AWARD WINNING PROJECT … Joe Reamsnyder pictured with his project at Regional Science Fair.
By: Kayli Shumaker
Joe Reamsnyder, a junior at Hilltop High School, will be taking his science fair project to Anaheim, California to the International level where 1,800 other students from 70 different countries will be competing for the $75,000 first place prize.
Joe is the son of Tony and Kendra Reamsnyder. He also has two sisters, Abby Styron and Hannah Reamsnyder. He enjoys track, cross country, band, and FFA. He is also a member of both the National Honor Society and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Joe found the interest of his project through FFA when his teacher gave him a lead to work at Rupp Seeds in Wauseon. He enjoyed their pumpkin breeding program and that’s how he got his idea.
‘The Rate of Pollen Reallocation in Cucurbita Pepo’. He received the help to develop his method to breed the pumpkins from Bill Holdsworth. Joe planted the first round of pumpkins in June and hand pollinated them in August.
He then harvested those original plants and planted those seeds in which he grew in his basement from November to January. The whole purpose of his project was to test if pollen place placed on stigmatic lobes fertilized seeds in corresponding locules or if pollen on stigmatic lobes fertilized seeds in non-corresponding locules in a process called reallocation.
His results were that 68% corresponded and 32% reallocated. He will be attending state science fair in Columbus on May 9th.
Kayli can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com