Outblooming the competition

The Year 7 to 10 group in the fertile South Burnett locality grew a giant sunflower weighing 3.463kg, which topped a weigh-in at UQ Gatton campus.

Nanango State High School is one of 86 high schools from across Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria who participated this year, with 3826 students taking part in the classroom.

Fifteen schools were able to attend The University of Queensland for the annual Sunflower Competition Weigh-In Day.

The students have been growing their sunflowers over a 12-week period, aiming to beat the record weight of 4.455kg set by Mueller College in 2014.

Since the initial planting date of 28 February, students have grown potted sunflowers at school, experimenting with different soils, light regimes, water applications and fertilisers, and considering environmental factors such as weather and growing conditions in their region and how this affect sunflower growth.

In addition to the formal presentations and announcement of the 2017 winners, the budding agriculturalists and their teachers will tour the Gatton campus, hear from industry representatives and participate in science activities.

The competition, now in its 18th year, promotes the science behind agronomy and horticulture.

It is an interactive learning opportunity to encourage a new generation of plant scientists to uphold Australia’s position at the forefront of agricultural production.

Teachers use the competition to deliver the science curriculum in a plant-based context.

Schools in remote and regional areas who cannot attend the weigh-in day are encouraged to enter the Communicating Science category of the competition.

The UQ Sunflower Competition hosted by UQ’s School of Agriculture and Food Sciences is sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, The Australian Sunflower Association, Pacific Seeds, NuSeeds and the UQ Gatton Past Students Association.