The age-old perception that apple is a special fruit that can only grow in specific parts of the world has now come under scrutiny as the land of Wiamoase in the Ashanti region of Ghana is currently supporting not only the growth of an apple tree but also its amazing fruit-bearing.

The trailblazing apple tree went viral recently after its photos were posted on Facebook by one Barima Nana Osei Bonsu with a caption: “The young girl who planted the seed died five years ago, that’s the family attached to the picture. Unless proven otherwise, five years after cultivation… that’s the tree in the picture as well. WIAMOASE-Tanosi, ASHANTI.”
It has now come to light that the lady identified as Nana Ama Asantewaa who planted the apple tree out of curiosity died sadly five years ago.

Reports say she damned the perception that the fruit is an exotic breed and does not grow in Ghana and curiously planted the seed and kept nurturing it before her sad demise after falling ill.
Nana Osei Bonsu who first posted a picture of the Apple Tree with the hanging fruits told Starr News the late Asantewaa was concerned about the welfare of her parents.
“She died five years ago. A few years after planting the seed she fell ill. She was concerned about how the family was going to live because they are poor so the family believes this is her way of helping them,” he told Francis Abban Monday.

Osei Bonsu added Agric extension officers are heading to the area to study the nuances around the fruit and if it could be grown in other areas of the country.
The perception has always been that apples only grow in temperate zones and cannot survive in Ghana or Africa due to the hot temperature that prevail here.
In 1870, Tetteh Quarshie undertook a voyage to the Spanish colony Fernando Po (now Bioko in Equatorial Guinea). About six years later he returned to Ghana with several cocoa beans (the Amelonado) and made history. The export of cocoa from Ghana began in 1891, and the official export in 1893 (two bags exported). Now, cocoa is the major export crop of the Ghanaian economy.
If it is found out that the Ghanaian soils are capable of supporting the cultivation of apples, the scare and expensive fruit may become one of its major export crops just like cocoa.

Source: Pulse Nigeria

Cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44

Wow I wish she lived to see d fruits of her labour.

Harmony92:
Wow I wish she lived to see d fruits of her labour.

Yes o. Well said.

That's a young girl with vision unlike in Nigeria where the labour of our heroes past has become our problem

Though you died, you have not left humanity without a name.

You planted a seed but that was a name you have engraved not just in Ghana but in Africa as a whole.

The family should protect this tree with all their nights and also restrict access to it as some people can collect money from "WHO" to kill this tree.

Apples can grow anywhere. The first thing is to get an apple fruit with physiologically matured seeds.

With good Agronomic management, you are good to go in 12 months.

I have a friend in Igueben (Edo state) who is eating his cultivated Apples now

What lead to her death ?























Ok she fell ill


Rip to her

drake2:
Apples can grow anywhere. The first thing is to get an apple fruit with physiologically matured seeds.

With good Agronomic management, you are good to go in 12 months.

I have a friend in Igueben (Edo state) who is eating his cultivated Apples now

Really..... but it has been a long time believe which is passed on to generations that it doesn't grow locally...

This is the real slayqueen

Waooo, the tree yielded plenty fruit ooo

OdefaGirl:



Really..... but it has been a long time believe which is passed on to generations that it doesn't grow locally...

.
Virtually most of the major food crops which we now grow in Africa were originally not natives. But were domesticated from Latin and south Americas. Maize, Cassava etc.

With sound knowledge of a crop's behavior and good management one can adapt any crop to new ecosystems. Your exotic fruit and leafy vegetables whose planting materials still come from abroad are successfully grown here.

It depends on interests and so it is demand driven (comparative advantage I should say)

chii8:
Waooo, the tree yielded plenty fruit ooo

If it was regularly pruned, would have yielded more through production of more flowers rather than growing into a big tree vegetatively.

Also a nearby different variety would have improved flower cross pollinations. This would have increased fruiting

Apple na america product na.. na there dem dey ship am come

illicit:


Yes o. Well said.

That's a young girl with vision unlike in Nigeria where the labour of our heroes past has become our problem

ojukwu was a hero to igbos,Saro wiwa a hero to ogonis,adaka boro a hero to ijaws, awolowo a hero to yorubas,armadu Bello a hero to hausafulani.
Zik, Anthony Enahoro, Herbert maucaulay are the only Nigeria heroes but Nigerians prefer local warlords to national heroes

drake2:


If it was regularly pruned, would have yielded more through production of more flowers rather than growing into a big tree vegetatively.

Also a nearby different variety would have improved flower cross pollinations. This would have increased fruiting

You knew all these Mr theory and you never planted at least one

May she rest in peace.....

Beautiful

Techcrunchng:
You knew all these Mr theory and you never planted at least one

Chief, I work in a very big Agricultural institution/training School. Apples are not our mandate crops, but we do produce a wild variety of crops all year round including training of Nigerian youths free of charge in all the geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

Don't be a mo.ron next time please

drake2:


Chief, I work in a very big Agricultural institution/training School. Apples are not our mandate crops, but we do produce a wild variety of crops all year round including training of Nigerian youths free of charge in all the geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

Don't be a mo.ron next time please

Oga can Apple grow in Nigeria?

Wow she ate the forbidden fruit

hopeforcharles:

Oga can Apple grow in Nigeria?

Yes, it can. But let me make this illustration for a better understanding:

Maize is native to the Americas and they are already achieving 12 tons/ha due to being native from the region coupled with management.

In Nigeria, yield of maize is 2.5-3 tons/ha even with the nearest best management.

Why?: Because of the factor of not originally being a native of Africa but was domesticated and adapted here.

Apples?: Same principle applies; Apples grow anywhere in the world but not as good as their center of origin and diversity (Asia). The differential in yields in different regions is inherent in their nativity.

Use grafted rootstocks or physiologically matured seeds. And with informed management, within 2 yrs depending on the variety it will begin to fruit as a young apple plant not as a tree.