GENETICS and the SCIENCE of GROWING GIANT PUMPKINS

Milan Lukes has a passion for the colour orange, for pumpkins and for competing! Mentored by Manitoba’s provincial pumpkin growing champions, retired farmers, soil scientists and manure experts, this past October Milan was crowned Manitoba’s 2015 Provincial Giant Pumpkin Growing Champion (1st and 2nd place). Milan’s presentation will discuss the many intricacies of growing giant pumpkins and will focus on the role science and genetics play in “growing the big one”. These skill would be transferable to growing regular squash plants. Milan is a recipient of the Manitoba Schools Science Symposium’s 2014 Gold Medal in Bio Technology, and at 13 years of age, is a very accomplished speaker and presenter.