
AVavilov centre orcentre of origin is a geographical area where a group of organisms, either domesticated or wild, first developed its distinctive properties.[1] Centers of origin were first identified in 1924 byNikolai Vavilov. Vavilov posited that the center of origin for aspecies orgenus is the same as itscenter of diversity, the geographic area where it has the highestgenetic diversity, but this equivalence has been disputed by later scholars.[2]
Locating the origin of crop plants is basic toplant breeding. This allows one to locate wild relatives, related species, and new genes (especially dominantgenes, which may provide resistance to diseases).Knowledge of the origins of crop plants is important in order to avoidgenetic erosion, the loss ofgermplasm due to the loss ofecotypes andlandraces,loss of habitat (such as rainforests), and increased urbanization. Germplasm preservation is accomplished throughgene banks (largely seed collections but now frozen stem sections) and preservation of natural habitats (especially in centers of origin).

A Vavilov Center (of Diversity) is a region of the world first indicated byNikolai Vavilov to be an original center for the domestication of plants.[4] For crop plants,Nikolai Vavilov identified differing numbers of centers: three in 1924, five in 1926, six in 1929, seven in 1931, eight in 1935 and reduced to seven again in 1940.[5][6]
Vavilov argued that plants were not domesticated somewhere in the world at random, but that there were regions where domestication started. The center of origin is also considered the center of diversity.
Vavilov centers are regions where a high diversity ofcrop wild relatives can be found, representing the natural relatives of domesticated crop plants.
| Center | Subcenter | Plants |
|---|---|---|
| 1) South Mexican and Central American Center Includes southern sections ofMexico,Guatemala,El Salvador,Honduras andCosta Rica. |
| |
| 2) South American Center 62 plants listed; three subcenters | 2) Peruvian, Ecuadorean, Bolivian Subcenter |
|
| 2A)Chiloé Subcenter |
| |
| 2B) Brazilian-Paraguayan Subcenter | ||
| 3) Mediterranean Center Includes all ofSouthern Europe andNorthern Africa bordering theMediterranean Sea. 84 listed plants |
| |
| 4) Middle East Includes interior ofAsia Minor, all ofTranscaucasia,Iran, and the highlands ofTurkmenistan. 83 species |
| |
| 5) Abyssinian Center IncludesEthiopia,Eritrea, and part ofSomalia. 38 species listed; rich in wheat and barley. |
| |
| 6) Central Asiatic Center Includes Northwest India (Punjab, Northwest Frontier Provinces and Kashmir),Afghanistan,Tajikistan,Uzbekistan, and westernTian-Shan. 43 plants | ||
| 7) Indian Center Two subcenters | 7) Indo-Burma Subcenter Main Center (India): IncludesAssam,Bangladesh andBurma, but not Northwest India, Punjab, nor Northwest Frontier Provinces, 117 plants |
|
| 7A) Siam-Malaya-Java Subcenter statt Indo-Malayan Center Includes Indo-China and the Malay Archipelago, 55 plants |
| |
| 8) Chinese Center A total of 136 endemic plants in the largest independent center |
|
| Center | Plants | Years before present |
|---|---|---|
4,500–4,000 years | ||
10,000 | ||
9,000–7,000 | ||
2a) northern lowlandneotropics | Cucurbita moschata,Ipomoea batatas,Phaseolus vulgaris,tree crops | 9,000–8,000 |
3) central mid-altitudeAndes | 5,000 | |
3a) north and centralAndes, mid-altitude and high altitude areas | 8,000 | |
3b) lowland southernAmazonia | 8,000 | |
Phaseolus lunatus,Canavaliaplagiosperma, andCucurbita ecuadorensis | 10,000 | |
4) westernsub-Saharan African | 4,500 | |
4a)west African savanna and woodlands | 3,700 | |
<3,000 | ||
4b) west African rainforests | poorly documented | |
>4,000? | ||
6)east African uplands | 4,000? | |
east African lowlands | poorly documented | |
Hordeum vulgare,Triticum spp.,Lens culinaris,Pisum sativum,Cicer arietinum,Vicia faba | 13,000–10,000 | |
7a) easternFertile Crescent | additionalHordeum vulgare | |
9,000 | ||
8a)Gujarat, India | 5,000? | |
8b) UpperIndus | 5,000 | |
8c)Ganges | 8,500–4,500 | |
5,000–4,000 | ||
5,000? | ||
8,000 | ||
4,500? | ||
11)southern Hokkaido, Japan | 4,500 | |
12)Yangtze River Valley, China | 9,000–6,000 | |
12a)southern China | poorly documented, 4,500? | |
13)New Guinea andWallacea | 7,000 |