Light-hearted quest for the heaviest veggies

April 02, 2007

Cries of "genetic modification" caused a frisson of controversy during the weigh-in of the annual Agronomy and Soil Science Giant Veggie Growing Competition at the University of New England last Friday.

This year’s winning pumpkin was grown by Michael Edmonds of UNE's Facilities Management Services, whose Atlantic Giant pumpkin weighed in at a whopping 105.5 kg. Mr Edmonds said there were no secrets to growing such a monster, "just lots of water and standard fertiliser".

Mr Edmonds's winning pumpkin was nearly upstaged by an entry from UNE’s Professor of Horticultural Science, Acram Taji. Professor Taji’s pumpkin, measuring only 10 cm in diameter, weighed in at a surprising 1.6 kg. Amid cries of "genetic modification", it was revealed that the pumpkin in question was actually made of stone, having been bought in Zimbabwe specifically for the competition. Professor Taji picked up the award for the Best Pumpkin Fraud and Best Fraudulent Exhibit.

The award for Best Sunflower Fraud went to Associate Professor Brian Sindel (who managed to present only photographic "evidence" of a sunflower that could have been). Past years have seen similar shenanigans, with some competitors filling pumpkins with concrete and entering them under other entrants' names in an apparent attempt to get them disqualified.

The coordinator of the event, postgraduate agronomy student Mark Trotter, said the "almost biblical" adverse weather conditions last year had affected the number of entries. "The late snow, frosts and hail meant numbers were slightly down this year," Mr Trotter said. He joked, however, that for some (like last year's winner, Dr John Stanley, who blamed "the weather and cockatoos" this time) it had provided "a convenient excuse".

The competition, whose only rule is that vegetables must be grown within 50 km of Armidale, includes categories for pumpkins, zucchinis and sunflowers. The entrance fee is five dollars, with pumpkin and sunflower seeds provided. Growers are advised to plant at the end of October to maximise the growing season, but are warned to remain wary of frosts – and other competitors.

Anyone interested in entering the competition can contact Mark Trotter in Agronomy and Soil Science, UNE, on (02) 6773 2143.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here expands to show Michael Edmonds with his winning pumpkin.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at April 2, 2007 05:56 PM