Which crops did Indigenous peoples domesticate in the Americas?

Indigenous peoples of the Americas independently domesticated a wide variety of crops that have since become global staples. Agriculture arose in multiple regions, including Mesoamerica, South America, and eastern North America, allowing societies to thrive in diverse environments ranging from tropical lowlands to high Andean slopes.1

Key Domesticated Crops

The most widely cultivated crop was corn (maize), which was domesticated in Mexico approximately 10,000 years ago. Other significant crops include:123

• Legumes: Common beans, scarlet runner beans, lima beans, and peanuts.13
• Tubers and Roots: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and manioc (cassava).134
• Fruits and Vegetables: Squash (including pumpkins and zucchinis), tomatoes, tomatillos, avocados, papayas, pineapples, and chili peppers.134
• Grains and Seeds: Amaranth, quinoa, huazontle, and sunflowers.13
• Other Plants: Cacao, coca, tobacco, chia, and two types of cotton.123

Agricultural Practices

Indigenous farmers developed sophisticated techniques to manage these crops. In Mesoamerica, the interplanting of corn, squash, and beans—known as the Three Sisters—became a foundational agricultural practice. Other methods included the use of terraced fields in the Andes, irrigation systems, and chinampas (artificial islands) in Mexico. While these societies domesticated several animal species, such as the llama, alpaca, guinea pig, Muscovy duck, and turkey, they did not utilize large draft animals, meaning agricultural technology relied on human labor and tools like the foot plow and hoe.12