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Horticulture junior Brandon Carpenter imprinted these apples during an internship last summer at the Iowa State Horticulture Research Station near Ames. He learned the steps and challenges a commercial apple grower might face using apple cultivars grown in Iowa and the states' climatic condition. In January Carpenter will share his findings at the Iowa Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference.
His class researched the practice last year and found that Canadian apple growers receive considerable returns on their investment by imprinting hockey team logos.
The demonstration project involved covering apples on the tree with bags to prevent light from coloring the fruit. The bags are removed and a food-grade sticker is applied. After harvest the stickers are taken off to reveal the imprint.