Why are there so many types of apples? - Theresa Doud
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0:07 - 0:09Have you ever walked into a grocery store
-
0:09 - 0:13and wondered where all those variety
of apples came from? -
0:13 - 0:14You might find SnapDragon,
-
0:14 - 0:15Pixie Crunch,
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0:15 - 0:17Cosmic Crisp,
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0:17 - 0:18Jazz,
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0:18 - 0:18or Ambrosia
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0:18 - 0:22next to the more familiar
Red Delicious and Granny Smith. -
0:22 - 0:24These delightfully descriptive names
-
0:24 - 0:31belong to just a handful of the over
7,500 apple varieties in the world. -
0:31 - 0:37This huge diversity exists largely because
of humanity's efforts to bear new fruit. -
0:37 - 0:41Fruit breeding is a way to fulfill
the expectations of farmers and consumers -
0:41 - 0:44who seek specific qualities in an apple.
-
0:44 - 0:49On the one hand, farmers may want them
to be disease-resistant and to store well. -
0:49 - 0:54On the other, consumers are swayed
by appearance, taste, and novelty. -
0:54 - 0:57So, breeders have to consider everything
-
0:57 - 0:59from how well apples grow
in certain climates -
0:59 - 1:03to their color, taste, and size.
-
1:03 - 1:08And sometimes finding the perfect
fit means breeding something new. -
1:08 - 1:11To create apples
with desirable characteristics, -
1:11 - 1:16breeders first need to find parent
apples that carry those characteristics. -
1:16 - 1:18Once the parents have been selected,
-
1:18 - 1:21they have to wait until the trees
bloom in the spring. -
1:21 - 1:24The breeder takes the pollen
from one bloom, called the father, -
1:24 - 1:29and transfers it by hand to the other
parent bloom, called the mother, -
1:29 - 1:32through a process
called cross-pollination. -
1:32 - 1:34Once the mother bloom
turns into an apple, -
1:34 - 1:37the seeds are collected and then planted.
-
1:37 - 1:41It takes about five years for these seeds
to grow into trees that produce apples, -
1:41 - 1:43but because of the way
traits are inherited, -
1:43 - 1:46all of the seedlings produced will have
different sets of genes -
1:46 - 1:48and characteristics.
-
1:48 - 1:50This means that to achieve
a desired quality, -
1:50 - 1:52it takes a lot of offspring,
-
1:52 - 1:56not to mention patience
on the breeder's part. -
1:56 - 1:59When a seedling does bear fruit
with the desired qualities, -
1:59 - 2:01it's selected for further evaluation.
-
2:01 - 2:04Of the original crossed seedlings,
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2:04 - 2:08about one in every 5,000 makes it
to this prestigious stage. -
2:08 - 2:11They're then sent to new farms
-
2:11 - 2:14where breeders can assess how various
climates and soil types -
2:14 - 2:17affect the plant's growth.
-
2:17 - 2:19The fruit of the seedling
and its many clones -
2:19 - 2:23must then be collected and sampled
to ensure consistency. -
2:23 - 2:26Breeders study about 45 traits
in an apple, -
2:26 - 2:28like the texture
and firmness of the flesh, -
2:28 - 2:29when it ripens,
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2:29 - 2:31how sugary its juice is,
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2:31 - 2:33and how long it stays fresh.
-
2:33 - 2:36Over several years, they weed out
all the bad apples, -
2:36 - 2:40selecting only those
whose fruits are the best. -
2:40 - 2:44These exclusive plants
officially form the cultivar, -
2:44 - 2:46or new apple variety.
-
2:46 - 2:49To ensure an exact copy of this cultivar,
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2:49 - 2:53all apple trees must be grafted
from the original seedling. -
2:53 - 2:55Branches, called scion wood,
-
2:55 - 3:00are cut from the original tree
and grown to generate more scion wood. -
3:00 - 3:03Segments of these trees are then grafted
onto root stalk - -
3:03 - 3:05that's the lower section of another tree
-
3:05 - 3:07that's been chosen
from a different cultivar -
3:07 - 3:10for its superior roots
and growing ability. -
3:10 - 3:13Finally, this fusion creates
a new apple tree -
3:13 - 3:15with the desired qualities.
-
3:15 - 3:18Each new plant takes up to four years
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3:18 - 3:21before it starts producing
the fruit we eat. -
3:21 - 3:25Apple breeding may be a difficult art,
but it's accessible to all: -
3:25 - 3:26universities,
-
3:26 - 3:27companies,
-
3:27 - 3:30and even individuals can create
new cultivars. -
3:30 - 3:34But to fully own an apple, the breeder
faces a final challenge - -
3:34 - 3:37naming the fruit.
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3:37 - 3:39After a cultivar is patented,
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3:39 - 3:42a breeder chooses a name
for its trademark. -
3:42 - 3:46That final step grants them long-lasting
rights over the apple and its clones. -
3:46 - 3:48That name must be completely original,
-
3:48 - 3:51and the catchier, the better, of course.
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3:51 - 3:55With over 7,500 varieties and counting,
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3:55 - 3:58that's why we have apples called
Pink Lady, -
3:58 - 3:59Sweet Tango,
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3:59 - 4:00Kiku,
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4:00 - 4:02and EverCrisp.
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4:02 - 4:05The more we work with nature's bounty
to breed new cultivars, -
4:05 - 4:10the more creative and delectable
these names will become.
- Title:
- Why are there so many types of apples? - Theresa Doud
- Description:
-
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-are-there-so-many-types-of-apples-theresa-doud
Have you ever walked into a grocery store and wondered where all the varieties of apples came from? You might find SnapDragon, Pixie Crunch, Cosmic Crisp, Jazz, or Ambrosia next to the more familiar Red Delicious and Granny Smith. So why are there so many types? Theresa Doud describes the ins and outs of breeding apples.
Lesson by Theresa Doud, animation by Adriatic Animation.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 04:28
Peter van de Ven commented on English subtitles for Why are there so many types of apples? - Theresa Doud | ||
Jessica Ruby approved English subtitles for Why are there so many types of apples? - Theresa Doud | ||
Jessica Ruby accepted English subtitles for Why are there so many types of apples? - Theresa Doud | ||
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for Why are there so many types of apples? - Theresa Doud | ||
Jennifer Cody edited English subtitles for Why are there so many types of apples? - Theresa Doud |
Peter van de Ven
@ 2.32
Over several years, they weed out
all the bad apples,
selecting only those
whose fruits are the best.
These exclusive plants
officially form the cultivar,
--------------------
Based on what follows, it seems to me that it should read:
Over several years, they weed out
all the bad PLANTS,