It seems to me that the term "cultivated plants" youmore than once had to hear in everyday life. For the first time this concept is mentioned even at the lessons of natural history in elementary grades of secondary school. But in this article, I propose to disclose this concept more broadly, focusing in detail on the types of these representatives of the flora of our planet, to understand the history of their origin and the benefits that they can bring to us.
Section 1. Cultivated plants. Concept definition
This type of plant, in contrast to the wild,specially grown by man. What for? Well, the goals can be very different. As a rule, in order to obtain certain food or feed for farm animals. Sometimes they are even used as therapeutic drugs.
Scientists claim that the cultivated plant is nothas its own area, which means that with the artificial creation of certain climatic conditions, it can be grown everywhere, i.e. regardless of the place of original origin. However, unfortunately, no species can be spread naturally.
Section 2. Cultivated plants and the history of their "domestication"
If you delve into the story, you can come to the conclusionthat the cultivation of this type of plant began a long time ago, back in the Stone Age. It was then, along with hunting and gathering, the aborigine thought to grow what he needed. He began collecting seeds and throwing them into the previously loosened and moist soil.
It took a little more time, and ancient people,which by that time had already begun to lead a more settled life, had learned quite well to take care of the crops. Of course, this required the expenditure of effort and patience, however, the planted plants were regularly watered and freed from the omnipresent weeds. Fences were even erected around especially valuable varieties in order to protect saplings from trampling or eating by numerous animals.
At first, artificial selection was carried outquite unconsciously, and the best cultures were selected on the basis of only consumer qualities, for example, larger fruits or a pleasant taste. But this is precisely what later led to the creation of cultivated plants.
The very first, still very primitive farmingBronze Age was the impetus for the emergence of large centers for the cultivation of a particular species. Subsequently, from these very foci, as a result of travel, war and mass commerce, representatives of the flora began to spread throughout the entire planet.
Section 3. Cultivated plants and their species
Honestly, there are several ways to classify all cultivated plants of the planet. In this article I will try to talk about the most basic.
Quite often, these plants are classified, based on their economic purpose. As a result, the following groups exist:
- feed;
- dyeing;
- medicinal;
- honey;
- food;
- spinning;
- technical.
I managed to discover another classification, butbecause of its inconvenience, it is used much less frequently. In accordance with it, cultivated plants are considered on the basis of substances contained inside and are:
- alkaloid containing;
- protein-containing;
- fibrous;
- oily fatty;
- starchy;
- sugar-bearing;
- essential oils.
But the most logical and most frequently used classification is considered, based on the sectoral principle. In accordance with it, cultures are divided into:
- vegetable (root, leaf, bulbous, fruit, spicy aromatic, stem);
- fruit (stone, nut, pome, subtropical, citrus, berry);
- field (melon (according to some scientists), legumes, grains, tubers, forage grasses, roots, cereals, medicinal, oil, spinning, tobacco, essential oil).
In addition, there are two separate groups: grapes and ornamental plants, which are engaged, respectively, viticulture and floriculture.
