An 85-year-old farmer was left stunned after harvesting a giant cucumber measuring 35 inches and weighing 15 lbs.
The oversized cucumber was grown by Ambrosio Magnani, 85, known locally as Nono Bode, who said he had never seen a vegetable reach such proportions in his decades working the land in Rio do Sul, a town in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Images show the stunned farmer comparing the size of a regular cucumber next to the giant one he harvested on 12th January.
Ambrosio Magnani poses in undated photo. He was surprised by a giant cucumber in Rio do Sul, Brazil. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash)
Ambrosio said: "I bought the seedling at an agricultural supply store knowing it might be a little bigger than normal, but I was surprised by how much it grew."
His daughter, Alaide Martins, said the planting was done at the end of September and that the cucumber received the same treatment as the other vegetables in the garden, using the same fertiliser normally applied to corn.
Only one cucumber on the plant reached the extreme size, while another fruit on the same vine is not expected to grow as large because the plant has weakened.
Researcher Gerson Wamser, from the Experimental Station of the Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Company of Santa Catarina (Epagri), said the case is rare and is likely linked to a genetic mutation, as climate conditions and fertilisation were not different from other crops.
Ambrosio Magnani poses in undated photo. He was surprised by a giant cucumber in Rio do Sul, Brazil. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash)
He said cucumbers are typically harvested young and can continue growing if left on the vine, but stressed that this example developed far beyond what is normally expected.
Because the cucumber is very mature, it will not be consumed by the family, with its seeds being saved for future planting and the remainder used as feed for chickens.
Despite its extraordinary size, the cucumber falls short of the world record of 113 centimetres (44 inches), set in the United Kingdom in 2022, according to Guinness World Records.
(Aloysius Fernandes /Newsflash)