Tropical Horticulture
Questions – Week 13
What is the flap-like part of the vanilla flower structure that separates the anther and pistil
called?
Rostellum
What percentage of the US vanilla market is synthetic vanilla?
a. 75%
b. 90%
c. 100%
d. 80%
The most common propagation method for vanilla is
a. rooted cuttings
b. seed germination
c. air layering
d. grafting
Which of the following is not a characteristic of vanilla?
a. perennial vine
b. zygomorphic flowers
c. butterfly pollinated
d. has fruit capsules
Name four steps for curing vanilla pods.
1. killing or wilting
2. sweating
3. drying
4. conditioning
T or F Artificial pollination is needed for commercial yields in vanilla.
Tha vanilla plant grows best in climates with how many rainy months?
a. 3
b. 5
c. 10
d. 12
T or F Vanilla vines grow best in shaded conditions.
T or F 10% of the world’s vanilla market consists of synthetic vanilla.
Vanilla is native to
a. South America
b. Africa
c. Central America
d. Asia
The length of stem cutting for vanilla that is most recommended for propagation is
a. 30 cm
b. 60 cm
c. 90 cm
d. 350 cm
The drying process dries the vanilla pods to ___________% of their original weight.
a. 50%
b. 40%
c. 30%
d. 20%
What vanilla processing step promotes enzymatic activity?
a. wilting or killing
b. sweating
c. drying
d. conditioning
e. both a and b
Vanilla naturally set ____ % of its flowers to form fruit.
a. 1-3%
b. 5-10%
c. 15-25%
d. 25-35%
Yam
a.
b.
c.
d.
grows best in highland wet-dry tropics
is intolerant of drought
is intolerant of water logging
is produced in the greatest quantity in the Americas
Name three nutritional advantages of the taro.
1. has more digestible starch than other crops
2. can be a significant source of protein
3. the cooked leaves have a nutritional value similar ro spinach
Vanilla is in what family
a. Orchidaceae
b. Sapotaceae
c. Bombaceae
d. Leguminosaceae
Vanilla plants are pollinated by
a. midges
b. bees
c. bats
d. butterflies
Vanilla stem cuttings are supported by
TROPICAL HORTICULTURE – QUESTIONS WEEK 12 – PAGE 2
a.
b.
c.
d.
staking
bracing
crosswires
support beams
Vanilla is a _______
a. perennial vine
b. annual vine
c. tree
d. grass
Vanilla flowers are _________ in diameter.
a. 10 inches
b. 10 feet
c. 10 cm
d. 1 cm
The best means of propagating vanilla is by
a. root cuttings
b. seed
c. stem cuttings
d. leaf bud cuttings
T or F Vanilla can be artificially pollinated by using rounded bamboo sticks.
What are the pharmacuetical yam species?
a. D. composita
b. D. syvatica
c. D. floribunda
d. All of the above
Asiatic and African yams were used on ships for ________ .
a. vitamin C
b. starch
c. potassium
d. vitamin D
e. a and b
The “potato of the lowland tropics” is (family, genus, species).
Cassava production requires ____________.
1. 63-68F
2. 1000-1500 mm
3. acid soils
4. all of the above
Why is cassava considered an important crop?
Cassava is a __________, with a harvest cycle of _________ months.
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a.
b.
c.
d.
annual / 9 months
annual / 9-12 months
perennial / 9 – 36 months
perennial / 9-12 months
What temperature is used for the oven wilting of vanilla pods?
a. 40 C
b. 50 C
c. 60 C
d. 70 C
What are the symptoms of an anthracnose infection of a vanilla plant?
Vanilla is indigenous to
a. Mexico
b. Indonesia
c. Brazil
d. Africa
T or F Cassava can be harvested after 6 to 36 months.
T or F Cassava is harvested by machines.
T or F Cassava can produce up to 70 tons per hectare per year of roots.
T or F Hand pollination increases yield in vanilla production.
Which region has the highest level of vanilla production?
a. Africa
b. Americas
c. Asia
d. Oceania
Vanilla hand pollination is done in the
a. morning
b. afternoon
c. evening
d. night
How long does it take to process vanilla pods?
a. 2 weeks
b. 1 month
c. 3 months
d. 12 months
How large are vanilla seed?
What pathogen is devastating to a vanilla orchard?
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What is liberally used to cover the superficial roots of a vanilla plant?
Taro is a
a. corm
b. tuber
c. rhizome
d. root
Which of the following statements is NOT true about vanilla?
a. originated in central America
b. it is an orchid
c. its flower structure prevents natural self pollination
d. Africa produces more vanilla than the Asia
T or F Vanilla flowers are zygomorphic and fugacious.
The _________ is a flap like structure on the vanilla flower. It is located between the anther cap
and the __________ and prevents self pollination.
How long does it take for vanilla to produce its first main crop?
a. 1-2 years
b. 3-4 years
c. 5-6 years
d. 7-8 years
At what age should the vanilla vines be replaced?
a. annually
b. after 8-10 years
c. after 15-20 years
d. after 20-25 years
What is the most serious pathogen on vanilla on a world wide scale?
a. fusarium
b. anthracnose
c. Panama disease
d. Vanilla streak virus
What it the pathogen that causes a cessation of vine growth and an increase in the production of
aerial roots?
T or F Vanilla pods should be harvested when they begin to turn yellowish-green but before
they are completely ripened.
Why are seeds not used to propagate vanilla?
At what density or spacing is vanilla planted?
What two organisms are the natural pollinators of the vanilla plant?
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Vanilla is harvested
a. Monthly throughout the year
b. Daily for one week
c. Daily over 2-3 months
d. Weekly over 2-3 months
The vanilla pod is wilted (killed) to
a. stop the growth of the pod and initiate enzymatic reactions
b. to allow full development of the aroma and flavor
c. to kill any pest in the pods
d. to reduce the loss of aromatic compounds
The flowers of the vanilla plant are
a. large and showy
b. fugacious
c. pink
d. lack aroma
T or F Vanilla pods are harvested when they develop the charcteristic vanilla smell.
T or F The anther and pistil are fused into a column in a vanilla flower.
T or F Vanilla is not susceptible to anthracnose.
What method is used to pollinated vanilla flowers?
Albius method described in 1841
Is the vanilla bean really a bean?
T or F Vanilla pods are picked at a stage when they still do not have vanilla flavor or aroma.
T or F When processing vanilla the pods go through cycles of drying and sweating over a period
of at least 3 months.
T or F Cassava has a flexible harvest schedule.
Name 3 novel uses for cassava. (bread, protein, HFS, feed)
Yam is a
a. annual grown as an annual
b. annual grown as a perennial
c. perennial grown as an annual
d. perennial grown as a perennial
The common propagation method for a yam is
a. by tuber cuttings
b. by seed
c. by vine cuttings
d. by corms
TROPICAL HORTICULTURE – QUESTIONS WEEK 12 – PAGE 6
What biological control agent is used to control the cassava hornworm?
a. lacewings
b. ladybug beetles
c. wasps
d. mantids
T or F Cassava is efficient at extracting nutrients from the soil.
How long does the patented McCormick method to process vanilla pods take?
a. 4 day
b. 14 days
c. 1 month
d. 3 month
How long is the pollination period of the vanilla plant?
a. 3-4 weeks
b. 2-3 months
c. 5-6 months
d. all year round
.
TROPICAL HORTICULTURE – QUESTIONS WEEK 12 – PAGE 7