Seeds of hope planted for huge UQ Sunflower Growing Competition

Green-fingered University of Queensland and high school students will have the chance to achieve growing greatness and win cash prizes at the third UQ School of Land and Food Sciences Sunflower Growing Competition starting tomorrow, Friday, March 15.

Sunflower seeds will be handed out to UQ undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as high school entrants from Brisbane and Toowoomba.

Hopeful “budding” biologists, horticulturalists and agronomists can register from 1pm to 2.30pm tomorrow in room 324 of the Hartley Teakle Building at the UQ St Lucia campus.

They will have until the May 24 “Weigh-In” at Mayne Hall, St Lucia, to nurture their plants, with the heaviest specimen claiming first prize of $275.

The Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Pacific Seeds of Toowoomba and Seed Technology Australia Pty Ltd are sponsors of the competition

Dr Mal Hunter a specialist in Agricultural and Horticultural Research (ANOVA solutions Pty Ltd) and Honorary Research Fellow of the School of Land and Food Sciences and Associate Professor Pax Blamey, a sunflower agronomist started the competition in 1999.

Plants have to be grown in a container no larger than 11 litres capacity and must be made available for random inspection. Hydroponic growing is not allowed.

Each entrants may submit three plants at the “Weight In”, but are required to forward height and weight date to Dr Hunter every two weeks.

Competition organiser Andrea Adkins, a Scientific Officer in the UQ School of Land and Food Sciences, said the addition of high schools would make it the toughest event to date.

“From Brisbane we have Ferny Grove, Beenleigh, Cleveland, Pine Rivers and Dakabin High Schools, as well as St Peters Lutheran College, Indooroopilly and the Anglican Church Grammar School,” she said.

“Toowoomba will be represented by Centenary Heights, Harristown and Toowoomba (Mt Lofty and Wilsonton Campus) High Schools.

“The heaviest sunflower plant at the weigh-ins in the last two competitions was grown by the inaugural winner Peter Kopittke, whose 150cm high sunflower plant came in at 3010 grams.”

Media: For photo opportunities today and further information, contact Andrea Adkins (telephone 07 3365 1175), Dr Mal Hunter (telephone 07 3378 7525) or Brad Turner at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2659).