本书为《农业科技史话》的英文翻译版。书中从中国农业的起源和发展，对动植物的驯化、引进和利用，传统农具的创新和演进，中国传统农业科学体系等方面加以阐述，揭示了中国传统农业科技的丰富内涵和巨大成就。本书用雄辩的事实说明了中国农业多元交会的博大体系以及这一体系所孕育出来的精耕细作的优良传统，是中华文明长盛不衰的最深厚的物质基础，是我们的祖先留给当代中国和世界最珍贵的文化遗产之一。

李根蟠，Li Genpan was born in Xinhui Municipal District of GuangdongProvince in 1940. He graduated from the History Department ofSun Yat-sen University in 1963 and successively worked inthe Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Instituteof Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.He is a researcher, doctoral tutor, former editor of Researchin China Economic History, and currently the vice presidentof China Agricultural History Association. He has long beenengaged in the study of Chinese economic history, especially inthe history of agriculture and the history of national economy.He wrote 6 Chinese monographs and more than 100 papers,including Chinese Primitive Socioeconomic Research, PrimitiveAgricultural Forms of Ethnic Minorities in South China,Chinese Agricultural Science and Technology History (thethree books are co-authored), and Chinese Agricultural History(authored alone). In 1994, he was awarded the title of NationalOutstanding Mid-Aged Expert. In recent years, he has beenstudying the combination of ecological environment historyand agricultural history, and presiding over a key project of theNational Social Science Fund of China "Research of ChineseAncient Agriculture, Rural Areas and Farmers".

Introduction
Chapter One Multi-integration & Long Development—The Origin and Development of Chinese Agriculture
1.Multi-source of Origin and Diversity of Development
2.Inside and Outside of the Great Wall: Agricultural and Pastoral Areas
3.North and South of the Huai River: Dry Agriculture and Paddy Agriculture
4.From the Northeast to the Southwest: Interlacement of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry
5. Different Stages of Chinese Traditional Agriculture and Its Agronomy Heritage
Chapter Two Universality and Richness in Varieties—Domestication, Introduction and Utilization of Animals and Plants
1.The 〝Five Cereals" and High-Yield Crops Introduced from the New World
2.Increasingly Prosperous Family—Cash Crops
3.Nursery Garden
4.〝Six Domestic Animals〞, Silkworms and Others
Chapter Three Compact and Practical,Simple but Not Crude—Innovation and Evolution of Traditional Agricultural Tools
1.Major Changes in the Quality of Agricultural Tools
2.Farm Implements for Plowing,Sowing and Soil Preparation
3.Harvesting and Processing Tools
4.Farmland Irrigation Tools
Chapter Four Intensive Cultivation,Correspondence between Man and the Universe—Chinese Traditional Agricultural Science and Technology System
1.Intensive Land Utilization Mode
2.Understanding and Utilizing Timing
3.Understanding of Soil and Improvement of Soil Environment
4.Adaptation and Improvement of Environment in Animal Production
5.Selective Breeding and Seeds Processing
6.Other Ways to Improve Productivity of Agricultural Organism
7.Agricultural Thoughts with the 〝Three Laws" Theory as the Core
References