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1701
Jethro Tull (1674-1741), a farmer in Berkshire, England, created a horse-drawn mechanical drill to plant seeds in a row. -
Period: to
Agriculture
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1790's
Cradle and scythe introduced -
1797
Charles Newbold patented first cast-iron plow -
1830
About 250-300 labor-hours required to produce 100 bushels (5 acres) of wheat with walking plow, brush harrow, hand broadcast of seed, sickle, and flail -
1834
John Lane began to manufacture plows faced with steel saw blades -
1842
First grain elevator, Buffalo, NY -
1849
Mixed chemical fertilizers sold commercially -
1850
Railroad and steamship lines were expanded, opening up new markets. Improved methods of refrigeration and canning made possible the long-distance shipping of perishable agricultural products. -
1866
The results of Gregor Mendel's studies in heredity were published in Austria. In experiments with pea plants, Mendel learned how traits were passed from one generation to the next. His work paved the way for improving crops through genetics. -
1890
The combine harvester, which combined the cutting and threshing of grain crops, came into widespread use in California. It gradually spread to other western states. The combine reduced the amount of labor needed to harvest one hectare of wheat from 37 to 6.25 man-hours. -
1945-1970
Machines and increased productivity in industrialized countries sharply reduced the number of people working in agriculture. Through scientific advances and improved management techniques, farmers produced more food than ever before -
1970's to present
Researchers in California first spliced a gene from one organism into another, and the age of genetic engineering began. Genetic engineering offers the possibility of making plants and animals hardier, more resistant to disease, and more productive.
