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I have seen this image many times in my uni courses.
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when european first reached the continent, the breeding of the plant was heavily advance, somewhat on the right side of thr image
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this is one of the staple crops without which we could not survive.
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the current varieties are so productive, but they require all modern farming methods, which can be impactful
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if you want to apply biological agriculture, the mkst recent varieties are not a good pick, unless they actively support that
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that image also serve as a quick explaination as to how our food systems evolved. When you read ancient folk tales, or even when you read about these plants in Biblical texts, imagine the one on the mid left. A small plant capable of supporting a limited amount of people
What I think is more interesting in terms of New World staples is what the indigenous people of the Andes did with the potato. Not only did the cultivate dozens of varieties, they also learned how to freeze-dry them for long-term storage. That's amazing for people who just barely entered the bronze age by the time of European contact.
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