Additional/Alternative Crop Packages

I've read LoRaG and LoIaM and they got me thinking. Assuming that agriculture arose independantly in a few more places, what sorts of crop packages could have come into being? Are there any good potential domesticates that got ignored due to the spread of the OTL crop packages?
 
Not to echo the forum, but Guns, Germs and Steel by J. Diamond covers this in detail. Short answer is no, there isn't anything that could be developed into a crop package that hadn't been. If you want a POD with ASBs, that is easily remedied however.
 
Not to echo the forum, but Guns, Germs and Steel by J. Diamond covers this in detail. Short answer is no, there isn't anything that could be developed into a crop package that hadn't been. If you want a POD with ASBs, that is easily remedied however.

Messr Diamond also said that Australia had no domesticable crops other than the macadamia nut. There's at least 3 other Australian native crops which have been domesticated, and several more which are usefully cultivated for food even if not truly domesticated. So it's usually best not to rely entirely on Diamond.
 
Messr Diamond also said that Australia had no domesticable crops other than the macadamia nut. There's at least 3 other Australian native crops which have been domesticated, and several more which are usefully cultivated for food even if not truly domesticated. So it's usually best not to rely entirely on Diamond.

Certainly so, a friend enjoys pointing out the flaws of his work to me, though it is a good enough start for a discussion. A works specific on plant domestication work be preferiable but I dont know any off hand.

Personally, a crop package arising in the Pacific coast of North America would be excellent, but that's just me.
 
The South African Fynbos. has a possible crop package in the form of local vegetables, Amaranth in both seedy and greens variety, African Acacias, and Waterblommetijes, a local bulb-based plant.
 
would really like to see a aquacultural crop package ... both looking at swamp/river plants (cattail being prime contender, at some point adding rice to the package) and coastal plants (different Algae
 
would really like to see a aquacultural crop package ... both looking at swamp/river plants (cattail being prime contender, at some point adding rice to the package) and coastal plants (different Algae
The Chinese/East Asian crop package is already heavy on the aquatic plants: rice, taro, lotus, water chestnuts, water caltrops, wild rice (grown for shoots, not grain), Euryale ferox, arrowhead, several algae species, and probably a few others I'm forgetting.
 
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Not to echo the forum, but Guns, Germs and Steel by J. Diamond covers this in detail. Short answer is no, there isn't anything that could be developed into a crop package that hadn't been. If you want a POD with ASBs, that is easily remedied however.

I tend to disagree with this.
 
I tend to disagree with this.
Me too. As Jared said, there are thousands of plants that are used by cultures around the world that are only semi-domesticated and thousands more that are foraged from the wild. There are many species on the western coast of the US that could potentially be domesticated and never were. Places that received crop packages from elsewhere probably have many species with potential that were never domesticated simply because there was no need with the introduction of already domesticated crops.
 
I've read LoRaG and LoIaM and they got me thinking. Assuming that agriculture arose independantly in a few more places, what sorts of crop packages could have come into being? Are there any good potential domesticates that got ignored due to the spread of the OTL crop packages?

The most common proposed alternate crop package I've heard is an Eastern Agricultural Complex that does not get replaced with the Mesoamerican 3 sisters. So that would include meadow barley and goosefoot as the base starchy plants and squashes as well.

I believe this was explored in a timeline where wild rice rather than maize becomes the predominant crop in the Americas.
 
would really like to see a aquacultural crop package ... both looking at swamp/river plants (cattail being prime contender, at some point adding rice to the package) and coastal plants (different Algae

Funnily enough, I'm sort of in the process of putting together a European aquacultural package for the hell of it, on the grounds that a) there's a lot of aquatic plants that have been getting more attention as food/biofuel sources in recent years and/or are foraged a lot, and b) there is evidence of early Europeans sort of gravitating towards wetlands (not suprising since there was plenty of food there). The mozzies are a bit of a problem though.
 
The mozzies are a bit of a problem though.

Maybe if woad had insect-repellent properties, it could help people develop large populations near swamps:D

On that note, history need not be changed just through food crops. For example, some milkweeds produce a small amount of latex. A slightly different evolutionary path for these plants could mean that rubber is producible in large quantities in temperate areas for very little labor. That would butterfly away rubber exploitation in the tropics, perhaps tempering European colonialism a little.
 
Maybe if woad had insect-repellent properties, it could help people develop large populations near swamps:D

I don't know about woad, but yarrow definitely does. It was mentioned on one of Ray Mears' programs and my family and I ended up putting it to the test during a mozzie-ridden holiday in Scotland; we got some green streaks but none of us got a single bite despite there being clouds of the little bloodsuckers.

With regards to my little aquaculture project, I had a look and there appears to be a heck of a lot of good edible aquatic plants. A cursory search on the internet yields the following from Europe alone:

Acorus calamus - Sweet Flag: A native of Europe, naturalized in Britain, growing on the shallow edges of ponds and in most soils. The rhizomes, harvested in autumn or spring, are edible and can be used as a substitute for ginger, cinnamon or nutmeg - in the past the rhizomes were candied and used as a sweetmeat. The inner portion of young stems can be eaten raw and young leaves can be eaten cooked. Other virtues of this plant include its mature leaves, which are insect repellant, the lower stem and rhizome, which can be dried and used to scent clothes, cupboards etc, and an essential oil which can be extracted from the rhizome.

Beckmannia eruciformis: Native of Europe and Asia, this grass grows in wet meadows, swamps, marshes and very shallow water. The seed is edible, ground and used as a flour.

Butomus umbellatus - Flowering Rush: Native of Britain, it grows in moist soil or water up to one foot deep. The tubers, which contain over 50% starch, are edible when cooked. The seed is also edible.

Chrysosplenium alternifolium and C. oppositifolium - Golden Saxifrages: Natives of Britain, they grow in wet meadows, swamps etc, and prefer a shady position. The leaves are edible raw or cooked.

Cyperus longus - Galingale: Native of Britain, it grows in ditches and marshy soils. The root is edible and it can be used as a spice.

Glyceria fluitans - Float Grass: Native of Britain, it grows in shallow pond margins. The seed is sweet and is used in puddings or as a gruel.

Nasturtium officinale - Watercress: Native of Britain, this is the familiar salad plant for sale in greengrocers etc. It prefers growing in very shallow water (about two inches deep) but can also be found in marshy soils. It should be propagated by seed or by cuttings which will root easily and quickly in a container of water at any time of the growing season. As well as its leaves being edible, its seeds may be used as a mustard substitute.

Nuphar lutea - Yellow Water Lily: Native of Britain, it grows in water between one and two feet deep, preferring a sunny position. The roots are edible either raw or cooked, the leaf stalks may also be eaten, and a drink can be made from the flowers. Two allied species from North America, N. advena and N. polysepala, are often grown in ornamental ponds and they can be used in similar ways. In addition the seeds are edible, being ground up and used as thickeners in soups etc. This would suggest that the seeds of N. lutea could also be used in this way, but we have not found any references to this.


Phragmites australis (Phragmites communis) - Common Reed: Native of Britain, growing in shallow waters and wet soils, this member of the grass family can grow up to 12 feet tall so it's not really one for the smaller garden, particularly as it is very invasive. However, it more than makes up for its antisocial tendencies with its quite impressive list of uses. The roots, which contain 5% sugar, are edible and can be dried, ground coarsely and used as a porridge. The young shoots can be eaten raw or cooked and the seed is also edible. If the stem is wounded it exudes a sugary substance which hardens upon exposure to the air. This can be eaten raw or roasted - indeed, the dried and ground inner stem can be moistened and then roasted to make a marshmallow substitute. Other virtues of this plant include the stems for thatching, basket making etc, and a light green dye that can be obtained from the stems.

Sagittaria sagittifolia - Arrow Head: Native of Britain, it grows in water up to one and a half feet deep. Its tuber can be cooked and eaten and is much cultivated in China for this purpose.

Samolus valerandi - Brookweed: Native of Britain, it grows in wet soil and shallow water. The young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked.

Scirpus lacustris - Bulrush: Native of Britain, it grows in bogs or shallow pond margins. The roots are edible and can be eaten raw or dried, ground and used as a flour. The young shoots in spring are also edible. The leaves can be used in weaving for making mats, chair seats etc.

Sparganium erectum - Bur-Reed: Native of Britain, it grows in marshes, ditches and shallow edges of ponds, requiring a rich soil if it is to do well. The tuber is edible.

Trapa natans - Water Chestnut: Native of Asia and the Mediterranean, this plant is hardy in all but the coldest parts of Britain and it grows in water up to two feet deep. Its seed, which is about 50% starch, can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried and ground into flour. It is often cultivated for its seed in Asia. Propagation is by seed only.


Typha angustifolia and T. latifolia - Small Reed Mace and Reed Mace: Natives of Britain, growing in pond margins, these plants are an absolute must for any self-respecting vegan 'self-sufficientist'. Make sure that you've got the room for them though because they are very invasive (especially T. latifolia) and will soon overrun most of your other plants if you don't keep an eye on them. Their catalogue of uses is most impressive and just why they are not used commercially is beyond us. Their rhizome is edible raw, cooked, or dried and ground into flour. Young shoots can be eaten raw or used as an asparagus substitute. The base of more mature stems can be eaten raw or cooked (but remove the outer covering). The seeds are edible and, when roasted, are said to have a pleasant, nutty flavour. An edible oil can be extracted from the seed. The pollen, which is a good source of protein, can be added to flour, and the young flowering spikes can be cooked and eaten. As if all that was not enough, the leaves can be used in weaving to make hats, mats etc, the hairs on the fruits can be used as a stuffing material for pillows etc, the stems are used in paper making and the dried flowers make a good insulating material. It's quite wonderful, isn't it?!


Vaccinium palustre - Small Cranberry: Native of Britain, this is a prostrate shrub that grows on acid, boggy soils and strongly dislikes chalky soils. Propagation is by seed or by layering the stems in spring. The fruit is edible and is held by some to be the most delicious of our native wild fruits. A tea can be made from the dried leaves, a red dye is obtained from the fruits, and the juice of the fruit is a very effective cleaner for your family silver. A closely related shrub, V. macrocarpon, is native of North America where it is widely cultivated for its fruit. It too can be grown in the bog garden.


Of course, there are some fairly incompatible habitat preferences in that little selection and I'm not 100% sure what makes a plant worth domesticating.
 
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Certainly so, a friend enjoys pointing out the flaws of his work to me, though it is a good enough start for a discussion. A works specific on plant domestication work be preferiable but I dont know any off hand.

Personally, a crop package arising in the Pacific coast of North America would be excellent, but that's just me.

That is discussed in LoIaM, actually. Though it is not entirely independent in that scenario.
 
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