Growing with your food 2022 - Tartu loodusmaja

The Research Centre of Organic Farming of Estonian University of Life Sciences and Tartu Nature House's Eco-Schools programme encourage you to grow your own food and think about how we grow and consume food!

With the support of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 main programme project "Growing with your food" we are eager to teach children and adults to value their food, from seeds to composting. The world's soils are deteriorating, with species loss up to a thousand times faster than the natural rate of extinction. Intensive farming has had a major impact on these processes. Therefore it is wise to choose organic food and learn to grow food organically.

The quiz will be open until 12 May 2022, the International Plant Health Day. There will be a prize draw for participants in two age groups: under 12 and older. To participate in the prize winning, please make sure to write down the details of how to contact you. By leaving your contact details, you consent to the processing of your personal data for the purposes of the quiz, the publication of the results and the delivery of the prize.

Respondent’s name

E-mail

Respondent’s age

1. This Mediterranean root vegetable was an important food in Estonia before the potato. In addition to the root, you can also eat its leaves.

Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.).

Turnip (Brassica rapa subsp. rapa )

Radish (Raphanus sativus L.)

Swede (Brassica napus L. em. Metzg. subsp. napobrassica (L.) Hanelt)

2. Why sow carrot seeds with coffee grounds? Choose all the correct answers.

Makes it easier to sow carrot seeds

Gives carrots a better taste

Changes the colour of the carrot

The smell of coffee grounds hides the smell of the carrot and the carrot beetle does not detect the carrot sprout

3. Where does carrot seed come from?

From carrot root (the carrot root we eat)

The first year flower

The second year's flower

Leaves

4. This perennial herb, usually with light blue flowers, is both a medicinal and a food plant and can be used for its roots, leaves, and flowers. The dried roots of the plant are mainly known as a substitute for coffee.

Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus L.)

Chicory (Cichorium L.)

Wild garlic (Allium ursinum L.)

Garlic (Allium sativum L.)

5. What is done differently in organic production to maintain and increase soil fertility compared to conventional production? Choose all the correct answers.

No fertilisers are used

No synthetic mineral fertilisers are used

Manure and compost are used

Leguminous crops are grown

6. How are plants protected against diseases and pests in organic production? Choose all the correct answers.

Encouraging biodiversity in fields, e.g. nest boxes for birds and flowering plants for beneficial insects

Weeds are mechanically destroyed, e.g. by tilling and weeding

Use of synthetic plant protection products

Use of various natural plant protection products, e.g. nettle spray

7. Crop rotation is a main principle of organic farming, helping to ensure crop yields and maintain and improve soil fertility. What are the characteristics of a good crop rotation? Choose all the correct answers.

Arable land is divided into crop rotation fields

Crops are grown in a fixed sequence and are grown in a stable rotation in time and place

Plants with similar botanical characteristics are sown in succession

Plants with similar nutrient requirements are sown in succession

8. Legumes are plants in the family of Fabaceae. They are characterised by a five-petalled flower resembling a butterfly, consisting of an uppermost sail, two lateral wings, and a keel formed by the fusion of the two lower petals. Another distinctive feature is their fruit, which is the familiar pod. Which of the plants in the picture are legumes?

Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.)

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

White clover (Trifolium repens L.)

Pea (Pisum sativum L.)

9. Leguminous plants enrich the soil with nitrogen. Their roots also grow in compacted soil and bring up nutrients deeper. They provide living and feeding habitats for beneficial insects. When legumes are grown solely to improve soil fertility, they are called green manures. Why are leguminous plants important in agriculture? Choose all the correct answers.

Mycobacteria at their roots fix nitrogen from the air into the soil

Increase the vitality of the field

Their leaves are food for beneficial insects

Their flowers are food for beneficial insects

10. Soil is formed from soil and dirt by the life of various organisms. Among others, earthworms play a vital role in soil formation. How many species of earthworms are known to occur in Estonia?

5

10

13

20

11. By eating soil and decaying plants, earthworms enrich the soil. How much valuable excrement can an earthworm produce per m2 per year?

up to 1 kg

up to 5 kg

up to 10 kg

12. There is a common misconception that the number of spots on a ladybug indicates its age. What does the number of spots actually mean?

How many eggs a ladybug eats in one meal

The number of spots is an indicator of the species: the seven-spotted ladybug, the five-spotted ladybug, and the two-spotted ladybug are the most common ones

The number of egg clutches laid by a lepidopteran

13. Plants often need help to develop seeds. Help comes from wind, water, and many animals. Some of the best-known pollinators are the various insects that feed on the flowers, such as bees, bumblebees, and syrphid fly. Which picture shows a honey bee (Apis mellifera L.)?

A

B

C

D

14. How much of the diversity in our diet comes from insect pollinators?

78 species, or nearly 43% of crops grown in Europe, need insect pollination

120 species, or nearly 67% of crops grown in Europe, need insect pollination

150 species, or nearly 84% of crops grown in Europe, need insect pollination

15. Compost is produced when organic matter decomposes into a nutrient-rich natural fertiliser through the interaction of oxygen and a range of microorganisms. If the compost smells unpleasant when it is finished, something has gone wrong in the process. This could be because of, for example, composting the wrong waste. Which of the wastes in the picture should not be added to compost? Select all the correct answers.

Empty toilet paper roll

Used tea packet

Oil

Used paper towel

16. On average, how many kilograms of food or groceries are thrown away per person per year in Estonian households? The reason for throwing away food is that food is spoiled or has reached the end of its useful life, food that is left over when eaten, etc., i.e. wasted food.

11 kg

18 kg

26 kg

31 kg

17. Which label in the shop identifies organic food? Choose all the right answers.