophyllotoxin ’ guguhpid , taxol etc. have been discovered from plants with rich ethno botanical lore in tribal societies. The tranquilizers rescinnamine and reserpine have been isolated from the roots of Rauvolffia serpentina which has been in use in India for more than thousand years in folk medicine for the treatment of snake bite insanity, epilepsy, fever and high blood pressure . Importance of Ethnobotany in Indian Context..

15. The primitive societies in India have been dependent on herbal medicines since time immemorial. In fact, all traditional systems of medicine had their roots and origin in folk medicines or ethno medicines. The study of ethno botany provides valuable informations to the scientists, planners and administrators for the preparation of action plan for the economic emancipation of tribals and Eco-development of tribal areas. Importance of Ethnobotany in Indian Context..