Hello, it's Flora Lichten, and you're listening to Science Friday. Tis the season of squash.

So today on the podcast, we are bringing you a conversation from the pantry.

Ira is celebrating all things cucurbita and fielding your burning squash questions. Let's go.

Now, you can see squash everywhere, right, in this holiday season. You've got those carved pumpkins.

They're actually squash, believe it or not. Those giant award-winning pumpkins are squash, too.

How do they get so big? And what's the difference between a gourd and a squash? And how do you breed a

better squash? We actually have somebody who knows the answer to all of those things. Dr. Chris Hernandez,

assistant professor of plant breeding at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire.

He's director of the university squash, pumpkin, and melon breeding program.

Welcome to Science Friday. Hi, Ira. Thanks for having me on. How did you get interested in squash and

pumpkin breeding? Yeah, I suppose it's kind of a different type of profession. But yeah, you know,

my dad was really into gardening. He got me into gardening. And I was doing

some gardening at a community garden. And there was a guy there growing giant pumpkins. And I just

thought that was the coolest thing in the world. And it's what got me started. Kind of motivated me

to go on and study plant bringing genetics. I understand this year's world record for pumpkin was

nearly 3,000 pounds.

That's right, 2,700.

How do growers get pumpkins to grow so big?

Well, it's nature and nurture.

So you need to have the right seeds or the right, you know, the seeds that have that genetic potential.

And then you need to have the perfect growing conditions for those seeds

for that plant.

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