Previous Year Question
Which one of the following groups of plants was domesticated in the ‘New World’ and introduced into the ‘Old World’?
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
The New World primarily refers to the Americas, whereas the Old World comprises Europe, Asia and Africa.
Tobacco is a plant of American origin. According to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Nicotiana tabacum originated in South America and was already cultivated and used in the Americas before the arrival of Europeans.
Cocoa/Cacao is also of American origin. According to Kew, Theobroma cacao is native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America and was subsequently introduced as a crop into other tropical regions, including Asia and Africa.
Rubber, principally obtained commercially from Hevea brasiliensis, is native to the Amazon region of South America. It was subsequently introduced and cultivated in India, Sri Lanka, Malaya and other parts of Southeast Asia.
In contrast, cotton is not exclusively a New World crop—Gossypium arboreum is native to India and Sri Lanka. Likewise, coffee is of African origin; the natural range of Coffea arabica includes Ethiopia, South Sudan and Kenya. Hence, the options containing cotton and coffee do not form the required group.