Cultigens, also known as crop plants or cultivated species, refer to plants that have been selectively bred, modified, and maintained by humans through agricultural practices for purposes such as food production, medicinal use, or ornamental purposes. The term "cultigen" combines the words "cultivated" and "gene," highlighting how these plants have been shaped by human intervention to possess desired traits.
Cultigens are distinct from wild plants in that they have been purposely domesticated and cultivated to enhance specific features such as yield, flavor, size, or resistance to diseases or environmental factors. The selective breeding processes involved in cultivating these plants can occur through careful seed selection, controlled pollination, or tissue culture techniques.
The cultivation of cultigens has played a fundamental role in human history, significantly altering the composition of diets and enabling the development of settled agricultural societies. Many staple food crops, including wheat, rice, corn, and potatoes, are cultigens that have undergone centuries of selective breeding and genetic modification to make them more suitable for human consumption and cultivation.
Cultigens are often well adapted to human-created environments and can thrive under controlled conditions. They have a high dependency on human involvement, including planting, harvesting, and providing appropriate care. This interdependence between humans and cultigens is a testament to the close relationship and coevolution that has developed through millennia of cultivation practices.
Overall, the term "cultigens" encompasses a wide range of plants that have been cultivated and modified by humans over generations to meet specific needs and desired traits, ultimately shaping the plants' genetic makeup and their characteristics observed today.
