Details

Subject(s)

• Agriculture—Great Plains—History [Browse]
• Agriculture—Russia—History [Browse]
• Agriculture—Soviet Union—History [Browse]
• Steppes—Russia (Federation)—History [Browse]
• Agriculture—Technology transfer—Russia [Browse]
• Agriculture—Technology transfer—Soviet Union [Browse]
• Agriculture—Technology transfer—United States [Browse]
• Diffusion of innovations—Russia [Browse]
• Diffusion of innovations—Soviet Union [Browse]
• Diffusion of innovations—United States [Browse]
• Russians—Great Plains—History [Browse]

Series

Studies in environment and history [More in this series]

Summary note

Beginning in the 1870s, migrant groups from Russia's steppes settled in the similar environment of the Great Plains. Many were Mennonites. They brought plants, in particular grain and fodder crops, trees and shrubs, as well as weeds. Following their example, and drawing on the expertise of émigré Russian-Jewish scientists, the US Department of Agriculture introduced more plants, agricultural sciences, especially soil science; and methods of planting trees to shelter the land from the wind. By the 1930s, many of the grain varieties in the Great Plains had been imported from the steppes. The fertile soil was classified using the Russian term 'chernozem'. The US Forest Service was planting shelterbelts using techniques pioneered in the steppes. And, tumbling across the plains was an invasive weed from the steppes: tumbleweed. Based on archival research in the United States, Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan, this book explores the unexpected Russian roots of Great Plains agriculture.

Notes

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 25 Mar 2020).

Contents

• Settlement
• Barriers
• Bridges
• Transfers
• Wheat
• Soil science I
• Soil science II
• Shelterbelts I
• Shelterbelts II
• Tumbleweed.

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ISBN

9781316217320 (ebook)

Statement on language in description

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