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Target Crops
Archaeological evidence shows that wheat-barley agriculture originated in the Near East and then spread around the Mediterranean, first into southern Europe and then into Western Europe, the British Isles, Scandinavia and Russia. Other crops such as lentil, chickpea, and pea were attached to this agriculture which first appears to have domesticated and cultivated previously wild plants around 10,000 years ago.
Barley was probably the first grain plant to be domesticated followed by wheat, the pea, lentil, vetch, faba bean, flax, tree and vine fruits. N.I. Vavilov attributed some 83 agricultural species to the Near East center of origin. While a limited number of improved varieties have come to dominate most cropping sectors in agriculture in developed countries, many farmers in the modern Middle East continue to plant and harvest local varieties or landraces. Field boundaries and uncultivated ground often harbor the wild relatives of cultivated trees and crops.
The GEF Project is focusing on 10 target crops (or crop groups) of global significance and their wild relatives, all of which originated from the Near East or Central Asian regions and have been subjected to severe genetic erosion.
Care was taken when selecting the target areas in each participating country to ensure the capture of the maximum genetic diversity of the target crops in as few areas as possible. Selection was based on the presence of target species, the representativeness of major ecosystems, and the suitability of working conditions (including the willingness of local communities to participate and the potential of impact). Two target areas were selected in each country and one or more sites chosen in each of the target areas to include the diversity of environments.
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