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African Palm (Elaeis guineensis)
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Palm oil (from the African Oil Palm Elaeis guineensis) was long recognized in West African countries and among West African peoples it has long been in widespread use as a cooking oil. European merchants trading with West Africa occasionally purchased palm oil for use in Europe but as the oil was bulky and cheap palm oil remained rare outside West Africa. In the Asante Confederacy state-owned slaves built large plantations of oil palm trees while in the neighbouring Kingdom of Dahomey King Ghezo passed a law in 1856 forbidding his subjects from cutting down oil palms.
Palm oil became a highly sought-after commodity by British traders for use as an industrial lubricant for the machines of Britains Industrial Revolution as well as forming the basis of soap products such as Lever Brothers "Sunlight Soap" and the American Palmolive brand. By c.1870 palm oil constituted the primary export of some West African countries such as Ghana and Nigeria although this was overtaken by cocoa in the 1880s.
Palm was introduced to Java by the Dutch in 1848 and Malaysia (then the British colony of Malaya) in 1910 by Scotsman William Sime and English banker Henry Darby. The first plantations were mostly established and operated by British plantation owners such as Sime Darby. From the 1960s a major oil palm plantation scheme was introduced by the government with the main aim of eradicating poverty. Settlers were each allocated 10 acres of land (about 4 hectares) planted either with oil palm or rubber and given 20 years to pay off the debt for the land. The large plantation companies remained listed in London until the Malaysian government engineered their "Malaysianisation" throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
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Cacao (Theobroma cacao)
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Cacao (Theobroma cacao) (Mayan: kakaw Nahuatl: Cacahuatl) or the cocoa plant is a small (4–8 m or 15–26 ft tall) evergreen tree in the family Sterculiaceae (alternatively Malvaceae) native to the deep tropical region of the Americas. There are two prominent competing hypotheses about the origins of the original wild Theobroma cacao tree. One is that wild examples were originally distributed from southeastern Mexico to the Amazon basin with domestication taking place both in the Lacandon area of Mexico and in lowland South America. But recent studies of Theobroma cacao genetics seem to show that the plant originated in the Amazon and was distributed by humans throughout Central America and Mesoamerica. Its seeds are used to make cocoa and chocolate.
The tree is today found growing wild in the low foothills of the Andes at elevations of around 200–400 m (650-1300 ft) in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. It requires a humid climate with regular rainfall and good soil. It is an understory tree growing best with some overhead shade. The leaves are alternate entire unlobed 10–40 cm (4-16 in) long and 5–20 cm (2-8 in) broad.
Cacao flowersThe flowers are produced in clusters directly on the trunk and older branches; they are small 1–2 cm (1/2-1 in) diameter with pink calyx. While many of the worlds flowers are pollinated by bees (Hymenoptera) or butterflies/moths (Lepidoptera) cacao flowers are pollinated by tiny flies midges in the order Diptera. The fruit called a cacao pod is ovoid 15–30 cm (6-12 in) long and 8–10 cm (3-4 in) wide ripening yellow to orange and weighs about 500 g (1 lb) when ripe. The pod contains 20 to 60 seeds usually called "beans" embedded in a white pulp. Each seed contains a significant amount of fat (40–50% as cocoa butter). Their most noted active constituent is theobromine a compound similar to caffeine.
The scientific name Theobroma means "food of the gods". The word cacao itself derives from the Nahuatl (Aztec language) word cacahuatl learned at the time of the conquest when it was first encountered by the Spanish. Similar words for the plant and its by-products are attested in a number of other indigenous Mesoamerican
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Corn
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Maize (Zea mays L. ssp. mays), known as corn in some countries, is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica and subsequently spread throughout the American continents. After European contact with the Americas in the late 15th century and early 16th century, Maize spread to the rest of the world.
Maize is the largest crop in the Americas (270 million metric tons annually in the U.S. alone). Hybrid maize, due to its high grain yield due to heterosis ("hybrid vigour"), is preferred by farmers over conventional varieties. While some maize varieties grow 7 metres (23 ft) tall at certain locations, commercial maize has been bred for a height of 2.5 metres (8 ft). Sweet corn is usually shorter than field-corn varieties.
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Cotton Plant Seed (Gossypium)
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Cotton is a soft staple fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant (Gossypium sp.) a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world including the Americas India and Africa. The fiber most often is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft breathable textile which is the most widely used natural-fiber cloth in clothing today. The English name which began to be used circa 1400 derives from the Arabic (al) qutn ????? meaning cotton.[1] In the 19th and early 20th centuries cotton was known as "King Cotton" because of the great economic and cultural influence it had over the Southern United States.
Cotton fiber once it has been processed to remove seeds (ginning) and traces of honeydew (a secretion from aphids) protein vegetable matter and other impurities consists of nearly pure cellulose a natural polymer. Cotton production is very efficient in the sense that only ten percent or less of the weight is lost in subsequent processing to convert the raw cotton bolls (seed coat) into pure fiber. The cellulose is arranged in a way that gives cotton fibers a high degree of strength durability and absorbency. Each fiber is made up of twenty to thirty layers of cellulose coiled in a neat series of natural springs. When the cotton boll is opened the fibers dry into flat twisted ribbon-like shapes and become kinked together and interlocked. This interlocked form is ideal for spinning into a fine yarn.
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Jatropha
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Jatropha is a genus of approximately 175 succulent plants, shrubs and trees (some are deciduous, like Jatropha curcas L.), from the family Euphorbiaceae. Jatropha is native to Central America, and has become naturalized in many tropical and subtropical areas, including India, Africa, and North America. Originating in the Caribbean, the jatropha was spread as a valuable hedge plant to Africa and Asia by Portuguese traders. The mature small trees bear male and female inflorescence, and do not grow very tall. Currently the oil from Jatropha curcas seeds is used for making biodiesel fuel.
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Oak Tree (Quercus or Lithocarpus)
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Oak trees are a type of deciduous tree. These are broad-leaved trees that shed all their leaves during one season. Forests which are primarily composed of deciduous trees are called deciduous forests. The oak tree is a member of the Beech family and its scientific name is Quercus or Lithocarpus. The best type of soil for a healthy and nutritious growth of deciduous trees is referred to as podzol (also spelled podsol).
Acorn Production -- Oak trees can start producing acorns when they are 20 years old but sometimes can go all the way to 50 years for the first production. By the time the tree is 70 to 80 years old it will produce thousands of acorns.
The oak trees produce acorns once a year during the fall. Acorn production varies year to year and normally alternates. Not even the healthiest and largest oak can accumulate enough food and energy to produce strong crops two years in succession. Real strong acorn productions might happen every four to ten years. In addition a late spring frost can blight the flowers which prevents acorn development. Droughts and insect ravages can decimate crops.
Acorn production will increase year after year; following a similar pattern as the size of the trees canopy. The following graph shows what a typical production for an oak tree might be -- assuming no drastic jumps which happen from time to time. The chart shows that production starts very slowly at around the 25th year the number of acorns produced then accelerates and when the tree reaches about 100 years of age it starts slowing down until it reaches a yearly production of about 2200 acorns per year.
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Palm Tree (Arecaceae or Palmae)
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Arecaceae or Palmae (also known by the name Palmaceae which is taxonomically invalid[1] or commonly palm tree) the palm family is a family of flowering plants belonging to the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species most of which are restricted to tropical subtropical and possibly warm temperate climates. Most palms are distinguished by their large compound evergreen leaves arranged at the top of an unbranched stem. However many palms are exceptions to this statement and palms in fact exhibit an enormous diversity in physical characteristics. As well as being morphologically diverse palms also inhabit nearly every type of habitat within their range from rainforests to deserts.
Palms are one of the most well-known and extensively cultivated plant families. They have had an important role to humans throughout much of history. Many common products and foods are derived from palms and palms are also widely used in landscaping for their exotic appearance making them one of the most economically important plants. In many historical cultures palms were symbols for such ideas as victory peace and fertility.
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Persimmon tree
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The American Persimmon tree is capable of growing up to 60 tall often developing a symmetrical rounded crown. The American Persimmon tree will need a pollinator as the trees are considered either male or female. The American Persimmon produces a large crop of edible fruit but also produces valuable timber and is great for bees and therefore for honey production. In the fall when fully ripe the fruit of the American Persimmon tree has a soft smooth jelly-like texture and a honey-like sweetness. In addition to its fruit-bearing potential the American Persimmon can make an attractive mid-size yard tree. The large drooping leaves give it a soft look and the dark checkered bark of mature trees provides winter interest. Native Americans loved them and they are a popular food for wild turkey mockingbirds deer raccoons foxes squirrels and other wildlife. A grouping of several trees can make a good wildlife planting. The tree is tough and adaptable grows rapidly and its deep tap root gives it good drought resistance. It can survive in shade but grows and fruits best in sun. Young trees planted in good soil and a sunny location can begin fruiting in about 6-8 years.
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Sorghum
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Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, some of which are raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents in addition to Oceania and Australasia. Numerous Sorghum species are used for food (as grain and in sorghum syrup or "sorghum molasses"), fodder, and the production of alcoholic beverages. Most species are drought tolerant and heat tolerant and are especially important in arid regions. They form an important component of pastures in many tropical regions. Sorghum species are an important food crop in Africa, Central America, and South Asia and is the "fifth most important cereal crop grown in the world".
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Soybean (soy bean)
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The soybean (U.S.) or soya bean (UK) (Glycine max) is a species of legume native to East Asia. It is an annual plant that has been used in China for 5000 years as a food and a component of drugs. Soy contains significant amounts of all the essential amino acids for humans and so is a good source of protein. Soybeans are the primary ingredient in many processed foods including dairy product substitutes.
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Switchgrass
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Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a warm season grass and is one of the dominant species of the central North American tallgrass prairie. It can be found in remnant prairies, along roadsides, pastures and as an ornamental plant in gardens. Other common names for it include tall panic grass, Wobsqua grass, lowland switchgrass, blackbent, tall prairiegrass, wild redtop and thatchgrass. Switchgrass is rich in cellulose, making it attractive as a source for cellulosic ethanol. It is at the core of an alternative fuel strategy announced by Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen in January 2007.
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