Schriften zu Genetischen Ressourcen - Genres

A.A. FILATENKO, K. PISTRICK, H. KNÜPFFER and K. HAMMER
New contributions of E.N. SINSKAYA to N.I. VAVILOV’S theory of the origin of cultivated
plants
1. SINSKAYA elaborated a more detailed approach to the analysis of cultivated plants
in their centres of origin, called the “differential method of analysis”. This approach
is based on the differential characterisation of the endemism of various taxa in a
given area, which are divided into the following categories:
a) genera which include cultivated species, and which originated in the area;
b) genera which include cultivated species, and which have their primary centres
of origin or their most important secondary centres of origin in the area;
c) cultivated species strictly endemic to the given area, having their origin from
wild species in that area;
d) cultivated species endemic to the given area, but having their origin from wild
species in another area;
e) cultivated species which have their primary centres of origin or their most important
secondary centres of origin in the area, or which are represented by
endemic taxa.
SINSKAYA (1966, 1969) proposed to differentiate five basic geographical areas of
historical development of cultivated plants (Fig. 1, Table 1), with corresponding
sub-areas. For these areas and their subdivisions, SINSKAYA (1969) listed the respective
cultivated species together with their classification according to the
above-mentioned categories (cf. Appendix 1).
2. In addition, SINSKAYA provided a group of genera, species of which have been
domesticated both in the Old and in the New World: Amaranthus L., Bromopsis
Fourr., Chenopodium L., Crataegus L., Diospyros L., Eugenia L., Fragaria L.,
Gossypium L., Grossularia Mill., Juglans L., Lupinus L., Malus L., Phaseolus L.,
Prunus L., Solanum L., Vitis L..
3. Developing VAVILOV’S ideas on centres of origin, SINSKAYA (1966) described the
African area of historical development of the flora of cultivated plants.
4. The concept of dependent areas of historical development of the flora of cultivated
plants was introduced, based on VAVILOV’s concept of secondary centres of
diversity. Agriculture in such areas is always younger, although the period of their
development is still long, as can be judged from the large number of species domesticated
from the wild flora of these areas. These dependent areas have the
following characteristics:
1) The endemic flora is often not as rich and not as old as in other areas.
2) The history of agriculture is not as old.
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