Review article

Plant breeding, food production and sustainable agriculture

Marijan Jošt
Vesna Samobor

Abstract

Of about 250 thousands species of flowering plant, only around 3000 are used by man. However, by far the largest amount of food for man today from only 20 different crop species. The small number of crop plants used make man very susceptible. Today, the variety of goods in the supermarket is largely superficial; the 1500 articles that may be on display represent variations of only a few basic ingredients.
In about 10000 B.C., when man began harvesting the first domesticated plants, the earth's population was around four million. Toady that many people are born every ten days. If the trend continues after the year 2000, we will have to grow as much food in the first two decades of the new century as was produced over the past 10 thousands years
In the light of these facts, the possibilities and prospects of sustainable agriculture as a principal source of food are discussed.

Keywords

agriculture; plant domestication; population explosion; genetic erosion; enviroment protection; alternate technologies

Hrčak ID:

2268

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/2268

Publication date:

8.11.2005.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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