New World Crops

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[edit] Ancient New World Crops

The phrase "New World Crops" is usually used to describe crops that were native to North and South America before 1492 and not found anywhere else in the world at that time. Many of these crops have since been grown around the world and have often become an integral part of various culture's cuisines.

Table of Ancient New World Crops[1]
Cereals Maize (corn), maygrass, little barley, knotweed, and goosefoot
Pulses Common bean, tepary bean, scarlet runner bean, lima bean, and peanut
Fiber Cotton, yucca, and agave
Roots and Tubers Jicama, manioc, potato, sweet potato, oca
Fruits Tomato, chili pepper, avocado
Melons Squashes

Chocolate, Manioc (Cassava), arrowroot, Canna, tobacco, Chicle, rubber

The new world developed agriculture much later than the fertile crescent. The following tables illustrate the crops that were grown and the chronology of domestication.

Timeline of New World Crop Cultivation[2]
Date Crops Location
7000BC Maize Central America
5000BC Cotton Mexico
4800BC Squash
Chili Peppers
Avocados
Ameranth		 Mexico
4000BC Maize
Common Bean		 Central America
4000BC Ground Nut South America
2000BC Sunflowers
Beans

[edit] References

  1. ^ Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs and Steel, W. W. Norton & Company, 1999, p. 126.
  2. ^ Gardening History Timeline: From Ancient Times to the 20th Century

[edit] See also