Schriften zu Genetischen Ressourcen - Genres

Introduction
A.SZABÓ T.
Modern molecular biology is currently spending huge money on genetically modified
organisms (GMOs), neglecting almost completely traditional ethnocultural knowledge
on plants. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are spending another good
money to destroy GMOs. The ultimate absurdity of this approach resides in the fact
that modern crop science is based fully on ethnobotanical experience preserved
mostly in situ in the poorest countries of the world. Modern science was unable to
create not even a single (major or minor) crop. Commemorating RUDOLF MANSFELD,
who “emphasised the necessity to consider all botanical aspects for taxonomic and
evolutionary conclusions”, is a good opportunity to meditate on different neglected
levels in (co-)evolution of agricultural and horticultural crops and cultures (MANSFELD
1959 n.c. 2 , STUBBE 1962 n.c., SCHULTZE-MOTEL et al. 1986 n.c., HANELT and
INSTITUTE OF PLANT GENETICS AND CROP PLANT RESEARCH 2001).
Plant cultivation needs human skills quite different from those needed for hunting,
and resulted very probably in different types of human behaviours and adaptations.
This assumption is not supported now by good research. Interactions between crop
evolution and specific human co-operative behaviour (including linguistic, ethnic, social,
cultural and even religious aspects) are rather neglected. The study of neurobiological
backgrounds of historical, comparative, and evolutionary ethnobotany seems
to be a promising science field, accordingly.
We are all aware that ethnobotany will not give explanations and will not solve the
problem of many traditional ethnic, economical/ecological and cultural conflicts
causing so many tragedies in the 20 th and even in the first year of the 21 st century.
But we also know (or at least feel) how dangerous is the mutual lack of empathy and
understanding in managing difficult and complex questions related with competition
for resources, sustainability, ethnicity, society and culture. The Afghan-case is relevant
is this respect (VAVILOV and BUKINICH 1929, TANI and SAKAMOTO 1987,
KAWAHARA 1987, MATSUI 1987). This zone of the first major ethnocultural conflict of
the new Millennium was and remains being of major interest for genetic resource explorations
(PISTRICK and MAL’CEV 1998, with further references).
Looking both from a botanical and from a (somewhat) philosophical point on the
evolution of plant-and-man interactions, it is worth to note that the first great paradigm
shifts in understanding these interactions are relatively recent: the “Genetic
Laws of Nature” (FESTETICS 1819 n.c.) and factorial inheritance (MENDEL 1865 n.c.),
first working concepts on evolution (DARWIN 1859, 1863 n.c.), the science on origin of
crop plants (A. DE CANDOLLE 1883 n.c.), the germplasm (‘Keimplasma’) concept
(WEISMANN 1894, n.c.), ethnobotany as a new science (HARSHBERGER 1896), the ge-
2 "not cited": due to space reasons, some references are not provided in the references section
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