Evolution made to order plant breeding and technological innovation in twentieth century america plant breeding and technological innovation in twentieth century america journal of american history volume 104 issue 4 march 2018 pages 1060 1061 . Plant breeders have long sought technologies to extend human control over nature early in the twentieth century this led some to experiment with startlingly strange tools like x ray machines chromosome altering chemicals and radioactive elements contemporary reports celebrated these mutation inducing methods as ways of generating variation in plants on demand speeding up evolution they . Evolution made to order plant breeding and technological innovation in twentieth century americaby helen anne curry chicago illinois university of chicago press 4500 x 285 p ill index. In the middle decades of the twentieth century americans celebrated a series of strange tools as the likely harbingers of an agricultural revolution these included x ray devices a toxic chemical compound called colchicine and various radiation generating technologies of the atomic age such as artificial radioisotopes and nuclear reactors. Evolution made to order plant breeding and technological innovation in twentieth century america