Flat Aggie with Kansas Wheat Improvement Center Math

Flat Aggie recently visited the Kansas Wheat Improvement Center (KWIC).  The math there was nothing like anything he has seen in other Farmer Math sessions.  While the problems were very different, the calculations were still very familiar.

1.       The average temperature in Kansas during the month of March is 45°F.  High temperatures in Kansas in August can easily reach 109°F.  What is the difference between the average March temperature and the high temperature?

2.       New wheat varieties can take 12 years to develop using older methods, but using double haploid methods that has been cut in half.  How long does it take to develop a new wheat variety today?

3.       There are 2500 different varieties of wheat in the Wheat Genomics Resource Center.  There are 100 varieties per shelf.  How many shelves are in the resource center storage?

4.       A greenhouse at KWIC measures 150 feet by 30 feet. 

a.       What is the area of the KWIC greenhouse?

b.       What is the perimeter of the above greenhouse? 

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ANSWERS: 1.)  64°F  2.) 6 years  3.)  25 shelves  4a.) 4,500 square feet  4b.)  360 feet