About This Quiz
Have you ever noticed the amazing array of crops growing alongside many highways, byways and dirt roads? Let's put your knowledge of them to the test! From maize to broomcorn, there are many different types of edible crops and animal crops we can observe simply by taking a drive. Do you know your squash plant from your rye crop? If you do, now's your chance to prove it.Â
As we cruise through this quiz, we will present you will a picture of a crop we've seen growing. Then, we'll ask you to identify it. You might think you are good with garden plants, but crops might be a little more difficult. Some of them look very similar, but others are unmistakable. It will be entirely up to you to decide what you think the crop we've shown you is named.Â
Don't worry if you get stuck. We've also provided you with helpful hints that will get you through with a higher score than you might think. You might have a green thumb, but is it green enough to know what the world's most planted crops are named? Do you best to choose the correct one, and you'll have bragging rights for days!
Grown specifically for industrial use, the hemp plant is a member of the cannabis sativa family. With a number of uses from oil to rope, the hemp plant has made a big comeback during recent years. It is now rising as one of the United States' biggest cash crops.
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Buckwheat is considered a short-season crop because it matures in around 70 days. From pretty white blossoms to lush ground cover, the buckwheat plant is quite impressive to see growing alongside the road. When the grain is harvested, buckwheat makes amazing pancakes.
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Although we tend to think of beets as those red, pickled things our grandmother used to make us eat, sugar beets are grown and harvested for their high sucrose content. Once processed, sugar beets are changed into bags of sugar, syrups, and additives. When left to winter, sugar beets survive on the sugar content stored in their fibers.
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Although the cotton plant appears to be growing little clouds, the plant actually has sharp leaves holding the cotton on. Long prized for its material-making abilities, cotton is still one of the most harvested crops in the United States.
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Peanuts are a prolific crop that produces groundnuts or goobers. To grow peanuts, farmers must carefully monitor the temperatures. Peanuts cannot be planted until there has been no sign of frost for over 100 days.
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Grown for its seeds, the sunflower is one of the most beautiful crops out there. One of the easiest crops to grow, sunflowers require minimal maintenance as long as they have frequent sunlight and consistent watering.
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When the leaves of the tobacco plant are harvested, they are dried for use. There are currently over 70 varieties of tobacco grown across the world. As a member of the nightshade family, its relatives include the zucchini.
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This tall grassy plant is knows as flax. Flax is harvested as a food source and as a fiber used to feed farm animals. It is one of the few plants that prefers to grow in cooler climates.
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With roots than can grow 8 to 10 feet below the surface, the safflower crop is more drought-resistant than other crops. Mostly grown in the American plains, safflower resembles plants like the thistle.
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With over a million acres of corn grown in New York state alone, corn is one of the world's most recognizable crops. Whether it is harvested for human consumption, animal consumption, or to make corn oil, corn is one of the world's most profitable crops to grow.
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Feeding more people per year around the world than any other crop, rice must be careful cultivated and harvested. Traditionally grown in paddies, proper moisture and handling must be maintained to keep a rice crop healthy and thriving during each season's live harvest.
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Rye is closely related to both wheat and barley, and it loves growing in cooler weather. Without a taproot system, rye grows quickly and is sometimes planted to prevent soil erosion during colder months.
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Although the oat plant is not one of the most striking, it is often grown as a secondary crop. Oats are also used as ground cover in colder climates, and they are harvested for use as animal food and for human consumption.
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Although soybean crops are more prolifically grown in the United States than anywhere in the world, the crop is native to East Asia. Soybeans are a nutritious food, and harvests are either kept whole or processed into soybean oil. The soybean has seen a rise in popularity in recent decades.
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If you were driving along an Ethiopian highway, you would see the teff plant being grown. Grown as a food staple for the region, teff crops are tall and thin. The edible part of the plant is valued for its high calcium content.
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Behind corn, rice, and wheat, barley is the fourth most important crop in the world. Although it can be grown in tropical environments, the versatile barley crop doesn't mind cooler climates either.
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As the main ingredient in hummus, the chickpea crop is a very important one! It's also one of the few crops that thrives in cooler weather. It is often cycled to grow before or after canola because the chickpea crop infuses a lot of nitrogen into the soil.
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Driving by a field of blooming, yellow rapeseed crops can be quite breathtaking. As Australia's third largest crop, rapeseed is prized for its ability to make stable canola cooking oil. Rapeseed provides rich nutrients to the soil, and it is often planted as a rotation crop.
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With a harvest time of less than 100 days, the navy bean crop can grow up to 2 feet tall! Navy beans are only harvested when the long, bean pods have dried. Despite their name, navy beans are not blue at all. They are small white legumes.
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Also known as sorghum, the broomcorn is a rather impressive looking crop. Harvested for both human and animal consumption, a broomcorn plant can live for many years when cared for carefully.
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After maize, wheat is the second most-grown crop around the world. Considered a cereal grain, wheat is harvested after it has turned from green to golden brown. It reaches maturity in around 130 days.
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Although the mung bean is grown all over the world. It is native to India. With one of the highest protein counts of all the legumes, mung beans are grown for both human and animal consumption.
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Sugar cane is grown in many places, but it is the number one export of Brazil. Prized for its sweetness, the tall grassy plant needs at least 24 inches of rain per year to grow properly. Sugar cane can be eaten raw, or in a number of processed forms including granulated sugar.
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Prized for its valuable oil, the oil palm crop is grown in clusters. While the oil palm does produce a rich and delicious fruit related to the coconut, it is prized for the oil found within the plant's fibers.
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Primarily grown in China and India, jute is the overall most important fiber harvested after cotton. Used to make ropes and twine, jute is chopped down and dried naturally in the sun.
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Green peppers reach full maturity at 60 days. However, many different hot peppers can take up to 150 days to fully ripen. Grown during the hot summer months, green peppers are loved by both gardeners and large scale farmers.
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As one of the most valuable crops in the world, bamboo serves many functions other than looks. Prized by gardeners, landscapers and homeowners, bamboo is a practical way to create privacy barriers and to add ornamentation to lawns.
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When you drive past a field of these pretty yellow flowers, you will know that they are called mustard seed. A mature mustard seed plant can reach up to 9 feet tall. Mustard seeds like to germinate when the ground temperature reached a steady 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
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After the cassava, the yam is the second most important tuber grown in African regions, with 95% of the world's growth taking place there. With over 870 species of yams out there, there's a yam for everyone!
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Though lentils are not exactly the most impressive looking crop, the fact that they date back over 8,000 years and hold the record as one of the world's oldest crops is quite impressive. At full maturity, the lentil crop grows to about 16 inches tall.
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Turnips prefer to be grown in colder weather and tend to get stringy and tough when left in the heat. Turnips are ideal feed for cows because their nutrients help to stimulate milk production.
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While the leaves of the chicory plant are primarily used as food for sheep and cattle, the roots are used for something quite different. Primarily grown in southern portions of Africa, chicory roots make a great substitute for coffee.
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Scientifically named Camellia sinensis, the tea tree plant is one of the world's most loved crops. Tea leaves and buds are collected, dried, and made into one of the world's favorite drinks. The tea tree is an evergreen, and it remains green all year around.
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Grown in the early spring months, there are two basic kinds of pea. From field peas to table peas, all peas grow in pods. Although some pea pods can be eaten, the greater majority of pea varieties need to be hulled before eaten.
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Natural latex is tapped from rubber trees after they reach 6 years old. Each tree can be tapped for up to 28 years, and they can produce up to 19 pounds of natural latex every year.
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Although regular potatoes love cooler weather, sweet potato plants prefer warmer weather. With lime green leaves, sweet potatoes grow in clusters under their vines. The sweet potato is actually a member of the morning glory family.
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As the sixth most produced crop in the world, the cassava crop feeds a lot of people! The woody plant sprouts from an edible tuber, and is also called yucca. It prefers to grow in tropical and subtropical areas.
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This plant grows up to produce the kidney bean-shaped lima bean. Although they are native to South America, lima beans are hearty and can grow most anywhere when conditions are right. They are valued for their high iron and protein contents.
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A favorite of both farmers and home gardeners, the tomato is among one of the fussiest, but most valuable, crops. Tomatoes require ideal soil conditions and they are susceptible to insects and disease.
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Triticale is a hybrid of wheat and rye. Crop farmers love growing it because it s a low to no maintenance plant. It naturally fertilizes and reseeds itself every year.
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