Keeping careful records and observations is what led two Arizona youths to be named grand winners of the National Junior Horticulture Association's competition.

University of Arizona biochemistry freshman John Talley's and Parker High School junior Daniel Fackel's projects won NJHA awards and became the first Arizonans to do so in 62 years. The two youths competed against about 275 people, said Mike Rethwisch, a UA cooperative extension agent.

The association held its national conference Oct. 25 to 28 in Dallas.

NJHA is a national horticulture association with a representative in every state, Rethwisch said. Norman Oebker, a UA plant sciences professor, represents Arizona, Rethwisch said.

"Each state can only enter a certain number of people," he said. "Oebker's role is to pick who gets to go to the competition."

Talley was picked to compete in NJHA's category of production horticulture. His project was entitled, "Spring Melon Production on the Colorado River Indian Tribes Reservation."

Talley said his project involved planting and growing a small field of melons on his father's alfalfa farm.

"He grew two types of melons on the land and kept track of all the details," Rethwisch said.

Fackel's award was for experimental horticulture. His project, entitled, "Investigations of Factors Effecting Germination of Liatris spicatae" attempted to determine why a certain flower, known as "blazing star" and "gay feather," would not grow in Parker.

"The UA had been trying to grow the flower for a while and had not been able to get it to grow or germinate. He (Fackel) took some seed and ran some experiments - he learned the seeds needed to be frozen and the flower is extremely susceptible to certain fungi which we have here in Parker," Rethwisch said.

Fackel said, "It (horticulture) is an interesting field and it is fun to do experimentation."

He said he got involved in the competition because other people persuaded him to do so.

Talley also got into the competition because other people prompted him.

"My dad wanted me to do a test of melons to test the soil," he said.

Talley said his work took him six months, but Fackel said his took only about three.

The awards were based not only on the projects, but also on a report and a half-hour interview, Talley said.

Rethwisch said the winners received "national recognition and a nice big plaque."

No monetary awards were given, he said.

As for future plans, Talley said he might go into the science behind agriculture.

"I enjoy doing it, but I don't think it (horticulture) is something I want to go into," he said. "I would do it (the competition) again if I had the chance, but it took a lot of time."

Fackel said his future plans involve attending Northern Arizona University.

"I'm going to go into forestry. NAU has a good forestry program," he said.

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