MAJOR AGRICULTURE HEARTHS OF THE WORLD

ASSIGNMENT ON

AGRICULTURE GEOGRAPHY

(GEOG/3/SC/16A)

MAJOR AGRICULTURE HEARTHS

LALTANPUIA

ROLL NO – 22

M.SC

DEPT. OF GEOGRAPHY & RM

    Agriculture hearths are the areas of settlement during the neolithic period, especially along major rivers, from where farming and cultivation of livestock started. Accumulated late evidence since Vavilov’s time has suggested the following eight major genecentres (geographical locales of wild ancestors of modern cultivated plants) origin and domestication:

    1. The South West Asian genecentre.

    This stretches over Asia Minor, Greece, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Turkistan, the Arabian Peninsula up to the foothills of Hindukush in the east. This is one of the oldest genecentres where domestication of cereal plants was started. Cultivated plants of South West Asia including the large grained emmer, ancestral to all the other species of wheat except einkorn genetical descendant of other small grained wild wheat. By about 10,000 BC people who relied upon hunting and gathering were reaping wild barley and wild wheat. About 6000 BC, there seems to have been both farming villages and nomadic encampments, probably with trade and other concentrations among them. A major advances in the agriculture came with the development of irrigation. Evidences of the period about 6000 BC are available to show the village communities growing wheat and barley in Southern Turkey, the eastern uplands of Mediterranean and Zagros mountain of Iran and Iraq. Some of the important crops like cabbage, leek, lettuce, onion and garlic have their origin in South West Asia.

    2. The South East Asian Genecentre.

    The South East Asian genecentre occupied the greater parts of the mainland of South East Asia, India, Burma, Thailand, Indo-China, Malaysia and Indonesia. A large number of plants like banana, sugarpalm, coconut, bamboo, tro, yam, turian, rice sugarcane, legumes, mangoes and citrus fruits were domesticated in this region. Moreover, cucumber, eggplant, cowpea also had their origin in India and South East Asia. Carl Sauer is of the opinion that the most ancient domestication of plants appeared within this genecentre near what is known as the North East India and Indo-China. The earliest archaeological evidence about the domestication of plants is available from Thailand where legumes possibly have been domesticated about 9000 BC. Very little is known about the methods of farming in South East Asia during the prehistoric period. But it is likely to have been primitive, relying upon stone axes, tire and digging sticks.

    3. The China-Japan Genecentre.

    The first known farmers in Northern China lived in the Loess uplands in the Middle Hawang Ho between 6000-5000 B.C. these farmers domesticated fox-tail millet, kept pigs and probably practiced shifting cultivation. From here agriculture diffused towards Machuria, Korea and Japan in the North and the valley of Yangtze Kiang in the south. There are reasons to believe that in China and Japan, probably wheat, barley, sheep, goat and cattle were acquired from the south West Asia, whilst soyabean, mulberry and pig were locally domesticated. The chief implements were digging sticks, hoes and spades. Plough was acquired from south West Asia. By 5000 B.C for the maintenance of soil fertility a number of practices were adopted. The main aim of the farmers was moisture conservation rather than irrigation.

   

    4. The Central Asian genecentre.

    This genecentre of Vavilov includes Afghanistan, Tajakistan, Uzbekistan and the area lying to the west of Tien Shan. To the east of the Caspian Ser in Turkistan, an agriculture community based on irrigation grew up between 5000-3000 BC. They adopted mixed agricultural based on the combination of crops and livestocks which characterized Mesopotamia. In this genecentre, peas, flax, carrot, onion, almond, walnut, grapes, alfalfa, garlic musk-melon, spinach and a number of fruits including berries were domesticated.

    5. The Mediterranean Genecentre.

    The genecebtre of Mediterranean extends from Portugal in the west to Greece in the east. Domestication of plants in this region took place on the Coastal undulating areas of Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Greece and Cyprus. Primarily it is the genecentre of oats, flax, olive, cabbage, rutabaga and lavender etc. By 4000 BC the crops which give traditional Mediterranean much of its distinctiveness e.g olive, fig and vine had been domesticated in the eastern parts of the Mediterranean. Vegetables which have their origin in this genecentre are atrichokas, asparagus, cabbage, celery, chicory, olive, cress, endive, beat, garlic, leek, lettuce, onion and peas.

    6. The African Genecentre.

    Egypt being close to the land of South East Asia, derived agriculture from this region. In Egypt the first evidence of agriculture is on the edge of the delta where wheat and flax were grown by 5000 BC. The origins of agriculture in Africa, South of the Sahara, are still a matter of dispute. In Ethopia and the West Coast Africa, vegeculture developed along the margins of tropical forest and Savanna lands where climate was warm and moist. West Africa, in fact, still remains one of the few areas of the world where root crops form a major part of the agricultural economy. Tropical Africa is the primary genetic centre of sorghum, African rice, oil-palm, Castor beans, cotton, water-melon, cowpea, coffee and kola-nut and secondary genetic centre for the many varieties of barley and oats.

    7. South American Genecentre.

    Extending over Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Chile seems to be the most ancient focus of lant domestication and pre-historic agriculture of the new world. It is guessed that it starts between 7000-3000 BC. Here the first domesticated plants of tuberous species like the manioc, arrowroots, waternuts, sweet potatoes, sorrel, ochira, beans tuper and squash were vegetatively propagated. Later seed peanuts, groundnut and pineapple were also domesticated in South America. In Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru, vegetables like lima-beans, potato, pumpkin and tomato were domesticated. Axe and digging stick were the main equipments of the pre-historic farming societies of South America. Slash and Burn, irrigation, terracing, and the use of elama-dung for manure were practiced.

    8. The Central American Genecentre.

    This centre spreads over the sea area of Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama. Settled agriculture in this area developed only about 2000 BC, but domestication of plants like pumpkin and peppers had started in about 6000 BC. The central American area is the genecentre of plants like maize, kidney-bean, avocados, zapotes, pumpkin and cotton. A series of potatoes was also domesticated in the same region. It is the homeland of red-pepper, bean, avocado, sunflower, agave, cocoa and tobacco.

References:

    Hussain, M. (1996) : Systematic Agricultural Geography, Rawat, New Delhi.

    Singh, J. & Dhillon, S.S. (1998) : Agricultural Geography, Tata McGraw Hill, New Delhi.

    http://www.chacha.com/question/what-is-agricultural-hearth

    http://quizlet.com/2096662/human-geography-agriculture-unit-v-flash-cards