Sunflower Competition

The competition provides an interactive learning opportunity with school-based experiments that classes can work through at their own pace and level of difficulty.

Teachers and students can participate in a number of ways:

1. Grow sunflowers at your school as part of the curriculum or as an extra curricular activity.
    
2. Enter the ‘Heaviest Yield’ category competition by submitting a video showing the sunflower head being removed and weighed on a set of calibrated digital scales.
    
3. Enter the ‘Communicating Science’ or ‘Scientific Investigations’ categories in the Queensland Science Contest by submitting your entry to the UQ Sunflower Completion before 4 September 2026.

Competition Rules

Here you'll find a range of resources to assist you and your class over the 12 weeks. These resources are designed and delivered by our UQ researchers and will provde students with a greater understanding of the science behind growing plants!

Sunflower Competition Welcome

Seed Germination

Water - The lifeline for sunflowers

Physiology/Light/Photosynthesis

The importance of Soil

Plant Nutrition

Pests

Agronomy

Plant, profit, protect: Building a Greener Agribusiness with Sunflowers

2025 Heaviest Yield Winners by Year & Region

Queensland

Years 7–8
Highfields State Secondary College – 593g
Highfields State Secondary College – 580g
Home Hill State High School – 400g

Years 9–10
Downlands College – 831.7g
Downlands College – 692g
Monto State High School – 587g

Years 11–12
Highfields State Secondary College – 487g
Monto State High School – 486g
Home Hill State High School – 320g
  

New South Wales

Years 7–8
Hurlstone Agricultural High School – 72g
Hurlstone Agricultural High School – 68g
Hurlstone Agricultural High School – 59g

Years 9–10
Hurlstone Agricultural High School – 68g
Hurlstone Agricultural High School – 60g
  

Western Australia

Years 11–12
Western Australia College of Agriculture – Cunderdin – 94g
Western Australia College of Agriculture – Cunderdin – 53g
Western Australia College of Agriculture – Cunderdin – 50g
 

Victoria

Years 7–8
Bacchus Marsh Grammar – 42.5g

2020 Heaviest Yield Winners by Year

Overall ‘Heaviest Sunflower’ Grand Champion

Highfields State Secondary College: 1,277 grams

Heaviest Yield Years 7–10

• 1^st Place — Highfields State Secondary College: 1,245 grams
• 2^nd Place — Highfields State Secondary College: 1,210 grams
• 3^rd Place — Flagstone Community College: 1,060 grams

Heaviest Yield Years 11–12

• 1^st Place — Highfields State Secondary College: 1,277 grams
• 2^nd Place — Downlands College: 1,130 grams
• 3^rd Place — Downlands College: 1,050 grams

Pre-2020 winners

Read about our earlier winning schools:

2018

Nanango takes out back-to-back sunflower awards

2017

Outblooming the competition

2016

Size matters for next-generation plant scientists

Check out UQ's Future Students website to see the upcoming events hosted across from the University.

There are many events that students can participate in including discipline specific experience days. Science offerings include physics, mathematics, biotechnology, earth sciences, the environment and more.

This website is updated regularly so we encourage you to visit it throughout the year to see all the events on offer.

Explore the list of FAQs below to help answer any questions you may have about the UQ  sunflower competition.

• Who can enter the competition?

The competition is open to all Australian high school students from Years 7–12.

• How do I register?

Teachers can register their class online through the official UQ Sunflower Competition website. Registrations for the 2026 competition close on Friday 13 February 2026.

• Can a teacher register multiple classes?

Yes. Teachers may register more than one class using the same email address.

• When does planting begin and end?

Recommended planting week for 2026 is 23–27 February, and the formal competition growing period concludes Friday 15 May 2026.
Schools planting later in the year may still participate informally, but are not eligible for prize money.

• What do we receive after registering?

UQ provides sunflower seeds (donated by the Australian Sunflower Association and Barenbrug Australia) and supporting materials for teachers and students.  

• What equipment do we need to supply?

Schools must provide:

• 14L pot
• Potting mix
• Fertiliser
• Watering can

• What categories can students enter?

Competition categories include:

• Heaviest Yield (state-based)
• Communicating Science (Queensland Science Contest)
• Scientific Investigations (Queensland Science Contest)
   

• How do we submit entries?

Heaviest Yield entries require a video submission showing the sunflower head being removed and weighed using calibrated digital scales.
Video submissions for 2026 are open 18–29 May.

• What happens if our sunflower crop fails?

You may request additional seeds if your crop fails during the competition timeframe.

• Are there prizes?

Yes. Prizes are awarded per state across each year level band (Years 7–8, 9–10, 11–12). An Overall Grand Champion prize is also awarded for the heaviest sunflower overall.

• Are learning resources available?

UQ provides:

• Weekly email newsletter with planting tips and competition updates
• Videos and articles by UQ researchers
• Experiment guides (e.g., germination, potting mix trials)
• Optional Q&A and career sessions
   

• Can we run our own experiments?

Yes. Schools may follow UQ’s suggested experiments or create their own for further learning.

• Do all participants need to be from the same year level?

No. Mixed-year groups or clubs can enter, but they must register under a single year category—ideally the year level with the most students involved.

• What do I do if my flowers have not bloomed by the end of the growing period (Friday 15 May)?

We understand that sunflowers grown in different parts of Australia bloom at different times due to variations in latitude and local climate. For this reason, we have extended the video submission window to ensure all schools have a fair opportunity to participate.

You may weigh your sunflower on any day after 15 May, once it has fully bloomed.
However, please note that the final day to submit your video is 29 May. No entries can be accepted after this date.

• What do I do if I can’t upload our video?

If you experience difficulties uploading your video, please contact us as soon as possible so we can assist.

The upload platform we use is managed by an external provider, which means it only accepts certain video sizes and formats. If your file exceeds the allowed size or is not in a supported format, the system will not accept the upload.

Before submitting, please ensure your video meets the required file format and size limits listed in the submission instructions.

• Who do we contact for support?

Teachers can contact the UQ Sunflower Competition team at:
agfs.student.experience@uq.edu.au