Onion World December 2019 by Columbia Media Group

ONION WORLD Voice of the Industry • OnionWorld.net • December 2019

Up to the Challenge at Flying F Inc.

PLUS: Trade Trends Adjuvants 101 Long-Day Varieties Buyers' Guide

For the Advertiser Index click here

Table of Contents Magazines For Maximum Yield

ONION WORLD Volume 35, Number 8

December 2019 4 6

PO Box 333 Roberts, Idaho 83444 Telephone: (208) 520-6461

www.O n i o n W o r l d .n e t Onion World Contacts

Adjuvants 101:

What Every Onion Grower Should Know About Adjuvants

Are Onion Thrips Developing Resistance to Radiant SC?

Up to the Challenge

Trade Trends

Long-Day Varieties Buyers' Guide

Flying F Inc.

Publisher / Advertising Manager Dave Alexander dave@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com Editor Denise Keller editor@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com Director of Operations Brian Feist brian@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com

EDITORIAL INFORMATION

China: Exports, Imports of Fresh Onions, Shallots

Onion World is interested in newsworthy material related to onion production and marketing. Contributions from all segments of the industry are welcome. Submit news releases, new product submissions, stories and photos via email to: editor@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com, or call (509) 697-9436.

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Understanding the types and nuances of adjuvants can help you maximize your onion yield. See the story on page 4.

On the Cover Crews harvest onions at Flying F Inc. near Caldwell, Idaho, where Russell Frisby grows more than 500 acres of onions. See the story on page 10.

Onion World â&#x20AC;˘ December 2019

Departments

14 26

Calendar From the NOA

Subscribe online at: www.OnionWorld.net or call (503) 724-3581. Email address changes/corrections to brian@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com or mail to: Onion World PO Box 333 Roberts, ID 83444 Onion World magazine (ISSN 1071-6653), is published eight times a year and mailed under a standard rate mailing permit at Idaho Falls, Idaho and at additional mailing offices. Produced by Columbia Media Group PO Box 333, Roberts, ID, 83444. Copyright 2019. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose without the express written permission of Columbia Media Group. For information on reprints call (208) 520-6461.

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Adjuvants 101:

What Every Onion Grower Should Know About Adjuvants By Daniel Bergman, Technical Representative, Nutrien Ag Solutions With contributions by Joe Vaillancourt, Adjuvants Product Manager, Nutrien Ag Solutions

Types of Adjuvants

Daniel Bergman

Joe Vaillancourt

f you want to maximize your onion yield every year, you need to understand adjuvants. Defined broadly, an adjuvant is a product that enhances the ability of another product to work more effectively. Adjuvants don’t contain pesticidal active ingredients; instead, they aid active ingredients in overcoming environmental and equipment-based fail factors to maximize application performance. In reality, adjuvants are much more complex than that. There are many different types, and it’s important to know which types to use in which situations. Using the wrong kind of adjuvant in certain conditions can actually cause more harm than good. That’s why the best advice on adjuvants that I can share with growers is this: read the label. If an adjuvant is recommended for use with a specific product, the label on that product will say so. It will also provide additional important information, such as adjustments to make if you’re applying on a very hot day, have the wrong spray-tank pH or are dealing with high winds. Unfortunately, reading the label can sometimes cause additional confusion, especially when you’re mixing multiple products into a single tank. That’s when a deeper understanding of adjuvants is extremely helpful. With that in mind, let’s talk about the types of adjuvants, how they work and what you need to know.

Onion World • December 2019

There are five main categories of adjuvants: •NIS (non-ionic surfactant): The most commonly used adjuvant, NISs are water-soluble and aid with coverage on the plant as well as with uptake. They’re considered the workhorse of the industry because of their leaf-wetting ability and common use recommendations by many pesticide labels. •COC (crop oil concentrate): Mostly used with herbicides, COCs drive active\ ingredients into plants by helping with uptake and penetration. •MSO (methylated seed oil): Like COCs, MSOs are oils, but they act more aggressively than COCs. In other words, they accelerate the plant’s uptake of active ingredients. They’re also usually used with herbicides. •Organosilicones: These are silicon based adjuvant systems that provide extreme wetting and aid in uptake and penetration. You have to be careful with 100 percent organosilicones products when applying to onions, because they can run the spray solution off the leaf of the plant and potentially down into the neck of the onion, causing an excessive accumulation of spray solution. It’s usually better to use silicon blends, which combine organosilicones with an oil or NIS. •Spreader-stickers: Most adjuvants in this category are more “stickers” than they are “spreaders,” so the term is a bit of a misnomer. These are non-ionic adjuvants that impart adhesiveness to the pesticide solution, helping pesticides or fungicides stay on leaves longer and resist being washed off by rain or irrigation.

How Adjuvants Work

Adjuvants work in a few different ways, all of which are designed to help other pesticidal products work more effectively. Adjuvants can: •Modify droplet size. Put simply, adjuvants can make the droplets coming out of your sprayer larger, mid-ranged in size or smaller. On a windy day, having larger droplets (500+ microns) means less drift, but larger droplets are more susceptible to bouncing or running \off the leaf surface. Smaller droplets (< 150 microns), on the other hand, are more susceptible to drift. Most of the time, it’s best to strive for a mid-range droplet (150-500 microns) for optimum drift management, leaf retention and coverage. •Increase droplet retention. Droplets that run off the surface of leaves aren’t very effective at delivering pesticidal active ingredients to the plant surface. Adjuvants that retain spray droplets on the leaf surface are best. •Improve leaf wetting. Because onion leaves are upright and have very waxy leaf surfaces, spray solution tends to poorly wet the leaf surface and do little good. Adjuvants help lower droplets’ surface tension so the pesticidal product covers the leaf more efficiently and gets through the waxy leaf cuticle and into the plant. •Promote better uptake. Adjuvants can increase the rate of pesticide penetration through the plant cuticle and into the leaf surface.

No surfactant added

Surfactant added

Having at least some level of knowledge of adjuvants helps you better understand what your product label is telling you. If you’re using a pesticide or plant protectant, it’ll tell you to use adjuvants to improve penetration and performance. If you have tough weed conditions, labels may suggest an oil-based adjuvant (a COC or MSO). If conditions exist that may cause a higher concern of phytotoxicity, an NIS recommendation may be the right answer.

says it requires an adjuvant that aids in uptake to achieve maximum performance. Which do you spray first? Apply Chateau as directed, wait three to five days, then come back with Movento combined with an adjuvant that improves penetration. It’s worth repeating that with any of the above suggestions, be sure to follow the label instructions.

Adjuvants and Tank Mixes

It’s entirely possible that a single tank mix will involve multiple pesticide products, each with their own adjuvant recommendation. While that isn’t necessarily an issue, it’s on you to determine whether your particular mix will result in adjuvant conflicts. The first place to start is to go through your full list of label adjuvant instructions and sort them from most to least restrictive. If you give first consideration to your most restrictive instructions and go step by step, you’ll be able to avoid most conflicts.

Which Comes First? Chateau or Movento?

Sometimes you have instructions on two products that are in direct conflict with each other. Here’s an example involving an herbicide, Chateau, and an insecticide, Movento, that you may want to use in very close proximity (we know that this combo should not be tank-mixed). Chateau’s label tells you not to use an adjuvant because that will result in the onion taking up too much of it too quickly, resulting in excessive phyto. Movento, however,

Check Conditions

You can have an encyclopedic knowledge of products and adjuvants and still run into issues. That’s because pesticide products and adjuvants aren’t always the only two variables at play. Heat, for example, is an important factor to consider. If you’re spraying on a hot day, you’ll want to avoid high rates of oil-based adjuvants. Oil-based products tend to have greater wax solubility at high temperature, which can too aggressively dissolve the waxy surface of the leaf. Instead, go with an NIS. It’s water-based and more forgiving on a hot day. This is one of the reasons NISs are considered an industry workhorse; they’re the best option in a wide variety of situations. Another factor that many onion growers may overlook is the quality of the water they use in their tank mix. Many municipalities have hard water, which means it has high levels of calcium, magnesium or iron dissolved in it. These hard water metals bind with pesticide actives and built-in emulsifiers, thus reducing application efficacy. Use hard water test strips to quickly determine if you need to use a water conditioning agent. Don’t underestimate the importance

of checking the hardness of your water. It’s an issue that can directly impact your pesticide use efficiency and yield if it isn’t addressed properly. While not as important or common as water hardness, the pH level of your water is also worth checking with readily available test strips. Ideally you want your spray-tank water to be neutral or slightly acidic. If anything, your water supply is likely to have a higher pH than is ideal, but an acidifier will easily help with that needed adjustment.

A Couple Cautions

It’s worth taking a moment to address a few situations that are common to onion growers. One involves EC (emulsifiable concentrate) pesticides, which are often applied to onions. These formulations have solvents in them that can be aggressive, so you want to think harder about your adjuvant choice to make sure you aren’t overdoing it. And remember, if you’re applying on a hot day, avoid using an oil-based adjuvant to reduce the risk of phytotoxicity. Another factor to watch is excessive acidification. If you’re using metal-based fungicides (such as those that include copper or tin), don’t use an adjuvant that reduces pH and thus increases the acidity of your mix. If you acidify your tank mix too much, you can end up with too much copper or tin available. This in turn can cause plant phyto. We conclude with one last reminder to read the label. The vast majority of the time, the labels on the products used in your tank mix will tell you everything you need to know about which adjuvants to use and when to use them.

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Are Onion Thrips Developing Resistance to Radiant SC? By Erica Moretti and Brian Nault, Cornell University

nion thrips migrating from onion fields that have recently matured or lodged into unmatured fields can cause their populations to skyrocket. This is especially problematic where onions of differing maturity are grown close together. Onion thrips feeding can cause excessive leaf dieback, result in transmission of diseases including Iris yellow spot virus, and ultimately reduce bulb size and yield (Fig. 1). This pest is principally controlled with insecticides. In New York, Radiant SC, a Syngenta product containing spinetoram, is the heaviest-hitting insecticide available to growers. It is capable of reducing thrips populations that exceed five thrips per leaf. For reference, the standard spray threshold is one thrips per leaf.

Lack of Control

At the end of the growing season, battling the last waves of onion thrips in remaining onion fields before harvest has become a challenge, especially in areas like the Elba Muck in Orleans County, New York, where onions of various maturity stages are grown together. Recently, there

have been cases where high rates (8-10 fl. oz.) of Radiant have not been effective at controlling large populations of onion thrips at the end of the growing season. One reason for this lack of control could be that the thrips populations are so high that no insecticide would be effective. Such a situation can exist when onion thrips migrate into an onion field from nearby onion fields that have matured or have been recently pulled. Another possibility for the apparent lack of control is that the thrips populations have developed resistance to Radiant. Onion thrips have a history of resistance to insecticides. Onion thrips typically reproduce asexually (i.e. do not need to mate with males), produce a lot of offspring, and have multiple short and overlapping generations every growing season. This combination of traits puts them at high risk for developing resistance to insecticides. Notably, overuse of the pyrethroid Warrior II (with the active ingredient lambda-cyhalothrin) resulted in the development of resistance in the early 2000s, less than 10 years after Warrior was

registered for use in New York. Globally, resistance of onion thrips populations has been documented to several classes of insecticides, including pyrethroids, organophosphates, carbamates, avermectins, spinosyns and neonicotinoids. Thripsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; biology and history of developing resistance to insecticides puts them at risk for losing their susceptibility to Radiant. However, determining if a population is, in fact, resistant requires sampling and testing populations in the laboratory and ideally comparing their susceptibility to known susceptible and resistant populations.

Insecticide Resistance Bioassay

In order to explain the lack of control using Radiant late in the season in some New York fields, we conducted a feeding bioassay in the laboratory to determine whether two seemingly uncontrollable thrips populations from New York were susceptible to Radiant. Results were compared to baseline data that we generated in 2017 and 2018 from populations collected across New York.

Figure 1. High numbers of thrips feeding all along onion leaves can quickly turn onion plants from green to white, as pictured on the left. This ultimately reduces bulb size, as shown on the right. Photos courtesy Christy Hoepting, Cornell University

In order to establish a sense of thrips susceptibility to Radiant in Upstate New York onion fields, we evaluated onion thrips populations from four counties in 2017 and 2018. We modified an existing thrips feeding bioassay in which onion thrips adults are placed in small vials that contain different concentrations of Radiant SC (Fig. 2). After 48 hours, the numbers of live and dead thrips were recorded, and the lethal concentration of insecticide needed

to kill 50 percent of a population (LC50) was determined for each population (Table 1). We estimated that a population resistant to Radiant would have an LC50 greater than 177-295 ppm (estimated for field rates of 6-10 fl. oz./acre). The thrips populations we sampled in 2017 and 2018 had LC50s that ranged from only 2.07 to 5.08 ppm, indicating that they were susceptible to Radiant.

Onion World Buyers Guide_Sept2018_Layout 1 9/25/2018 9:17 AM Page 1

Your Acres. Your Livelihood. Our Priority. Figure 2. Small 1.5 ml tubes contain thrips for feeding bioassay. A stretched pouch of parafilm containing a small amount of Radiant and sugar water serves as the food source for the thrips. Mortality was evaluated after 48 hours. Photo courtesy Erica Moretti, Cornell University

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Onion Thrips 2019 Thrips Populations

of cilities w in ce

In 2019, both seemingly uncontrollable thrips populations came from direct-seeded onion fields that were relatively centrally located within the Elba Muck, surrounded by both transplanted and direct-seeded onion fields. The first field, OR2, was positioned between earlier maturing transplanted onions located to the north, south and east, and direct-seeded onions to the west. This field received three applications of Radiant including a border spray at the south end to control an influx of thrips from lodging transplants at the beginning of August, followed by two applications of Radiant 10 days apart. The second field, OR1, was surrounded by other direct-seeded onions to the east and west and received a total of two applications of Radiant applied during late August and early September in consecutive weeks. Approximately 3.6 million pounds of onions were in this Champion Produce storage facility when the roof caved in. Photo courtesy Champion Produce

Bioassays of onion thrips populations from OR1 were also conducted in 2017 and 2018. Thrips from OR1 and OR2 were sampled for the bioassay in late August 2019. The results of the 2019 bioassays indicated that both onion thrips populations were susceptible to Radiant. With LC50s of only 2.8 ppm (OR2) and 3.4 ppm (OR1), these populations had similar levels of susceptibility to Radiant as those tested in 2017 and 2018 (Table 1). Based on these results, lack of thrips control was most likely caused by Radiant not being able to keep up with the continuous inundation of thrips coming out of neighboring matured onion fields rather than due to resistant thrips populations.

Table 1. Survey of susceptibility of onion thrips adults to Radiant SC (spinetoram) from populations collected in commercial onion fields in New York in 2017-2019. Note that a population resistant to Radiant would have an LC50 greater than 177-295 ppm (estimated for field rate 6-10 fl. oz./acre). Population

LC50 (ppm)

95% CLb

OR1

177

2.69

2.15-3.37

109

2.07

2.05-2.08

294

3.33

3.02-3.67

181

4.38

3.52-5.44

2017

2018 OR1 DA

228

2.89

2.31-3.62

304

4.46

4.28-4.65

255

5.08

4.41-5.85

OR1

556

3.42

3.22-3.63

OR2

386

2.80

2.70-2.90

2019

Total number of thrips evaluated in bioassay used to calculate LC50

Confidence limit of each LC50

Pictured is an onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) adult. Photo courtesy Isabella Yanuzzi, Cornell University

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Insecticide Resistance Management

Radiant remains an effective and powerful tool for thrips management. Radiant’s continued efficacy is no doubt due to careful and thoughtful use of this product along with other insecticides used in a manner to mitigate resistance. There are several steps that can be taken to continue this success using Insecticide Resistance Management (IRM): • Use an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach, and diversify management tactics. • Follow action thresholds, scout fields to assess pest levels and only spray when necessary. • Rotate modes of action (classes of insecticides) so that thrips are not exposed to the same chemistry repeatedly throughout the growing season. For spray sequence recommendations, see Christy Hoepting’s and Brian Nault’s 2019 Cornell Guidelines for Onion Thrips Management in Onion at https://cvp.cce.cornell.edu/submission. php?id=587. For more information about IRM, see the recommendations outlined by the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee at www.irac-online.org.

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UP TO THE CHALLENGE Story by Allen Thayer, Photos by Dave Alexander, Publisher

The onion harvest at Flying F Inc.,

near Caldwell, Idaho, drew to a close as Halloween beckoned. Grower Russell Frisby hoped to finish harvest about a week before trick-ortreaters went out for candy, but Mother Nature didn’t cooperate. “The weather was pretty decent, but cooler than normal this season,” Frisby says. “We’ve had to stop harvest for some frost.” A frosty fall pushed back the end of harvest from its usual end date of around the third week of October to near the end of the month. Frisby planted 500 acres of sweet yellow Spanish Vaquero onions, one of the more successful long-day onion varieties for the grower. The variety requires 14 or more hours of daylight to initiate bulb formation and can be grown in northernmost states including Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Spanish bulb onions grown in Idaho and Oregon make up one-third of the total U.S. crop. They’re typically stored and sold later in the marketing year. Frisby, who also grew 50 acres of red onions, is one of about 300 onion growers in the Treasure Valley of southwest Idaho and southeast Oregon. Together, they produce more than 1 billion pounds of onions, accounting for about 25 percent of the storage onions consumed in the U.S. Onion acres harvested in Idaho totaled 8,100 in 2018, 8,000 in 2017 and 9,200 in 2016, University of Idaho agricultural economist Ben Eborn reports, citing statistics from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Frisby transports his harvest to Golden West Produce in Parma, Idaho, and Dickinson Frozen Foods in Fruitland, Idaho, for processing. Frisby also grows Russet Burbank potatoes, corn and wheat on 3,900 acres. He employs eight people full time and

Onion World • December 2019

hires up to 25 workers for harvest. He’s also raising three children, Kensley, Bailey and Blake, on the farm. Before launching Flying F Inc., he worked at Frisby Farms for his parents, Rod and Maureen, in Sand Hollow, Idaho.

He went into agriculture after finishing high school in 2001. He briefly worked for Arctic Cat testing snowmobiles before going into farming full time. “I helped my dad manage his farm, and then in 2013, I went out on my own.”

Russell Frisby with Flying F Inc., near Caldwell, Idaho, grows 550 acres of onions a year.

Flying F Inc. normally harvests between 50 and 55 tons of onions per year.

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FLYING F INC. Challenging Crop

Frisby has grown to appreciate what it means to be an onion grower over the last seven years. “It’s both a challenging and rewarding crop,” he says. “You have to be ready for whatever elements Mother Nature throws.” Frisby only has to think back to April 2018 when two hailstorms hit his land. “We saved the onions, but the yields were decreased by 20 percent,” Frisby recalls, adding that he also learned a lesson. “I didn’t have any crop insurance last year,” he says. “I bought it this year, though.” Typically, Frisby plants onions at the end of March depending on whether canal water or well water is being used. “We have to wait to be closer to the irrigation circuit for fields under canal,” Frisby explains. A normal onion harvest is anywhere from 50 to 55 tons, he says. Frisby serves on the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee in Parma. The committee meets three times per year to discuss any arising issues. Even more challenging than the weather is the economics of growing onions. “It’s a really tight market,” Frisby adds, citing all the new food safety laws and rising equipment and labor expenses. “The cost of input is nearly double what it was seven years ago, and onion prices are less. It’s pretty tough right now.”

Spanish Vaquero onions grow well for Flying F Inc.

Onions and potatoes are typically harvested simultaneously at Flying F Inc. Russell Frisby drives a harvester during harvest.

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OnionWorld.net

Trade Trends China: Exports, Imports of Fresh Onions, Shallots

By Mark Wocial, Certified Global Business Professional, Wocial & Associates LLC

ccording to the U.N. international trade statistics, exports of fresh onions and shallots by China increased from less than 300,000 metric tons (MT) in 2001 to over 900,000 MT in 2018, valued at an estimated $510 million. In the last five years, China exported on average 830,000 MT annually. In contrast, China is not a large importer of onions. In 2018, Chinese imports amounted to just 6,000 MT, supplied almost entirely by India. Japan is the largest export market for onions from China. Exports to Japan increased from 181,000 MT in 2009 to a peak of 310,000 MT in 2014. In the past five years, China exported on average 282,000 MT annually to Japan, which

accounted for 34 percent of all Chinese onion exports. China is by far the largest supplier of onions to Japan, and in the last five years it accounted for a vast majority of the Japanese onion imports. Vietnam is the second largest export market for China, and China is the largest supplier of onions to Vietnam. Chinese exports to Vietnam increased from 125,000 MT in 2009 to 208,000 MT in 2018. In the past five years, exports to Vietnam represented 21 percent of the Chinese onion exports. Thus, Japan and Vietnam accounted for one half of the Chinese exports of fresh onions and shallots in recent years. Exports to Malaysia, South Korea, Russia, Thailand and the Philippines

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Idaho-Malheur County Onion Growers Association Annual Meeting Four Rivers Cultural Center Ontario, Ore. Cindy Pusey, (208) 888-0988 or cindy@amgidaho.com

Feb. 11

Utah Onion Association Winter Meeting Bridgerland Technical College Brigham City, Utah Dan Drost, (435) 770-4484, dan.drost@usu.edu

Onion World â&#x20AC;˘ December 2019

China - Exports of onions and shallots by country in 2018 (MT)

1,000,000

350,000

China - Exports onions and shallots (MT) China - Exports ofofonions and shallots (MT)

China - Exports of onions and shallots by country in 2018 (MT)

300,000

900,000 800,000

250,000

700,000

200,000

600,000 500,000

150,000

400,000 300,000

100,000

200,000

50,000

100,000 0

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

accounted for approximately one third of the Chinese onion exports in the last five years. However, there were significant annual fluctuations in the quantities exported to each country. In 2018, China exported 80,000 MT to Malaysia and was the second largest supplier after India. Chinese exports to South Korea amounted to 56,000 MT and accounted for a majority of the country’s onion imports. Exports to Russia reached a peak of 106,000 MT in 2011 and declined in the following years. In 2018, China exported 53,000 MT to Russia and was the largest supplier, accounting for one third of the Russian imports. China was also the largest supplier of onions to Thailand (52,000 MT) and the Philippines (48,000 MT). Last year, shipments to Mongolia (24,000 MT), Hong Kong (20,000 MT) and the Netherlands (11,000 MT) rounded out the top ten export markets. In the past five years, China exported on average 3,300 MT of onions annually to the U.S., while U.S. exports to China were minimal and inconsistent. Author’s note: This information is based on the author’s analysis of the international trade data collected by the United Nations International Trade Statistics Database and the U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Division.

Japan

Vietnam

Malaysia

S. Korea

Russia

Thailand

Philippines

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RIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESVARIETIESL VARIETIESVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESL Long-Day Varieties Guide -DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARI DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAY Buyersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; VARIETIESVARIETIESLONG VARIETIESVARIETIESL 301 Natividad Rd. Salinas, CA 93906 Phone: (831) 443-4901 www.takii.com info@takii.com

Trailblazer (T-808)

This early Northeastern type has early- to midseason maturity, being slightly earlier than Mountaineer. Bulbs are tight and firm with a globe shape and good size with thin necks. Trailblazer has strong resistance to Botrytis, is slow to bolt and is excellent for storage.

Highlander

This Northeastern type has high pack-outs, and its extra-early maturity makes it ideal for many northern long-day areas. The variety is good for transplant as well as direct seeding. Highlander has resistance to Botrytis and downy mildew and is well suited for fresh market and short-term storage. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best if grown under irrigation.

Trailblazer (T-808)

Highlander

Traverse

Traverse produces bulbs that are uniform in size and shape. Firm with attractive skin, it has the potential to produce jumbo-sized bulbs. It is widely adaptable and suitable for fresh and long-term storage markets. The variety has high pink root and Fusarium resistance. Direct seeding is recommended.

Outlander

This yellow, long-day onion matures in approximately 85 days. It performs best in the northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada. Outlander has excellent uniformity and has strong tops and roots, as well as intermediate resistance to Fusarium. It is best for fresh market and short storage.

Milestone (T-441)

This hard globe, yellow Spanish-type onion has globe-shaped bulbs with a high percentage of single centers and excellent skin quality and retention. Milestone features include earliness, storability and skin color. With thinner necks, this onion cures down quickly compared to other varieties in this class. Milestone is well suited for both domestic and export markets.

Ridgeline

This mid-season onion is a yellow Spanish type with hard bulbs that are slightly elongated-globe in shape with excellent skin quality. Medium maturity, Ridgeline has good roots with the potential to produce jumbosized bulbs.

Traverse

Milestone

Outlander

Ridgeline

LONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETI IETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVA Hamilton

Bridewhite

Powell Red Carpet

Red Mountain

Cartier Bridewhite

Bridewhite offers full-season maturity with a very uniform round shape. Bulbs are bright white and suited for long-term storage. This is a productive variety with upright, dark green foliage adapted to overhead sprinklers.

Cartier

Cartier offers early maturity with very long storage for eastern growers. Bulbs are very uniform with fine necks and are very productive. Cartier makes nice medium bulbs for pre-packs. It hs low grade-out and high quality.

Powell

This main-season maturity onion for eastern growers offers nicely erect tops that are resistant to downy mildew. Nice round bulbs have strong skin, long storage and good size potential.

Red Carpet

This variety is a long-day, long storage, high quality, large, dark red onion with excellent skin retention. This very firm onion with an attractive internal color is highly single centered. Red Carpet is a great addition to join Red Bull and Red Wing programs.

Hamilton

Hamilton is a classy, exceptionally hard, full-season blocky globe with deep-copper skins. It performs nicely on gravity, drip and overhead irrigation systems. This onionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extremely long-term storage ability positions it as a leader to satisfy late-market needs, providing high quality.

Red Mountain

This variety produces nice round bulbs with good red color and high yield potential. It has an early maturity and is well adapted to Northeast growing conditions.

1972 Silver Spur Place Oceano, CA 93445 Phone: (805) 473-2199 www.bejoseeds.com info@bejoseeds.com

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RIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESVARIETIESL VARIETIESVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESL Long-Day Varieties Guide -DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARI DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAY Buyers’ VARIETIESVARIETIESLONG VARIETIESVARIETIESL P.O. Box 520 301 Warehouse Caldwell, ID 83606-0520 Phone: (208) 459-7451 www.crookham.com ccoinfo@crookham.com

Caliber

Caliber (11-162) is a new late-season variety known for its strong and vigorous tops. These erect tops are part of the Celebrate family and assist in providing thrips tolerance. Caliber’s Fusarium and pink root tolerance is just as strong. It shows a consistent rich bronze color in super colossal bulbs with single centers. Caliber’s bulbs do very well with mechanical harvest. Caliber is consistent, and it stores very well long term.

Caldwell

Oracle

Trident (11-189) is an early main-season variety with wide adaptability. It has proven itself in extensive trials in the Northeast, Midwest and western United States. Trident’s consistent colored bulbs are deep bronze in color, have a small neck and show good tolerance to both pink root and Fusarium. Trident’s scale has a nice sheen and is heavy, making it a great variety for mechanical harvest.

Oracle is a high-yielding Spanish hybrid with a high level of consistency. Oracle is a Celebrate onion with strong, upright tops that are glossy and vigorous. These traits, combined with a robust disease package, make this hybrid grower friendly. Oracle is also an excellent choice for mechanical harvesting and long-term storage. It has high tolerance to pink root, Fusarium and bolting.

Caliber

Oracle

Caldwell (08-105) is a new main-season onion in the market. It is one of the most rigorously trialed hybrids in the last decade. It has a consistent copper-toned scale that shows high pink root tolerance and Fusarium tolerance. It boasts high yields with single centers and colossal bulbs. Caldwell also has good scale retention with mechanical harvest.

Trident

Caldwell

Trident

Scout

Scout is a great transition variety as you go from intermediate to long days. It has a nice copper-brown scale and holds up well to mechanical harvest. It is also consistent and a good yielder, making it a grower favorite. It shows good tolerance to pink root and Fusarium.

Purple Haze

Purple Haze is a dark, rich red color on the outside, and inside it has distinct ring development. Purple Haze has a good combination of maturity and bulb size. A good disease package complements this vibrant and vigorous hybrid. The variety has high tolerance to pink root and bolting and good tolerance to Fusarium.

Scout

Purple Haze

LONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETI IETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVA 8269 E. US Hwy. 95 Yuma, AZ 85365 Phone: (928) 341-8494 www.dpseeds.com info@dpseeds.com

Cherry Mountain F1 Hybrid

Cherry Mountain F1 is a large, brilliant colored, dark-red Grano onion with excellent storage capabilities. This variety produces round bulbs that are uniform in shape with a refined neck. The variety is highly single centered and ideal for the fresh market. Plant in early spring

Saffron F1 Hybrid Diamond Swan F1 is an early, intermediate/ long-day variety with excellent storage capabilities. This variety features a round, very white bulb with a refined neck and is highly single centered.

Saffron F1 is a large, yellow intermediate/ long-day Grano onion with excellent storage capabilities. This is an early variety with a refined neck and beautiful dark yellow-bronze skin. This highly single centered variety will do well in North Carolina and in the northern U.S.

Diamond Swan F1 Hybrid

Saffron F1 Hybrid

Diamond Swan F1 Hybrid

Cherry Mountain F1 Hybrid

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Cruiser

This 115-day Spanish storage hybrid has good tolerance to pink root, allowing it to yield very well in adverse conditions. Cruiser will produce firm, globe-shaped, jumbo-sized bulbs with a trim neck, resulting in a high packout after storage. This hybrid has proven to perform very well under overhead irrigation and has shown a strong bolting tolerance.

Hades

6601 Lyons Road Suite H-10 Coconut Creek, FL 33073 Phone: (954) 429- 9445 www.hazera.com info@hazera.us.com

Hades is a long-day northern-type hybrid with a vigorous top. This top, in combination with a strong root system, enables the variety to give good production in adverse circumstances. Hades has a main-season maturity and produces firm, blocky-shaped bulbs.

Cruiser

Hades

Rhino

Rhino is a very attractive new hybrid with a high level of single centers and bright white flesh. Rhino is a main-season Spanish storage hybrid with excellent skin quality. This variety has been performing well in drip and furrow irrigated fields in many long-day areas. A 120-day maturity and strong storage qualities make Rhino a flexible variety. Rhino has a good level of resistance to both pink root and Fusarium. A glossy, green, vigorous top and strong root system will contribute to excellent production.

Haeckero

Haeckero is a new early-maturing, hard globe variety with conventionally bred resistance to downy mildew (Peronospora destructor). This very nice globe-shaped, firm hybrid has been confirming its good results in the northeast states and in the Canadian market for several years. On top of that, Haeckero holds up very well in long-term storage.

Rhino

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Haeckero

LONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETI IETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVA

1200 Anderson Corner Rd. Parma, ID 83660 Phone: (800) 733-9505 www.nunhems.com

Airoso Airoso

As a new introduction in 2017, Airoso received outstanding reviews and is gaining popularity quickly. Airoso has a highly versatile plant date. With high bolting tolerance, it can be sown extremely early and harvested following many intermediates. At normal plant dates, it produces extremely firm bulbs with great storage potential. Airoso’s early 112-day maturity; sowing versatility; vigorous, upright, sprinkler-tolerant foliage; and long-term storage potential make this yellow long-day onion one to try.

Oloroso

Oloroso is a main-season, 116-day long-day yellow onion with excellent firmness and storage potential. It’s consistently the highest single-centered and most uniform variety in onions. Even though it has many of the characteristics of long-term storage varieties, high productivity – specifically yields – are often a surprise. It is primarily used in the Northwest, however can easily be grown under both sprinkler and drip irrigation.

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Oloroso

Joaquin

Its robust roots and vigorous foliage make Joaquin one of the most highly productive long-day onion varieties. These attributes give Joaquin the ability to withstand some of the harshest conditions from pink root and Fusarium to Iris yellow spot virus. It’s a full season variety of 130-day maturity. Joaquin is highly consistent in producing jumbo size and larger bulbs with excellent uniformity and medium- to long-term storage potential.

Rhea

Rhea shares many similarities to the widely used and popular Cometa. One of its differences is a slightly early maturity of 122 days. Its brilliant white color and high productivity have set the standard for longday white onions in U.S. markets. In addition to being highly resistant to pink root and Fusarium, Rhea also has shown improved tolerance to Iris yellow spot virus, higher bolting tolerance and improved quality through storage.

Joaquin Rhea

Anillo

Anillo is a very attractive yellow long-day onion with beautiful shiny, copper-brown skin and amazing white interior flesh. Its attractive skin, bulb firmness, extremely high uniformity, single centeredness and longterm storage make it an ideal fresh market variety. The 120-day variety is suitable for the Northwest under either sprinkler or drip irrigation.

Anillo

RIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESVARIETIESL VARIETIESVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESL Long-Day Varieties Guide -DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARI DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAY Buyers’ VARIETIESVARIETIESLONG VARIETIESVARIETIESL 18095 Serene Drive Morgan Hill, CA 95037 Phone: (408) 778-7758 www.sakatavegetables.com vegetables@sakata.com

Aruba

Lasso

Lasso is a mid-season yellow long-day Spanish onion. It has good adaptability with consistency and has tested well coming out of storage. This variety cuts a high percentage of single centers. Lasso has strong plant growth and is adaptable to all growing regions where long-day and Spanish onions are grown. Its sizes range from colossal to jumbo.

Aruba is a long-day Spanish onion suited to many growing areas of the U.S. It is midearly to mid-maturity. This variety’s sizes range from colossal to jumbo with consistent yields. Aruba stores well with minimum culling. Aruba is grower friendly and adaptable, globe-shaped and cuts nearly 100 percent single centers in all locations, but can vary by area conditions.

Dulce Reina

Lasso

Yukon

Dulce Reina is a mid- to late-season yellow long-day Spanish onion. This onion has consistency and sweetness. It has been used as a sweet onion in this class. This variety has good skin retention with a copper skin color and strong plant growth. The sizes range from colossal to jumbo.

Yukon is one of Sakata’s newest introductions and promises great storage potential. It offers excellent firmness, single centers and sizes from colossal to jumbo. Maturity will range later in California to midlate in the Pacific Northwest.

Dulce Reina

TUCANNON

Aruba

Tucannon is a Spanish onion from Seminis that features dark scale color, deep globe shape and long term storage potential.

• Low incidence of internal dry leaf and bacterial issues • Long storability and high percentage of single centers • 114 to 116 day maturity • Trialed as SV2011 Contact Your Local Representative Steve Graton

Casey Crookham

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435-230-4667 Utah 701-710-0099 North Dakota

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Yukon

LONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETI IETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVA Saddleback

Saddleback is a 100-day storage onion that offers growers high yield potential due to its strong root system and dependable performance, even on marginal muck soils. This onion produces large, uniform, round bulbs with small necks, providing a mediumcolored skin. Its strong root system allows growers to have the option of lifting it early for early harvest or allowing it to continue to size. This variety grows best in an open field environment in the Northeast. In addition, it is suitable for medium-term storage up to five months.

Sweet Magnolia

Growers will appreciate Sweet Magnolia for its adaptability across multiple soil types and consistent performance and yield potential. It has a vigorous plant type and produces large onions for the Vidalia market. This variety grows best in the open fields of the Southeast. The fresh market onionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vigorous plant type helps performance in multiple growing conditions, while providing high yield potential and large onions. In addition, this variety just earned second place for flavor in the recent University of Georgia Variety Trial Report 2018-2019 Crop Season.

800 N. Lindbergh Blvd. Saint Louis, MO 63167 Phone: (314) 694-7375 www.seminis-us.com emily.standley@bayer.com

Sweet Azalea

Sweet Azalea produces highly uniform, large onion bulbs at a low pungency that meets University of Georgia requirements for the Vidalia market. It features a large, strong and vigorous plant that produces a quality onion in challenging growing conditions. It holds up well to disease with high resistance to pink root and intermediate resistance to basal rot. Its bulb is light brown in color and is slightly deeper for increased yield potential.

Minister

With a good shape, size and firmness, Minister is ideal for both the fresh market and processing. This variety has a desired firmness that allows for mechanical harvest, and the combination of its disease resistance and dark green tops offer protection from heat. In addition, this variety provides high resistance to pink root rot. This western variety has shown a high percentage of single-centered bulbs in many trials over three years.

Jawbridge Crusher

Jawbridge (previously trialed under designation SVNW1026) and Crusher (previously trialed under designation SVNW1032) are the newest additions to the Seminis long-day onion portfolio. These varieties provide growers in the Treasure Valley and Columbia Basin areas of the Pacific Northwest with a 112-114 day and 116-118-day maturity Spanish onion. With desirable single centers, a deep globe shape and attractive bronze color, these varieties offer high yield potential and processing recovery. Jawbridge and Crusher both demonstrate good scale quality that retains well and are amenable to processing and skin removal.

Saddleback

Sweet Magnolia

Sweet Azalea

Jawbridge

Minister

Crusher

RIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESVARIETIESL VARIETIESVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIES Long-Day Varieties Buyersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Guide -DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIE AYVARIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESVARIETIESLONG VARIETIESVARIETIESL P.O. Box 548 Buffalo, NY 14240 Phone: (800) 263-7233 www.stokeseeds.com sales@stokeseeds.com

Catskill

With a maturity of 105 days, Catskill produces large globe-shaped, medium-dark brown-skinned storage onions with good skin retention and neck size. It offers high yield potential, and its adaptability provides flexibility to plant on all soil types. The variety has high resistance to pink root and intermediate resistance to basal rot.

Pocono

Pocono has a matuirty of 110 days. The vareity produces extra-large, uniform, round bulbs with dark skin color and very small necks that have long-term storage potential of seven to eight months. Pocono has proven to be widely adapted to areas that use Prince or Fortress and has shown excellent quality out of storage.

Catskill

Montclair

Montclair has a maturity of 112 days. Large globe-shaped bulbs with heavy, dark bronze skin mature as excellent high quality medium jumbos after six to seven months of long-term storage. The variety yields upright vigorous plants, nice small necks, and excellent post-harvest skin retention and pack-out possibilities. The variety is resistant to Fusarium and pink root.

Pocono

SV4643NT

SV4643NT has a maturity of 110 days. Large, round bulbs have medium to dark red exteriors with good internal color. The variety is suitable for transplants or direct seeding in all onion areas of the Northeast. It has medium storage potential.

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From the NOA

How Will You Serve Your Industry?

By René Hardwick, National Onion Association Director of Public and Industry Relations

s an industry, it’s

time. It’s time to stand up. It’s time to be vocal. It’s time for action. Today’s volatile political times demand our attention more than ever as an industry that is under attack – even after decades of safety and responsible stewardship of the land. There is much to concern ourselves with politically, and the National Onion Association (NOA) is taking a more proactive stance now and in the future. But as a collective group, we have to be more vocal to be heard in Washington D.C., especially in a climate where policymakers are more disconnected from America’s farmland than ever.

NOA’s incoming 2020 president Doug Bulgrin says, “No one is going to look out for you or your best interests as well as you will yourself.” Now, especially, when ag and pesticide advisory groups are padded under the veil of diversity, pushing out the expertise America’s ag sector can bring. When our elected representatives have fewer and fewer ag connections. When uninformed people make policy. We need to stay vigilant. The NOA’s marching orders since its inception in 1913 have been to become a powerful lobbying voice for the industry, and we take that role seriously. That’s why our Executive Vice President, Greg Yielding, and our board of trustees now make regular trips to Washington. Yielding visits often to be the voice of the onion industry to lawmakers, policymakers and advisory panels.

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But you – mighty onion grower, equipment, packaging or seed dealer or transportation broker – need to be a part of the discussion and the decision making. “All politics are local,” Yielding said. “Our members need to be talking with their elected representatives, so they can take a unified message back to Washington. If we don’t represent our own interests, some other organization may claim they are when they’re really only concerned about their larger agendas.” We’d love to pack the houses we visit in Washington with one large, collective voice. The more members we can get involved, the better. In years past, we’ve managed to get an NOA member on the IR-4 Review Panel, and Yielding is working on getting onto the Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee. NOA members Jody Easterday, Reagan Grabner and Dante Galeazzi were named to the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables this past spring. “We need to do more of getting our members and our trustees and committee people more involved to where we’re packing as may people on these advisory panels and steering panels in different committees that convene in Washington to make sure our voice is heard,” said sitting NOA president Doug Stanley. “A lot of these panels are made up of non-industry people for the sake of having a quorum.” Now, we know that travel expense and time can both be obstacles. That is one reason why we created a legislative section in the National Onion Association membership directory. The section comes complete with a listing of congressmen and senators for every state and region housed by our members, as well as a template letter to help you write about your concerns on specific policies, regulations or bills being contemplated in Washington. “If people don’t know it’s broke, they’re not going to fix it,” Bulgrin said. “If your legislator comes up on a vote on something and no one speaks up, he or she is just going to vote on what they think is right. Even though you may think you’re just one person, it makes a difference.”

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