Growing the lost crops of eastern North America's original agricultural system

Abstract

Thousands of years before the maize-based agriculture practiced by many Native American societies in eastern North America at the time of contact with Europeans, there existed a unique crop system only known through archaeological evidence. There are no written or oral records of how these lost crops were cultivated, but several domesticated subspecies have been identified in the archaeological record. Growth experiments and observations of living progenitors of these crops can provide insights into the ancient agricultural system of eastern North America, the role of developmental plasticity in the process of domestication, and the creation and maintenance of diverse landraces under cultivation. In addition, experimental gardens are potent tools for public education, and can also be used to conserve remaining populations of lost crop progenitors and explore the possibility of re-domesticating these species.

De Novo Domestication: An Alternative Route toward New Crops for the Future

“…Of the six species of eastern Northern American domesticates, only squash (Curcubita pepo) and sunflower (Helianthus annus) are currently still grown as crops (Smith, 2006;Smith and Yarnell, 2009). However, there is revived interest in many of the eastern Northern American domesticates (Mueller et al, 2017), as well as similarly developed species in Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania (Dirzo and Raven, 2003;Smykal et al, 2018). For example, a recent review by Smykal and colleagues recommends several lost African species that could be recultivated (Council, 1996;Henry et al, 2016;Smykal et al, 2018).…”

“…For example, a recent review by Smykal and colleagues recommends several lost African species that could be recultivated (Council, 1996;Henry et al, 2016;Smykal et al, 2018). Furthermore, experiments have demonstrated that goosefoot cultivation can already produce harvests comparable with those of agricultural crops (Herná ndez Bermejo and Leó n, 1994; Patton and Williams, 2016), suggesting that redomestication of this species via selective breeding or gene editing could render it an attractive alternative to the exotic species currently grown in North America (Mueller et al, 2017).…”

Exceptional subgenome stability and functional divergence in allotetraploid teff, the primary cereal crop in Ethiopia

“…Thirty crop species supply over 90% of the world’s food needs and this narrow diversity reduces global food security. Humans have domesticated several hundred distinct plant species, but most are underutilized, under-improved, and restricted to their regions of origin 1 . Although food systems have become increasingly diverse in the last few decades, many locally adapted species have been replaced by calorically dense staple crops, resulting in global homogeneity 2 .…”

Exceptional subgenome stability and functional divergence in the allotetraploid Ethiopian cereal teff

“…T hirty crop species supply over 90% of the world's food needs and this narrow diversity reduces global food security. Humans have domesticated several hundred distinct plant species, but most are underutilized, under-improved, and restricted to their regions of origin 1 . Although food systems have become increasingly diverse in the past few decades, many locally adapted species have been replaced by calorically dense staple crops, resulting in global homogeneity 2 .…”