Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE, cilt.194, sa.3, ss.169-179, 2008 (SCI-Expanded)
This study is focused on the various agronomic traits to adaptation of cultivated field crops. As known, there is a close and strong relationship between cultivation (also known as domestication) and adaptation. Life has existed for more than 2500 million years on Earth and the birth of agriculture, some 10 000 years ago in the Middle East's fertile crescent, revolutionized human culture and society. Plants survive (they live and grow) in new and different areas. Adaptations are special features that allow a plant or animal to live in a particular place or habitat. These adaptations might make it very difficult for the plant to survive in a different place. In general, field crops must be placed in an environment that meets their 'requirements'. The future of agricultural productivity and sustainability depends on the ability of crop plants (here, field crops) to grow and be productive in response to changing environments. The term 'adaptation' refers to the ability of different species with different genetic make-ups to cope with a specific range of circumstances such as climate, food supply, habitat, defence and movement. Adaptations can be structural (shape, skin colour etc.), behavioural (special ways in which a particular organ behaves to survive in its natural habitat), physiological (systems present in an organism for it to perform certain biochemical reactions such as venom, sweat, secreting slime), etc. This explains why certain plants are found in one area, but not in another. You would not see any plant from the Cactaceae family living in the Arctic Regions nor would you see lots of really tall trees living in grasslands! Environmental factors, such as photosynthetic activities, biodiversity and soil conditions, are related to this subject. Each grower should consider vital points such as marketing potential(s), transportation, storage, yield and price, producer's resources and most importantly, specific plant adaptational requirements and peculiarities. On the other hand, global heating (or global warming) is a most intensive subject and it has an important place. Especially, relationship to field crops, their production and yield levels of this topic's harmful effect(s) must be restricted or removed with proper agronomic action(s).