Apple Math
If farmer McIntosh has 273 acres and he brings in 1bee hive to pollinate for every acre of apples and the average apple orchard has 36 trees per acre, how many bee hives will farmer McIntosh need to pollinate all his trees?
273
What is the definition of a bushel?
a unit of measurement used in US agriculture that is equivalent to a volume of 64 pints, but is generally standardized by weight for different products; a bushel of wheat weighs 60 lbs, a bushel of corn weighs 56 lbs
All apple seeds are the same. True or false?
False. Every apple seed is genetically unique or different.
How long will a fruit tree live?
20-100 years.
If you want to keep your apple ripe and fresh for as long as you can you should store your apples where?
In the fridge. When apples are left on the counter or on your table at room temperature, they actually soften 10 times faster!
The average bee hive contains 40,000 bees and each hive of bees needs to pollinate an acre of apple trees in 7 days. With apple harvest beginning in early August and going into October farmer Smith orders 4 bee hives to pollinate his trees.
How many bees did farmer Smith order?
160,000
4 bee hives X 40,000 bees per hive = 160,000
What is a commodity?
a primary agricultural product that can be bought and sold
Ex: Wheat, corn, pork, beef, soybeans, apples, etc.
The sweet, crunchy apples we know today were introduced to America by who?
The Europeans. Before that only sour crab apples grew here.
Apples need a lot of care and grown in temperate climates with distinct seasons. They require well-drained soil and plenty of sunlight. There are 5 top producing apple states. Can you name 2 of them?
Washington
New York
Michigan
Pennsylvania
California
What is the definition of a fruit?
The part of a plant that develops from the flower and contains the seeds of the plant.
48 tablespoons
16 tablespoons = 1 cup
16 X 3 = 48 tablespoons
The process or period of gathering crops is called what?
Harvest
What is one of the main pollinators of apple trees?
Honey bees! Although, there are many different pollinators honeybees are the most important pollinators we have!
Fun fact: 1 out of every 3 bites of food is thanks to pollinator.
Apples need to be cross pollinated to produce the fruit. What is the definition of cross pollination?
The transfer of pollen from a different variety of apple tree to another.
ND is #1 in all of the world's wheat production. Does wheat rely on pollination?
YES! Wheat is pollinated by wind or self-pollination.
Self-Pollination is the deposition of pollen grains from the anther of a flower on the stigma of the same flower or on of a different flower in the same plant.
A bushel of Gala apples weighs roughly 42lbs. and contains an average of 130 apples per bushel and let's say that the bins at grocery stores can hold 20 bushels.
How much would one of the bins of Gala apples at the grocery store weigh?
42 lbs./bushel X 20 = 840 lbs. for the grocery store bin of Gala apples
Apple trees are deciduous trees. What does deciduous mean?
They lose their leaves each fall and grow new leaves in the spring.
Apple Farmers do NOT grow apple trees from seeds, but apple breeders do to try to find and develop new traits.
Name 3 apple traits apple breeders might be looking for.
Pest resistant
Grows fast
Has strong branches
Produces big apples
Juicy apples
Sweet apples
Crisp apples
What is it called when a seed sprouts a tiny plant?
Germination is the process where a seed sprouts a tiny plant starting the plant life cycle.
What two ND grown crops makeup Sunbutter?
SUNFLOWERS & HONEY! North Dakota is the #1 producer in the US of both commodities!
Both of these would not be possible without the unBEElievable pollinators.
The 3lb bag of Pink Lady apples at Wal-Mart costs $4.50/lb. How much are the apples per pound?
$1.50/lb
$4.50 / 3 = $1.50
Grafting is a technique borrowed from ancient Greeks. What is grafting?
A plant that has a twig or bud from another plant attached to it, so they are joined and grow together into 1 plant.
America is 2nd top producer of apples in the world. We consume more apples than other whole fruit, except for one.
What fruit do Americans eat more than apples?
Bananas
Can we eat the roots of a plant?
Yes! Carrots are an example of a root plant we eat. The orange part of the carrot is the root of the plant.
Carrots are NOT plants that require pollination.
What is a fruit that contains 3X more vitamin C than an orange?
Red bell pepper! Try growing them in your garden, these are the sweetest of the bell peppers.