Final answer:
To find the number of pieces of fruit left on the land, calculate the total number of fruit trees planted, find the total number of pieces of fruit on the trees, and subtract the number of fruits picked.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the number of pieces of fruit left on the land, we first calculate the total number of fruit trees planted. Since the gardener uses 4 plots of land and plants 5 fruit trees on each plot, the total number of fruit trees is 4 x 5 = 20.
Next, we find the total number of pieces of fruit on all the trees. Each fruit tree has 3 pieces of fruit, so the total number of pieces of fruit is 20 x 3 = 60.
Finally, we subtract the number of fruits picked by the gardener, which is 17, from the total number of fruits to find the number of pieces of fruit left on the land. Therefore, there are 60 - 17 = 43 pieces of fruit left on the land.