CLASSIFICATION OF CROP PLANTS

CLASSIFICATION OF CROP PLANTS

Three Types

Taxonomical
Commercial
Agricultural classification
 Taxonomic Classification

All the plants referring to

one particular family are grouped together

in a systematic arrangement
Examples:

Cruciferae contains
• Oil yielding crop -Brassica juncea (Mustard),
• Leafy vegetable -B. oleracea var. capitata (Cabbage)
• Root crop - B. oleracea var. rapa (Turnip).

Poaceae contains
• Cereal crops - Paddy and Wheat
• Sugar crop - Sugarcane

• Paper-pulp yielding - Bamboo

Advantage: Easy understanding of the morphological
characters of any particular family

Disadvantage: Crops with different economic uses and

morphological and other agro-botanical peculiarities when
brought under one family do not generally bring out the
economic importance of the individual crops.
 Commercial Classification
The plant products that come into the commercial field

(a) food crops

Cereals such as rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, ragi,
Pulses obtained from legumes,
Fruits, vegetables and nuts.

(b) industrial crops

Cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, groundnut,
Castor, sesame, tapioca, onion, turmeric and ginger

(c) food adjuncts

Spices, condiments, beverages and narcotics.
Disadvantage:
one crop which has been included as a food crop may
figure also as an industrial crop.

E.g. Maize or Tapioca.

A better classification is……

………….. the Agricultural Classification.
 Agricultural Classification

“the use of plants and plant products to man”

1. Cereals
2. Pulses
3. Vegetables, fruits and nuts
4. Oils and oilseeds
5. Sugars and starches
6. Fibres
7. Beverages
8. Narcotics, fumitories and masticatories
9. Spices and Condiments
10. Rubber
11. Forages
12. Green manures and green-leaf manures
 Cereals
Ceres - the Roman Goddess of harvest

Wheat and barley were generally the offerings - called

Cerealia munera

Subsequently the grains used for food, especially for making

bread were called Cerealia or cereals

Applicable to the grains obtained from the members of the

family Poaceae.
E.g. Rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, ragi, barely, pearl millet,
fox-tail millet, rye, oats, etc.
Millets - number of small grained cereals which are of minor
importance as food.
Pseudo-cereals - plants other than those of Poaceae
Pseudocereals are plants that produce fruits or seeds which are
used and consumed as grains, though botanically pseudocereals
are neither grasses nor true cereal grains. Pseudocereals are
typically high in protein and other nutrients, gluten-free, and are
considered whole grains. Many so-called "ancient grains" are
pseudocereals.

E.g. Buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp - Chenopodiaceae),

Grain amaranthus (Amaranthus spp.-Amaranthaceae),

Quina (Chenopodium quinoa - Chenopodiaceae)

 Characteristic features of cereals
Most of the cereals are herbaceous annuals
Stem or culm often erect, cylindrical, hollow except at
nodes
Culms are generally enclosed within the leaf sheaths
Tillering habit, shallow fibrous root system
Leaves alternate, distichously with parallel venation and
sheathing leaf base
Presence of auricles, ligules and lodicules
Inflorescence is panicle or spike
Unit of the inflorescence - Spikelet
Stamens usually three (in rice - six )
Fruit is a caryopsis (in ragi - utricle)
 Prominence of Cereals

Greater adaptability
Easy for cultivation
More yield per unit area - due to tillering habit
Grains compact, dry and can be easily handled
Grains can be easily separated from plants
Grains has high nutritive value with higher percentage of
carbohydrates, sufficient protein (7-10%), fats, vitamins
and minerals.
 Pulses
Important source of human food - next to the cereals

The term pulse is used - for the seeds of leguminous plants

Pulses supply proteins and form chief source in

vegetarian food. Leguminous plants fix nitrogen in root
nodules - produced with the help of nitrogen fixing bacteria

Seeds, pods, leaves and the shoots also contain a high

proportion of protein.

E.g. Red gram, black gram, green gram

 Vegetables, fruits and nuts

Rich and valuable sources of food

Classification

The branch relating to cultivation of fruits

(pomology)
vegetables (olericulture) and

ornamental plants (floriculture)

 Oils and oilseeds

Important both for consumption and industrial purposes

In the human diet, the fat portion is supplied by oils, which

give the necessary energy for metabolism, besides adding
taste to the food

Medicinal Value
Industrial uses: preparation of soaps, cosmetics and
lubrication
 Sugars and starches
Sugarcane – chief source of sugar and energy
Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) is the source of sugar - Europe,
Canada, U.S.A.
Other sources of sugar - palms, coconut and date palm.
The tapped juice from the palms are converted into palm gur
 Starches

Cereals supply the bulk of the starch as in rice, sorghum,

maize and other cereals.

Starchy foods are also obtained from Potato, sweet potato

and tapioca

Industrial uses: confectionery, textile, stationery and

cosmetics industries.
 Fibres

Cotton - most important fibre crop – under cultivation in

many countries for many centuries

Linen - from the flaxseed or linseed plant - the source of

fibre for clothing in temperate regions

Fibres of jute and mesta - gunny bags and packing material

Coconut fibres - twines, cordages, ropes, carpets, mats and

brushes
 Beverages
Coffee, tea and cocoa are the important beverages of the
world.
The beverages have stimulating effects.

Coffee and tea are commercial crops - export market

Cocoa - beverage and confectionery.

Narcotics, Fumitories and Masticatories

Narcotics
Products from tobacco, ganja and opium

Produce a stimulating / drowsy / numbing effect due to the

presence of alkaloids

Mild stimulating preparations

Adjuncts to fermentations
Flavouring ingredients to beverages
Mild poisons are also called as narcotics
When substances are smoked because of the stimulating
effect - fumitories

When Chewed - betel leaf and arecanut – masticatories

Tobacco - narcotic, a fumitory and also as a masticatory.

 Spices and Condiments

Food adjuncts - add flavour, aroma and taste due to the

presence of essential oils

Those which give aroma and flavour, are termed as spices

and those which give taste as condiments

E.g. Pepper, Cardamom, Cloves, Chillies, Turmeric, ginger,

onion and garlic.
 Rubber

E.g. Hevea brasiliensis, a plant introduced from Brazil.

Rubber obtained from the Latex

• Important role in the national economy

• Many industrial uses
Other sources:
Manihot glaziovii
Cryptostegia
Taraxacum
 Forages
The term forages - include both fodders and
pasturages.

Cultivated fodders
• Guinea grass
• Cumbu Napier grass
• Lucerne
• Fodder cholam
• Fodder maize etc.,
- harvested and fed to the animals.
Pastures - The grasses and legumes which are grown in
arable land and left for animals to graze-on

The straw of paddy and sorghum (Jowar) and dry plants of

pulse crops and groundnut form important forages.

The foliage of a number of trees and shrubs which are edible

to animals form another source of forage especially in dry
areas and during the periods of scarcity.
 Green manures and green-leaf manures

Growing of special crops for adding organic matter and

nitrogen to the soil and by ploughing them in situ is called
Green manuring.

• Sunhemp
• Pillipesara
• Kolingi
• Indigo
• Sesbania speciosa
The green lopping from shrubs and trees incorporated in
fields form the green leaf manure
• Ipomoea carnea
• Glyricidia

Usually green manuring plants are papilionaceous types

- that fix nitrogen in the soil
CENTRES OF ORIGIN
• All the cultivated plants were not distributed uniformly
throughout the World

• Certain areas show greater diversity for cultivated crops

and their wild relatives
Concept of centres of origin was given by
N.I.Vavilov on his studies of plants at the
Institute of Plant Industry, Leningard.
N. I. Vavilov postulated the
“Law of homologous series in variation”

The law states that

the character found in one species also occur
in other related species
N.I.Vavilov proposed that crop plants evolved
from wild species in the areas showing great
diversity and termed them as Primary centres
of origin

In some areas certain crop species show

considerable diversity of forms although they
did not originate there. Such areas are known
as secondary centres of origin of these species
 N.I.Vavilov - proposed the ‘Centres of Origin’.

based on the vast collection of plants at

Institute of Plant Industry, Leningrad.
The concept is that
crop plants evolved from wild species

in the area showing great diversity

Primary centre of origin.

From the primary centre - the crops moved to other places –

due to the activities of man.
Certain areas exhibit maximum diversity for crops

but not the centre of origin for that particular crop.

Secondary centres of origin.

E.g. Maize – Central American centre – Primary centre

China centre – Secondary centre

Within the large centres of diversity,

small areas may exhibit much greater diversity

than the centre as a whole.

Microcentres
 CENTRAL ASIA
ASIA MINOR
3
5 4
MEDITERRANEAN 1 CHINA
7
CENTRAL AMERICA 2
6
8 ABYSSINIAN HINDUSTAN
8a
SOUTH AMERICA
8b
VAVILOV - 8 CENTRES OF ORIGIN
Eight main centres of origin were originally proposed

China, Hindustan,Central Asia,Asia Minor, Mediterranean,

Abyssinia, Central and South America

Later in 1935, Vavilov divided Hindustan centre of origin into

two centres viz., Indo Burma and Siam Malaya Java centres of
origin

South American centre was divided into three centres namely

Peru, Chile and Brazil – Paraguay centres of origin

Eight centres were regrouped into 11 centres

He introduced a new centre of origin – USA centre of origin

Sunflower and Jerusalem artichoke are believed to have
originated from this centre
1. The China centre
• The mountainous regions
of central and western
china and the neighboring 1
low lands.
• It is the largest and oldest
independent centre.
Primary centre of origin
Soybeans
Radish, Colocasia antiquorum
Secondary centre of origin
Proso millet, buckwheat
Maize , Rajma
Opium, Brinjal, Allium
Cowpea
Brassica,Pears,Plums,apricots,
Turnip
oats
Sesame
2. The Hindustan Centre

Burma, Assam, Malaya, Java

Borneo, Sumatra and
Philippines, but excludes
North West India, Punjab and
North Western Frontier
Provinces.
Primary centre of origin
2
Rice Cucumber
Redgram Radish
Chickpea Noble canes
Cowpea Cotton (G. arboreum)
Greengram Hemp
Turmeric Coconut, Pepper, Mango, Banana, Turmeric
Sugarcane (S. officinarum)
3. The Central Asia Centre
• North West India, Afghanistan, the Soviet Republics of
Tajikistan and Tian Shan.
• It is also known as the Afghanistan centre of origin.
Primary centre of origin
Wheat, Pea
Broad bean
Green gram
Sesame
Safflower 3
Cotton (G. herbaceum)
Onion, Grapes, Apple
Secondary centre of origin
Rye
4. The Asia Minor Centre

•Near East or the Persian

Centre of Origin.
• Interior of Asia Minor, whole of
4
Transcaucasia, Iran and
Highlands of Turkmenistan.

Primary centre of origin

Triticum, Rye, Alfalfa, Cabbage,

Oats, Carrot, Fig, Pomegranate

Secondary centre of origin

Rape, Black Mustard, Turnip
Apricot
5.The Mediterranean Centre

Primary centre of origin for

many valuable cereals and 5
legumes

Durum Wheat Lentil

Emmer Wheat Pea
Barley Broad bean
Chickpea
Beets
Peppermint
6.The Abyssinian Centre
Ethiopia and hill country of Eritrea.
Primary centre of origin
• Barley
• Sorghum
• Pearl millet
• Lentil
• Khesari
• Sunflower
• Castor
• Coffee 6
• Okra

Secondary centre of origin

• Broad bean
7. Central American Centre
• South Mexico and Central
America.
• Also referred as - The Mexican
Centre of Origin.

Primary centre of origin 7

Maize, Lima bean
Melons, Pumpkin
Sweet Potato
Arrowroot
Cotton (G.hirsutum)
Chillies, Papaya,
Guava, Avacado
 8. South American Centre
The high mountainous regions of
Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador,
Colombia, parts of Chile, and
Brazil and whole of Paraguay

Primary centre of origin

8 Potato Maize
Lima bean Peanut
Tobacco Tapioca
Egyptian cotton (G. barbadense)
Pineapple Pumpkin
Tomatoes Rubber
In 1935, the Hindustan centre was divided into two

1. Indo Burma centre

2. Siam Malaya Java centres

The South American centre was
divided into three

1. Peru centre

2. Chile centre

3. Brazil paraguay centre

A new centre of origin, the
U.S.A. Centre of origin
(1935)

Two plant species,

1. Sunflower

(Helianthus annuus)

2. Jerusalem Artichoke

(H. tuberosus)
• Several species have 2 or more centres of
diversity
• Often very difficult to determine the real centre
of origin
• These areas are not the actual Centre of Origin
for the species concerned but they are the
areas of maximum diversity of a particular
species.

Centres of Origin Centres of Diversity