When was agriculture first discovered

During the Middle Ages, European farmers began using complex irrigation systems such as dams, reservoirs, and water-raising machines. They also developed a three-field system of crop rotation and the moldboard plow.

These inventions greatly increased the efficiency of agriculture. Between the 17th and 19th centuries, Britain experienced a dramatic increase in agricultural productivity known as the British Agricultural Revolution. This "revolution" consisted of a variety of improvements to agricultural methods which more or less took place simultaneously. Farmers developed new methods of crop rotation, began cultivating land that had been marshy or forested, and planted new crops such as the turnip.

The technology of agriculture has continued to evolve over the years. Plows and other farming implements improved, and the mechanical combine harvester—a machine that harvests grain—was invented in the s. In the early s, the horse-drawn plow was a catalyst for introducing more machinery on the farm.

The first tractors were steam-powered engines designed to haul agricultural equipment and were too expensive for most farmers. The gasoline-powered tractor was invented in The last century has seen a host of changes in the way farming is carried out and in the way farm produce shows up on our tables.

In , a trucking executive complained during a round of golf about how the summer heat was spoiling much of the food shipped by his company. His companion, Joseph Numero, jokingly suggested refrigerating the trailers. The idea stuck, and Numero went on to start a refrigerated transport company with the help of inventor Frederick Jones. Meanwhile, the development of hybrid seed , and particularly hybrid corn, revolutionized agriculture.

The following list of suggested resources is intended as a starting point for further exploration, and is not in any way comprehensive. Montgomery D. Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin; Kremer M. Q J Econ. Trinkaus E. Early Modern Humans. Annu Rev Anthropol. Diamond J. New York, New York: W. Norton and Company; Evolution, consequences and future of plant and animal domestication. Macronutrient contributions of insects to the diets of hunter-gatherers: A geometric analysis.

J Hum Evol. Vasey D. An Ecological History of Agriculture: 10, B. The latest woolly mammoths Mammuthus primigenius Blumenbach in Europe and Asia: A review of the current evidence. Quat Sci Rev. Simon Fraser University; National Research Council. Lost Crops of Africa. Washington D. Annu Rev Entomol. Energy-efficient food production to reduce global warming and ecodegradation: The use of edible insects.

Renew Sustain Energy Rev. Discov Mag. Price TD. Social Inequality at the Foundations of Agriculture. Foundations of Social Inequality. New York: Platinum Press; Pryor LF. The invention of the plow. Comp Stud Soc Hist. Hillel D. Out of the Earth: Civilization and the Life of the Soil. Cohen JE. Science News. Early gatherers The site bears the remains of six shelters and a particularly rich assemblage of plants. ScienceDaily, 22 July American Friends of Tel Aviv University.

First evidence of farming in Mideast 23, years ago: Evidence of earliest small-scale agricultural cultivation. Retrieved November 12, from www. The findings support arguments that Homo sapiens was ScienceDaily shares links with sites in the TrendMD network and earns revenue from third-party advertisers, where indicated.

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