CHAPTER 5 INDIAN AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY n n INDIAN

CHAPTER 5 INDIAN AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY

n n INDIAN AMERICANS GAVE THE WORLD A NEW SET OF CROPS AND TAUGHT THE WORLD HOW TO GROW THEM. THEY ALSO DEVELOPED THE TECHNOLOGY FOR PROCESSING THE PLANTS INTO FOOD, BUILDING AND STORING THE PLANTS/FOOD, AND OVERCOMING THE THREAT OF VARIOUS INSECTS DAMAGING THE PLANTS

GENARO HERRERA n n n A SMALL JUNGLE VILLAGE IN THE AMAZON BASIN THIS VILLAGE IS IMPORTANT AND DIFFERENT FROM OTHER VILLAGES BECAUSE THE PERUVIAN GOVERNMENT CREATED A RESEACH CENTER FOR AGRICULTURE THE LAND IN THIS RESEARCH CENTER IS DIVIDED INTO “CHACRAS” CHACRAS ARE TRADITIONAL INDIAN FARMING PLOTS IN THIS VILLAGE LOCAL INDIANS HAVE TAUGHT COLLEGETRAINED AGRONOMISTS, BOTANISTS, AND FORESTERS, AGRICULTURAL TECHNIQUES AND BUILDING AND STORAGE METHODS FOR DIVERSE PLANTS

PLANTS/CROPS GROWN IN VILLAGE THE CASSAVA n ORCHARDS n CHOCOLATE TREES n WILD CACAO THESE CROPS/PLANTS FACE PROBLEMS -TERMITES AND OTHER INSECTS SEARCHING FOR PLACES TO NEST n

n n TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM OF TERMITES AND OTHER INSECTS THE INDIANS LEARNED TO USE SPECIAL FOREST PRODUCTS, WHICH SCIENTIST NOW STRUGGLE TO UNDERSTAND REPRODUCE. SOME TREES PRODUCE THEIR OWN EFFECTIVE REPELENT FOR INSECTS

FOREIGN TREES/PLANTS n n n THE GOVERNMENT FROM PERU RELY ON THE INDIANS EXPERTISE TO TEACH RESEARCHES HOW TO GROW A WIDE VARIETY OF PLANTS/TREES. THE INDIANS AROUND GENARO HERRERA ALSO TEACH SCIENTISTS HOW TO CULTIVATE AND UTILIZE THE PLANTS FOR 500 HUNDRED YEARS THE INDIAN-AMERICAN FARMERS HAVE BEEN TEACHING OTHERS HOW TO GROW AND PROCESS NEW PLANTS THAT REQUIRED NEW WAYS OF FARMING.

TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURE SYSTEM n n THE TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURE SYSTEM OF NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA CENTERED ON THE SMALL FIELDS CALLED “MILPA”, WHICH WAS NOT CULTIVATED BY PLOWING OR PLANTING IN NEAT ROWS. THIS SYSTEM CALLED “MILPA” LOOSES LESS SOIL TO RAIN RUNOFF AND HELPS TO STABILIZE THE SOIL.

n TODAY, IN THE MAYA FARMS OF YUCATAN ONE COULD EASILY SEE THE PRINCIPLES OF MILPA FARMING IN ACTION. THE FARM DOESN’T RESEMBLE WHAT WE MIGHT CONSIDER A FARM SINCE IT LOOKS LIKE AN ABANDONED FIELD. ONLY AFTER TALKING TO THE FARMERS, ONE CAN UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEX PLAN OPERATING THERE

MILPA n n WHEN THE FIRST SETTLERS ARRIVED IN THE UNITED STATES AND ENCOUNTERED THE “MILPA” AGRICULTURE TYPE, THEY HAD TO LEARN HOW TO FARM THAT WAY THE EUROPEAN TYPE OF FARMING, WHICH INCLUDED THE GROWING OF PLOTS IN REGIMENTAL LINES, PROVED IMPRACTICAL FOR BOTH THE INDIAN CROPS AND THE OLD WORLD CROPS TRANSPLANTED TO AMERICA

n n THE INDIANS ALSO FARMED THE FOREST THROUGH SIMPLER, YET MORE APPROPIATE, TECHNOLOGY. THEY USE THE PROCESS OF GIRDLING AND BARKING TO KILL THE TREES. THE SETTLER FARMERS ADAPTED THE SAME SYSTEM.

INDIAN INNOVATIONS BESIDES THE EUROPEANS ADAPTING TO THE INDIAN MILPA & TREE GIRDLING, THEY ALSO ADAPTED THE CHANGE FROM SOWING SEED TO PLANTING IT THE INDIANS SELECTED EACH SEED TO BE PLANTED RATHER THEN GRABBING A HANDFUL OF SEEDS FROM A BAG AND THROWING THEM. THIS PROCESS OF SELECTING THE SEEDS ALLOWED THE INDIANS TO DEVELOP THE HUNDRED OF VARIETIES OF EACH PLANT THEY CULTIVATED n

n TODAY, THE PROCESS IS KNOWN AS HYBRIDIZATION AND SCIENTISTS UNDERSTAND THE GENETIC REASON BEHIND THIS PROCESS THAT THE INDIAN FARMERS DEVELOPED THROUGH GENERATIONS OF TRIAL AND ERROR

CONUCO n THE MILPA SYSTEM WAS NOT THE ONLY FARMING DEVELOPMENT BY THE INDIANAMERICAN. IN SOUTH AMERICA AND THROUGHOUT THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS, THE INDIANS DEVELOPED A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SYSTEM OF AGRICULTURE, THE CONUCO.

n n n THE CONUCO USED NO SEEDS THE PLANTS GROW IN THESE CONUCOS INCLUDED: CASSAVA, MANY VARIETIES OF SWEET POTATO, PEACH PALMS, YAMS, AND PINEAPPLES, AND OTHER PLANTS NOT USED BY OUTSIDERS. THIS FORM OF CULTIVATION THRIVES BETTER IN THE TROPICS

n FOR THE MOST PART, THESE PLANTS OF THE CONUCO HAVE REMAINED TROPICAL AND SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD IN THE WARMER AREAS.

GREATEST PLANT BREEDERS n n THE INDIAN FARMERS WHO DEVELOPED THE COMPLEX WAYS OF REPRODUCING PLANTS THROUGH CUTTING AND CAREFUL SEED SELECTION WERE ABLE TO MANIPULATE THE COMPOSITION OF THEIR PLANTS THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PRACTICAL BASE OF PLANT MANIPULATION THAT MODERN SCIENCES HAVE DEVELOPED.

INDIAN FARMERS USE FERTILIZERS n n INDIAN FARMERS ACQUIRED A THOROUGH KNOWLEDGE OF AGRONOMY AND WAYS TO MANAGE THE SOIL PERUVIAN FARMERS RESTORE THE VITALITY OF THE LAND THROUGH FERTILIZERS, THE “GUANO” PROVED THE MOST EFFECTIVE, WHICH THE INCAS PROTECTED AS A PRIZED NATURAL RESOURCE

GUANO n n THE GUANO ENTERED PERUVIAN HISTORY AS THE MOST VALUABLE CASH RESOURCE THAT THE NATION HAD FOUND SINCE THE SPANISH HAD LOOTED THE GOLD AND SILVER. IN THE EARLY 18 TH CENTURY THE EUROPEANS FINALLY DISCOVERED THE VALUE OF THE GUANO FOR THEIR OWN AGRICULTURE. THE NITROGENOUS FERTILIZER SEEMED A MIRACULOUS CURE FOR THEIR EXHAUSTED LANDS

n n THE GUANO MARKED THE BEGINNING OF MODERN AGRICULTURE AND EVENTUALLY LED TO ARTIFICIAL FERTILIZERS BY THE 2 OTH CENTURY, THIS INDIAN TEQUNIQUE HAD BEEN EXPANDED TO A MASSIVE SCALE

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS n n INDIANS ALSO DEVELOPED THE TECHNOLOGY FOR TAPPING THE MAPPLE TREE, EXTRACTING THE SAP, AND PROCESSING IT INTO SYRUP AND INTO MAPLE SUGAR. THE INDIANS ALSO DEVELOPED THE LONG PROCESS OF GRANTING, PRESSING, AND WASHING THE POISONOUS VARIETIES OF CASSAVA IN ORDER TO REMOVE THE HYDROCYANIC ACID

SCIENTISTS KEEP FINDING NEW VARIETIES OF PLANTS GROWN IN THE REMOTE AND LESS HOSPITABLE PARTS OF THE AMAZON, IN HIGH MEXICAN VALLEYS, ON DAKOTA INDIAN RESERVATIONS, AND ALONG SWAMPY CREEKS IN COSTA RICA