Table 1.

Major world crops ranked by metric tonnage

Rank by tonnage*	Common name	Rank by calories consumed*	Ploidy	Propagation	Life history
1	Sugarcane	4	8×	O, V	P
2	Maize	3	2×	O	A
3	Wheat	2	6×	O	A
4	Rice	1	2×	S	A
5	Potatoes	6	4×	O, V	AP
6	Sugar beet	8	2×	O	A
7	Soybeans	5	2×	S	A
8	Cassava	9	4×	O, V	AP
9	Palm kernel	7	2×	O	P
10	Barley	11	2×	S	A
11	Sweet potatoes	15	4–6×	O, V	AP
12	Tomatoes	30	2×	S	A
13	Watermelons	38	2×	O	A
14	Bananas	19	3×	V	P
15	Brassicas	37	2×	O	A

O, outcrossing; S, selfing; V, vegetative; P, perennial; A, annual; AP, perennial species generally cultivated as annuals.

*Data are from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (www.fao.org, 2004).