‘World’s Heaviest Potato’ turns out not to be a Potato at all
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photo: CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF
A New Zealand couple who applied to Guinness World Records to have a massive vegetable named “Dug” acknowledged as the world’s heaviest potato stated the DNA test revealed the tuber is not a potato.
Guinness World Records requested a sample of Dug for DNA testing as part of their record application, according to Colin and Donna Craig-Brown, who found the 17.4-pound rock on their Waikato farm in August 2021. They received a response from the record-keeping organization on Sunday.
Guinness had the sample examined by Science & Advice for Scottish Agriculture/SASA, and the results revealed Dug the Spud was actually a “tuber of a type of gourd,” according to the Craig-Browns.
“I’m disappointed, but he’s still ‘Dug – not the biggest potato,'” Colin Craig-Brown told Stuff. “It’s been a real roller-coaster of potato-Rama. We hopped on the roller-coaster eyes wide open and enjoyed the ride and this was the last real twist.”
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Craig-Brown thought that Dug was the result of a seedling he bought that was crossbred with both a gourd and a cucumber.
“I’m trying to rationalize how this has happened,” he said.
According to reports, Craig-Brown claims that the saga has inspired him to try again to grow the world’s largest potato.
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“It’s inspired me to grow my potato and really get stuck in. Draw on all the knowledge and scientific know-how that I’ve accumulated through the process with all the experts. I’m really gonna give it my all and have a go at growing the biggest potato in the world,” he said.
According to Craig-Brown, drugs will have a future as vodka.