The growth of giant pumpkins: How extreme weight influences shape

Great morphological differences exist among fruits and vegetables. In this combined experimental and theoretical study, we predict pumpkin shape evolution and maximum size based on their material properties. Using time-lapse photography and measurements collected by volunteer farmers, we show that as pumpkins grow, they morph from spherical to pancake shapes, flattening up to 50% in height-to-width aspect ratio. By compressing whole pumpkins in material-testing machines, we find that the elastic response of the pumpkin is insufficient to account for the large deformations characteristic of large pumpkins. We hypothesize that pumpkin flattening is caused by the weight of the pumpkin retarding its normal growth processes. We test this hypothesis using a mathematical model that assumes plant growth is stimulated in response to a tensile yield stress. We are able to predict pumpkin shapes consistent with those observed. The observed growth plasticity allows the fruit to redistribute internal stresses, thereby growing to extreme sizes without breaking. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.