A collection of all of Vavgilov's works on the origin and geography of cultivated plant species.

This book consists of the proceedings of a symposium organized by the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Rome. The proceedings are unusual in that it is a rare event to see archaeologists and geneticists coming together to discuss the connection between historical facts and biological phenomena. The aim of the symposium was to discuss the origin of some important cultivated plants (wheat, maize, barley, oat, legumes and fruit trees) not only in relation to genetical mechanisms but also as a complex of historical facts recognizable through archaeological research.This international Meeting based on interdisciplinary concepts, met with a prompt and positive reaction from all those specialists invited to attend. The book itself is an unparalleled contribution to the interdisciplinary knowledge on the origin of crop plants and agriculture.

The genetic variability that developed in plants during their evolution is the basic of their domestication and breeding into the crops grown today for food, fuel and other industrial uses. This third edition of Plant Evolution and the Origin of Crop Species brings the subject up-to-date, with more emphasis on crop origins. Beginning with a description of the processes of evolution in native and cultivated plants, the book reviews the origins of crop domestication and their subsequent development over time. All major crop species are discussed, including cereals, protein plants, starch crops, fruits and vegetables, from their origins to conservation of their genetic resources for future development.

A listing of almost 9000 kinds of plants known to be cultivated in Southern Africa, or to have been tried here. The information is derived from a database containing details mainly of specimens archived in the National Herbarium, Pretoria.

Plant genetic diversity is crucial to the breeding of food crops and is therefore a central precondition for food security. Diverse genetic resources provide the genetic traits required to deal with crop pests and diseases, as well as changing climate conditions. Plant genetic diversity is also essential for traditional small-scale farming, and is therefore an indispensable factor in the fight against poverty. However, the diversity of domesticated plant varieties is disappearing at an alarming rate while interest in the commercial use of genetic resources has increased in line with bio-technologies, followed by demands for intellectual property rights. This important book contributes to our understanding of how international regimes affect the management of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture in developing countries. It identifies entry points to shape a better governance of agrobiodiversity and provides the first comprehensive analysis of how the international agreements pertaining to crop genetic resources affect the management of these vital resources for food security and poverty eradication in developing countries.

The treatise presents a wide range of information on different facets of world food crops. It justifies the present state of knowledge with reference to crop history, initial and latest developments with evolutionary approach based on karyotaxonomic and geographical evidence. The author has endeavored to dilate attempts for crop domestication and cultivation by worldwide human societies. These are supported by various considerations like ethnology, philology, ancient and religious treatises, archaeological evidence, works of pioneers, various human affairs, etc. He further based his writing on botanical conclusions accrued from distribution, number of varieties, occurrence of wild types, agro-botanical characteristics, time and place of origin, and worldwide usage of each crop species. The treatise is a highly-acclaimed source of information of crop plants useful to degree and post-graduate students of botany, agriculture and food science as a main text and reference work for researchers. It is recommendable for use in any country especially in the English speaking world. It will also appeal to the general reader, being rich in contents. In a nutshell, this treatise is a history of development of food crops. And therefore, a humble attempt has been made, first, to ascertain what was actually done or said, and second, to emphasize the causes of success or failure. Truly, it is the study of causes that makes history more fruitful and a basis for evaluating the future events with confidence.

The world's most comprehensive, well documented and well illustrated book on this subject. With extensive subject and geographic index. 152 photographs and illustrations - mostly color, Free of charge in digital format on Google Books.

The papers given by the Soviet Delegation to the Second International Congress of the History of Science and Technology in London in 1931, headed by N. I. Bukharin, exerted a profound influence on Western historiography of science. Perhaps the most influential contribution was that of Hessen, who made a long and classical statement of Marxist historiography, taking Isaac Newton as his example. The collection, which appeared in Britain at the height of the Depression, fostered an acute social awareness and a heated debate among many working scientists. Accredited by some as "the starting point of a new evaluation of the history of science", the book reflects the huge social and economic divide between Socialism and Capitalism present at the time of publication, and its influence on intellectual culture and scientific advancement.