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FUNDAMENTALS
OF CROP SCIENCE 1
Prof. Timi Mercado
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
• the systematic raising of useful plants and
livestock under the management of man
• a purposeful work through which the
elements of nature are harnessed to produce
plants and animals to meet human needs
CRSC 1
Prof. Timi Mercado
• The broad industry engaged in the production
of plants and animals for food and fiber, the
provision for agricultural supplies and
services, and the processing, marketing and
distribution of agricultural products. (Herren
and Donahue, 1991)
CRSC 1
Prof. Timi Mercado
Development of Agriculture
• Pastoral stage (Hunting/gathering)
Primitive man satisfied his daily needs
directly from nature by hunting wild animals,
gathering wild plants and fishing. The
hunters-gatherers moved from one location to
another in search of food to sustain them. The
fishing tribes were more likely settled in one
place as a permanent home usually near
bodies of water.
CRSC 1
Prof. Timi Mercado
• When did agriculture start?
The geologic event, the Ice Age, further
explains the recent beginnings of agriculture.
Agriculture was not practiced until the
climatically stable Holocene warming. During the
most recent glaciations, there was a warm period
sandwiched between the Oldest Dryas (18 000–
14 600 BP) and Younger Dryas (12 900–11 500
BP) cold periods. This warm period allowed
hunting-gathering which delayed the emergence
of agriculture.
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Prof. Timi Mercado
• Beginnings of agriculture
Figure 1. Timeline showing the recent beginning of agriculture.
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Prof. Timi Mercado
Figure 1. Timeline showing the recent beginning of agriculture.
• Where did agriculture start?
Figure 2. Centers of agricultural origin.
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Prof. Timi Mercado
Figure 2. Centers of agricultural origin.
• Where did agriculture start?
Based on evidences (archaeological, botanical,
linguistics, history, literature), agriculture had been
practiced in the following areas. (Figure 2)
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Prof. Timi Mercado
• Near East – 8,000 to 9,000 B.C. in an area known as the
Fertile Crescent, which is often recognized as “the cradle
of civilization”
• Wheat and barley farming pattern was established
and spread overland through Iran. Other crops include
grapes, peaches, apricots and melons.
Figure 3. Map showing Fertile Crescent.
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Prof. Timi Mercado
• Ethiopia – 9,000 years before present
• Southern Asia. First crops spread overland from Iraq
and Iran in South Asia about 5,000 years before present
In Southern India and Ceylon, irrigation reservoirs were
constructed as early as 3,500 – 3,300 before present.
• East Asia. There was diffusion of SW Asian wheat
complex by mainland diffusion. Crops like yams,
bamboo, soybeans and rice are native to tropical Far
East region. Agriculture flowed from China and
Thailand to Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines.
CRSC 1
Prof. Timi Mercado
• Southeast Asia - various crops including rice, banana,
coconut, and yam
• Pacific and Oceania. Agriculture in New Guinea and
Pacific Islands remained somewhat primitive until
modern times. Crops are taro, yams, coconut,
bananas, sugarcane and breadfruit.
• South America - indigenous crops like beans, potato,
tomato, eggplant, vegetables, peanut, pineapple and
squash
• Central America. Plant remains of corn and other
crops were found dated 10600-7600 years before
present.
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Prof. Timi Mercado
• Why did agriculture start?
Many theories on the origin of agriculture
presented by Harlan (1992) include the
following:
1. Agriculture as a divine gift
2. Agriculture as a discovery
3. Agriculture as a result of stress
4. Agriculture as an extension of gathering
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Prof. Timi Mercado
• What types of plants were used?
Many of the earlier plants used have the following
characteristics:
Thrive in disturbed areas
Short life cycle
High competitive ability
Early man intuitively realized that in a vegetative diet,
he needed three major components i.e. carbohydrates
for energy, protein for muscle development, and
vitamins to augment different types of proteins and
minerals.
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Prof. Timi Mercado
• It is of interest that from the multitude of plants from which the
early domesticators have to choose, two plant families achieved
absolute dominance with regards to carbohydrates and protein
sources, namely Graminae (Poaceae) and the Leguminosae
(Fabaceae), respectively. In fact, all subsequent civilizations have
since been established around a diet originating largely from
these basic plant sources. For example:
The Americas - maize and peanuts
Africa - sorghum and beans
The Middle East - wheat, barley and beans
Asia - rice and soybeans
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Prof. Timi Mercado
ORIGIN AND DOMESTICATION OF
MAJOR CROPS OF THE WORLD
Origin of Major Crops
The center of origin of crops means a
geographical area where a plant species,
either domesticated or wild, first developed
its distinctive properties.
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Prof. Timi Mercado
Figure 4. Origin major crops of importance to the Philippines.
The Philippines is also home to many plant species.
• According to International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Philippines
ranks fifth in the world in terms of species
diversity and endemism.
• A total of 39,100 species of flora and fauna
have been identified in the country, of which a
high 67% are endemic.
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Prof. Timi Mercado
• Plants found only in the Philippines
Some of the plants that are endemic in the
Philippines are the following:
1. Abaca (Musa textilis)
2. Pili (Canarium ovatum)
3. Kapa-kapa (Medinilla magnifica)
4. Lubi-lubi/Niyug-niyugan (Ficus pseudopalma)
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Prof. Timi Mercado
5. Duhat (Syzygium cumini)
6. Jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys)
7. Kahoy-dalaga (Mussaenda philippica var
‘aurorae’)
8. Waling-waling (Vanda sanderiana)
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Prof. Timi Mercado
Domestication of Major Crops
• Crop plant domestication began
approximately 10,000 years ago at the dawn of
agriculture (Harlan1992).
• During the domestication process, early
agriculturalists consciously or unconsciously
selected among wild germplasm for material
that was better adapted to human use and
cultivation (Frary and Douanlar, 2003).
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Prof. Timi Mercado
Domestication of Major Crops
• Since the transition from wild species to
domesticate, crop plants have continued to
change due to selection exerted by ancient
and modern plant breeding and cultivation
practices.
• Domestication is an ongoing process and
selection is driven by changing human needs
and agricultural conditions.
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Prof. Timi Mercado
Figure 5. Map showing the centers of domestication of crops (Gepts, 2003).
