PCP 201 History of agriculture

Is breaking down into four ages:1)Paleolithic or stone age: Age:-It is the earliest and longest period of human history. Early man spent about one million yearsFarming:- does not existSource of livelihoods:- hunting and gatheringTools used:- hard stones and rough implements

2)Mesolithic or middle stone ageAge: Between 12,000 and 6,00 BCFarming : Exist but primitives farming. Gradual shifting from food gathering to food productionTool: Spear, bow and fishing net

3) Neolithic new stone ageAge: about 6,000 BCFarming: By trial and error, early man identified those plants

of greater value to him and saved for subsequent plantingTool: Polished stone

4) Bronze ageAge: 3000 BCFarming: Development of crop productionTool: Appearance of plough, replacement of the man-drawn

(i.e. hoes. even though our traditional farmers still use hoes). By ox-drawn

DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN AGRICULTURE•Modern agriculture started in England in 18th century.Precisely in 1701, Jethro Tull inverted grain drill horse-Hoeing •1577- 1644 - Van Helmon investigated on the phenomenon of soil fertility and plant growth. He concluded water is the sole nutrient for plant •1699 – John Woodward experimented with several waterwith varying degree of impurities. He reported that the growth rate was directly related to increase quantity of Impurity. He concluded that that plant are not made up of water alone but some other terrestrial material.

1775- Joseph Priestly reported that the respiration of plant and animal has reverse effects on the atmospheric air. (i.e. animal breath out CO2 while plant release O2 during respiration). He concluded that plant keeps atmosphere wholesome and pure

1779- Jan Ingen - Housz ‘ contribution to knowledge is that plant purify in light or during day While pollution take place in night or darkness.

1782- Theodure d’ Saussure gave an explicit explanation of plant respiration. Absorption of O2 and releasing of CO2 take place during the day or light whereas absorption of O2 and releasing of CO2 occur in the night or darkness. He also established the essentiality of nutrient elements

1840- Liebiy established the law of minimum. This law stated that if one crop nutrient is missing or deficient, plant growth will be poor, even if the other elements are abundant. This law is still valid today.

Relationship between Agriculture and other SciencesEngineering greatly facilitated the development of farm tools,implements, farm powers etc. which reduces physical exertionand drudgery in agriculture and encourage large scale farming

Chemistry- understanding of plant nutrient requirement and the production of fertilizer.

Botany and physiology- knowledge of forms and functions in crop productionBiochemistry and toxicology – chemical control of weeds thus modern day agriculture is an embodiment of all aspect of sciencesand technology

Center of origin of cultivated crops Center of origin is the region of the world where a crop is believed to have originated.

Center of diversity:- is the region of the world where the greatest variability in crop species is believed to have occurred. It can also be referred to as center of origin.

Primary center:- where the crop is believed to have been first cultivated or domesticated.

Secondary center:- These are area of diversity to which plant have migrated from a primary centers

Countries or regions of crops origin1. Southwest Asia:-Barley, carrot, date palm, grapes, melon & wheat.

2. Mediterranean:- alfalafa, cabbage, clover, hops, lettuce & Olive.

3. Ethiopia:- barley, castor, coffee (arabica), finger millet, walnut, okra & sorghum.

4. Central Asia:- apples, foxtail millet & hem.

5. South East Asia:- bamboo, banana, chinese yam, citrus, Coconut & sugar cane.

6. Indo-Burmese:-cocoyam, cotton, garden egg, jute, mango,pigeon pea & rice.

7. Chinese:- onions orange, small bamboo & soybean.

8. West central Africa:- banboo, ground nut, coffee (robusta), kola., cowpea, sorghum, oil palm, red rice & yam.

9. Central America and Mexico:- Guava, kidney bean, maize, red pepper, sisal & cotton.

10. Ecuador and Peru:- Avocado pear, potato, paw-paw, cotton, sweet potato tobacco & tomato

11. Brazil and Paraguay:- cashew, cassava, cocoa, Ground nut, pine apple & rubber.

Important of origin of crops•Breeders used it to identify diverse forms of the species with useful traits or characters for crop improvement.•Used by crop protectionist in designing biological control e.g. cassava meal bug