WI: Aquaculture in early modern Northern/Eastern Europe with introduced wetland crop(s)

[Arkenfolm]

Cultivation of wetlands and flooded fields was rare in Europe before the late Middle Ages when rice production became common in parts of Mediterranean. While rice was not unknown in Antiquity, adoption of Moorish techniques and tastes led to the popularity of rice cultivation in parts of Spain from which it spread to Italy. In Italy, this led to reclamation of marshlands in the Po Valley and an increase in wealth and power of that region.

Now what if there was a similar crop that could do the same for Northern Europe in that era? We can presume it would be introduced during the Columbian Exchange from an ATL Amerindian culture which has truly domesticated Zizania wild rice, wapato (Sagittaria latifolia), or a similar crop. Of those two crops, it's unlikely they'd be as productive as Asian rice or potatoes but a domesticated form would presumably be competitive with other grains and most importantly, can be cultivated in wetlands which opens up more area for farming. I'm not concerned about the effects on the Americas for the purpose of this discussion. For that matter, we could presume a hardy strain of rice like grown in Tohoku or Northern China in this era might be introduced as well (although those areas predominantly grew other grains).

As I noted, the benefit is these crops can be grown in flooded fields, sloughs, and small lakes. This happens to be an environment very common in the Northern European Plain, along the Baltic, and in much of Russia. Presumably, these crops would at first be used as animal feed, which should be a productive role, but during famines would shift toward being food for people as well. If we assume this introduction happens around the time the potato was introduced to Northern Europe, what might the effects be? Does Northern Europe gain an even greater advantage over the rest of Europe economically and demographically?

 

[Gloss]

It's an interesting premise, but I'm prone to think that in the grand scheme of things it remains mostly of regional culinary interest. IOTL we already saw difficulty in spreading potatoes so a more niche and less competitive crop might have even more barriers and if we say those barriers are removed then arguably the faster adoption of potatoes and other stuff(red clover) would be more important than aquaculture.

I wonder how it could be imported from Asia(if we go that route), I guess some larger Dutch nation or England could bring them and try to cultivate them in their wetlands and deltas, from there it could adapt more properly to the kind of climates seen there and then be brought eastwards to harsher climates like in the Baltic.

 

[August II Mocny]

It's an interesting premise, but I'm prone to think that in the grand scheme of things it remains mostly of regional culinary interest. IOTL we already saw difficulty in spreading potatoes so a more niche and less competitive crop might have even more barriers and if we say those barriers are removed then arguably the faster adoption of potatoes and other stuff(red clover) would be more important than aquaculture.

I wonder how it could be imported from Asia(if we go that route), I guess some larger Dutch nation or England could bring them and try to cultivate them in their wetlands and deltas, from there it could adapt more properly to the kind of climates seen there and then be brought eastwards to harsher climates like in the Baltic.

There is Manchurian Wild Rice which used to be a major crop in China. I dont know of any other temperate wetland crop.

Wetland crops are labor intensive due to the need to build paddies. Rice is cultivated because of it's very high productivity.

Common reed and cattails are ubiquitous wetland plants, if you can grow them, you may at least have tons of fodder.

 

[Arkenfolm]

Would paddies of some aquatic crop in Northern Europe be any more safe from rampaging armies than traditional crops? OTL, after potatoes were introduced, armies foraging for food and stealing crops had no idea what to do with them so ignored them (at least until the War of the Bavarian Succession aka "Potato War" for the rampant theft of potatoes by the manuevering armies). I'd think that many commanders would be hesitant to send their soldiers to plunder fields of these crops out of fear of disease, although I guess that like with potatoes, they could find the benefits outweight the risks. Regardless, it's a selection mechanism since villages who produce these crops will retain their crops when the army comes by and demands food (or just destroys crops).

There is Manchurian Wild Rice which used to be a major crop in China. I dont know of any other temperate wetland crop.

I considered that, but introducing it in Europe would be hard. Maybe via Russian cossacks? I think if an ATL domesticated form of Zizania rice or wapato existed, it may have been a good candidate for the Columbian Exchange.

Wetland crops are labor intensive due to the need to build paddies. Rice is cultivated because of it's very high productivity.

That is true. For instance, Zizania rice produces about 1/6 the calories per acre of common white rice varieties, but I think a domesticated form would cut that ratio by a good margin.

That's also why I think a good place for the initial introduction would be one with a lot of serfdom, so basically East Elbia, Poland-Lithuania, Russia, etc. A wealthy landowner could afford to experiment, although it would no doubt be unpopular with the serfs. Maybe it could be framed as taming the marshes? While in Italy it appears the expansion of rice cultivation did cause an expansion of malaria/other diseases (which was noticed by some authorities who occasionally tried to halt it), Northern/Eastern Europe is so full of marshes you wouldn't need to expand them for a good while.

 

[Pesterfield]

Now what if there was a similar crop that could do the same for Northern Europe in that era?

Seagrass could work on the coasts.
In Norway it was used as fertilizer and cattle fodder, somebody just needs to discover the grain is edible.