Oryza sativaOryza sativa, having the common name Asian cultivated rice, is the much more common of the two rice species cultivated as a cereal, the other species being O. glaberrima, African rice. It was first domesticated in the Yangtze River basin in China 13,500 to 8,200 years ago. Oryza sativa belongs to the genus Oryza and the BOP clade in the grass family Poaceae.
Oryza glaberrimaOryza glaberrima, commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. The species was first domesticated and grown in West Africa around 3,000 years ago. In agriculture, it makes up an estimated 20% of rice grown commercially in West Africa, having largely been replaced by higher-yielding O. sativa (Asian rice). The number of O. glaberrima varieties grown is declining. Crossbreeding African and Asian rice is difficult, but there exist some crosses.
MaizeMaize (US: ; Zea mays), also known as corn, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. The leafy stalk of the plant gives rise to male inflorescences or tassels which produce pollen, and female inflorescences called ears. The ears yield grain, known as kernels or seeds. In modern commercial varieties, these are usually yellow or white; other varieties can be of many colors.
SugarcaneSeveral species of grass used for sugar productionSaccharum officinarumSugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, perennial grass (in the genus Saccharum, tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugarproduction. The plants are 2–7 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sucrose, which accumulates in the stalk internodes.
DomesticationSelective breeding of plants and animals to serve humansDogs and sheep were among the first animals to be domesticated, at least 15,000 and 11,000 years ago respectively.Rice was domesticated in China, some 9,000 years ago.Domestication is a multi-generational mutualistic relationship in which an animal species, such as humans or leafcutter ants, takes over control and care of another species, such as sheep or fungi, to obtain from them a steady supply of resources, such as meat, milk, or labor.
Staple foodA staple food, food staple, or simply staple, is a food that is eaten often and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a standard diet for an individual or a population group, supplying a large fraction of energy needs and generally forming a significant proportion of the intake of other nutrients as well.
CerealGrass that has edible grainHarvesting a cereal with a combine harvester accompanied by a tractor and trailer.Cereal grains: (top) pearl millet, rice, barley(middle) sorghum, maize, oats(bottom) millet, wheat, rye, triticaleA cereal is a grass (family Poaceae) cultivated for its edible grain. Cereals are the world's largest crops, and are therefore staple foods. They include rice, wheat, rye, oats, barley, millet, and maize (US: corn).
AsiaContinentAsia ( , UK also ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which has long been home to the majority of the human population, was the site of many of the first civilisations. Its 4.7 billion people constitute roughly 60% of the world's population.
West AfricaWest Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo, as well as Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (a United Kingdom Overseas Territory).
InsectClass of arthropodsInsects live in a world of motion. This leaf-footed bug climbs windblown grass and flies off.Insects (from Latininsectum) are invertebrates of the classInsecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have an exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and a pair of antennae.
AfricaContinentAfrica is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers around 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surface area. With nearly 1.4 billion of the world population, Africa's population is the youngest among the continents; the median age in 2012 was 19.7, when the worldwide median age was 30.4.
World populationTotal number of living humans on EarthHigh, medium, and low projections of the future human world populationIn world demographics, the world population is the total number of humans currently alive. It was estimated by the United Nations to have exceeded 8 billion (8,000,000,000) on November 15, 2022. It took around 300,000 years of human prehistory and history for the human population to reach a billion and only 218 more years from there to reach 8 billion.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.