The decimal code scale for indicating the growth stages of cereals as developed by the authors and published by Eucarpia is explained and described

A decimal code for the growth stages of cereals

New archaeobotanical results from 15 Neolithic sites in northern Germany are presented in a review of the Neolithic plant economy in northern and north-western Europe. Available archaeobotanical data from north-western Europe are evaluated and compared with our new results. In the whole region, barley and emmer were the main crops. Regional and diachronic differences are observed in the cultivation of einkorn, spelt and naked wheat. For oil plants and pulses only rare information from macro remains is available, as we mainly deal with charred material. It is noticeable that gathered plants played an important role in the Funnel Beaker economy. Plant choice, especially the relevance of cultivated versus gathered plants is discussed, based on new and existing data. Based on a structural comparison of charred plant assemblages from domestic sites and tombs, we develop a research hypothesis that settlement finds provide insight into production and consumption of food from crops, while tombs mainly yield evidence of plants gathered in the wild or in semi-wild areas in the vicinity of former settlements. Therefore, we suggest a model of different purposes and meanings of plants, depending on whether primarily an economic or a social/ritual sphere is regarded. But, for all evaluations and interpretations, it is essential to consider the taphonomic processes and conditions. Therefore, further research is necessary to verify our hypothesis, which derives from first insights into new material.

/pdf/crop-growing-and-gathering-in-the-northern-german-neolithic-2dq775bu3v.pdf

Crop growing and gathering in the northern German Neolithic: a review supplemented by new results

For the first time, rachis fragments of tetraploid free threshing wheat were discovered for the Early Neolithic of the North European Plain, proving its cultivation by farmers of the Neolithic Funnel Beaker North group. A compilation of finds of free threshing wheat for Northern Europe based on a temporal resolution of Funnel Beaker sub-periods shows the importance of free threshing wheat—independent of genomic constitution—in the Early Neolithic Funnel Beaker crop assemblage. Based on this new evidence, we assume that the crop assemblages of the first farmers on the North European Plain consisted of three main cereals: emmer, barley and free threshing wheat. Both the new finds and the compilation of free threshing wheat finds support the scenario of a chronological separation of different agricultural systems that were implemented within different Funnel Beaker phases. Furthermore, the evidence for tetraploid free threshing wheat shows that the tradition of early Funnel Beaker groups is linked to southwestern agricultural developments, for example, of the Michelsberg group.

Neolithic cultivation of tetraploid free threshing wheat in Denmark and Northern Germany: implications for crop diversity and societal dynamics of the Funnel Beaker Culture

Off-site pollen data as well as onsite plant macrofossil data from Southwest Germany enable the distinguishing of three main phases of agricultural land use history. The last phase, here simplified called the “Extensive ard phase”, had already started in the Bronze Age and ends in the 19th century a.d. It is characterized by extensive land management, permanent fields with short fallow phases, ploughing, the use of animal dung as fertilizer, and grazed woodlands. The first phase, comprising the Old and Middle Neolithic, is characterized by hoe-farming only on very fertile soils and a very restricted set of crops. For the second phase, comprising the Young, Late and Final Neolithic, a slash-and-burn-like agricultural system is most probable. During the Late and Final Neolithic, this cultivation system with fire use and shifting fields was gradually practised on permanent fields and was modified, leading finally to the “Extensive ard” land use system with fertilizer and ploughing instead of burning.

/pdf/erratum-to-botanical-off-site-and-on-site-data-as-indicators-1mdcygkwiv.pdf

Erratum to: Botanical off-site and on-site data as indicators of different land use systems: a discussion with examples from Southwest Germany

The meeting discussed results of food quality obtained by different long-term trials in Switzerland (DOC trial), Germany (Darmstadt) and Sweden (K trial etc.). Based on the results, the parameters investigated with the samples have been evaluated and future research needs were identified as regards the topic of fertilization and food quality.

http://www.forschungsring.de/fileadmin/redaktion/ibdf/pdf/raupp/literatur/vol9.pdf

Quality of plant products grown with manure fertilization

Handbuch des speziellen Pflanzenbaues , Handbuch des speziellen Pflanzenbaues , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی

Walther Brouwer

Papers

Handbuch des Speziellen Pflanzenbaues