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Table of Contents Magazines For Maximum Yield
ONION WORLD Volume 36, Number 8
December 2020 6 Battling Onion Bacterial Diseases with Bactericides
12 Tearless Onions: A Golden Opportunity? 17 Long-Day Varieties Buyers' Guide
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Bacterial pathogens of onion can cause a wide range in symptoms, including water-soaked lesions on leaves, as seen in this picture. To learn more, see the story on page 6.
On the Cover Andy Jensen, Derek Ennis and Chris White are key players in bringing Goldies, a new variety of tearless onions, to market. Jensen has grown a test plot of the onions in Warden, Wash. the last two years. This year’s crop is in stores now. See the story on page 12.
4
Onion World • December 2020
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 2020. 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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Bactericide Trial
Battling Onion Bacterial Diseases with Bactericides By Lindsey du Toit, Tim Waters, Michael Derie and Jennifer Darner, Washington State University
O
nions are a hardy species. However, like most living things, onions can become infected by a diversity of pathogens, including fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, phytoplasmas, parasitic plants and others. About 20 species of bacteria alone can cause diseases of onion plants and bulbs. Some of these bacteria cause distinct lesions on onion leaves that reduce photosynthesis. Others cause the foliage to die back into the necks, leading to soft rot of bulbs in the field. (Fig. 1) Some bacteria infect onion plants and bulbs in the field without causing visible symptoms. These latent infections can, insidiously, start to rot the bulbs after harvest, in storage or when the bulbs are shipped to markets, after all production and packing costs have been incurred. These bacterial diseases have been estimated to cause $60 million in losses annually in the United States alone. Losses can vary widely among regions, seasons and fields, depending on environmental conditions and production practices.
Favorable Conditions for Bacterial Diseases
Bacterial diseases of onion are favored by moisture, whether from irrigation, rain or dew. The bacteria are spread by splashing water. Storms are particularly conducive to bacterial diseases because of the combination of moisture and physical damage to the crop from wind, hail and even sandblasting. Frost, feeding injury from pests such as thrips and mechanical practices that cause wounding when the plants are still green can all predispose onion plants to infection by bacteria. Overhead irrigation, rains, irrigating excessively late in the season when bulbs should be field curing, excessive nitrogen fertility (particularly after bulb initiation) and dense plant stands that increase relative humidity in the canopy by limiting air movement all create favorable conditions for bacterial diseases of onion. Many of these bacteria are common in soil and surface water, a few can be seedborne, some colonize certain weed species that act as reservoirs of inoculum, and some can be carried by pests such as thrips.
Figure 2. Michael Derie applied inoculum of two bacterial pathogens of onion, Burkholderia gladioli pv. allicola and Pantoea agglomerans, to relevant plots after sunset on the evenings of Aug. 1 (~5 percent tops down) and Aug. 15, using a CO2-pressurized backpack sprayer.
Management Tools
Managing bacterial diseases of onion effectively requires a comprehensive box of management tools, even in semi-arid regions of production where the amount of water used to grow an onion crop typically can be managed more readily than in regions with high rainfall and humidity. Management tools include purchasing high quality seed or transplants, using good sanitation practices such as removing culled onions and onion volunteers that can harbor inoculum, taking precautions to minimize wounding of plants and bulbs, avoiding excessive irrigation and fertility (particularly in the latter part of the season), applying pesticides that have efficacy against bacteria, using cultural practices that speed up field curing (e.g. undercutting and timely tapering of irrigation) and careful postharvest curing to speed up drying of the necks for storage of bulbs.
Pesticide Limitations
Numerous pesticides are registered for use in onion crops for control of bacterial diseases. However, there is very little independent information available to growers on the relative efficacy of these products for control of onion bacterial diseases. Furthermore, these bactericides largely function as protectants; in other words, they cannot cure existing infections. This means pesticides need to be applied preventatively. Also, almost none of these bactericides are systemic, meaning they are not absorbed and moved internally within the plant. Therefore, it is extremely important to get good coverage of the crop canopy with any applications, particularly to get the products on the necks of plants late in the season during the period of greatest risk of bulb infections.
A
B
C
Figure 1. Bacterial pathogens of onion can cause a wide range in symptoms, including leaf yellowing or chlorosis (A), water-soaked lesions on leaves (B), severe leaf dieback (C) and soft rot in the field (D), and bulb rot at harvest or in storage (E).
Further complicating the choices growers face in selecting relevant pesticides are the numerous formulations of the same or similar active ingredients, such as the many copper products available to growers.
Onion Bactericide Trial
In 2019, the Interregional 4 (IR-4) Minor Crops Pest Program provided funding for Lindsey du Toit, professor and vegetable seed pathologist at Washington State University (WSU), and Beth Gugino, professor and extension plant pathologist at Pennsylvania State University, to evaluate a diversity of pesticides for control of bacterial diseases of onion. This report summarizes results of the IR-4 field trial completed in the semi-arid Columbia Basin of central Washington in 2019-20. For details of the Pennsylvania trial, email Gugino at bmk120@psu.edu. Seed of the onion cultivar Calibra was planted on April 1, 2019, at a
D
population of 164,000 seeds per acre at the WSU Pasco Extension Farm in Pasco, Washington. Fifteen bactericide treatments were evaluated (Table 1) using a split-plot, randomized complete block design with four replicate plots of each treatment combination. The bactericide products were each applied to four main plots, with each main plot consisting of two beds of onions that functioned as split-plots. One bed (split-plot) was inoculated with bacterial pathogens of onion, and one was not inoculated. Plots were each 15 feet long, with a 5-foot alley between the ends of adjacent plots. The trial included a total of 120 splitplots (15 bactericides x 2 inoculations x 4 replications). Each product was applied three to five times at a five- to sevenday interval (Table 1), based on label instructions, with the first applications made on July 24. Inoculum consisting of a mixture of two bacterial pathogens of onion, Burkholderia gladioli pv. allicola and OnionWorld.net
E
7
Bactericide Trial
60 50
* = significantly different than the control treatment
70
* * *
Bulb rot at harvest (%)
Marketable bulb yield (tons/acre)
Bactericide treatment
40 30 20 10
60
Incidence (%) of bacterial bulb rot at harvest (16 Oct. 2019) Mean severity (%) of bulb rot at harvest (16 Oct. 2019)
40 20 10 0
0
Bactericide treatment
Figure 3. figure) Effects ofand various bactericide bulb yield (top figure) andatincidence Figure 3. Effects of various bactericide treatments on marketable bulb yield (left incidence andtreatments severity on of marketable bacterial bulb rot (right figure) and severity of bacterial bulb rot (lower figure) at harvest in an onion trial in the Columbia Basin of 70 harvest in an onion trial in the Columbia Basin of Washington state in 2019-20 Incidence (%) of bacterial bulb rot at harvest (16 Oct. 2019)
60
Mean severity (%) of bulb rot at harvest (16 Oct. 2019)
50 Pantoea agglomerans, was applied to the 40 relevant split-plots during the evenings 30 Aug. 1 (at approximately 5 percent of tops 20 down) and Aug. 15, using a CO2pressurized backpack sprayer. Inoculum 10 was applied at 108 CFU/ml inoculum at 0 20 psi in 44.5 gpa (Fig. 2). The trial was drip-irrigated but, to create conducive
Washington state in 2019-20
* bacterial infection, conditions for * were turned on for 15 overhead sprinklers minutes in the late afternoon every other day in July and August. Each plot was rated six times on a weekly basis for the percentage of plants with symptoms of bacterial leaf blight (incidence of disease) and severity of
bacterial1leaf blight on a 0 to 7 scale, from July 23 to Aug. 27. The plots also were rated on Aug. 6 and Aug. 27 for phytotoxicity from the products applied. Bulbs were harvested from a 5-foot section of each split-plot on Oct. 7, sized and weighed to calculate marketable yield. Fifty bulbs were cut lengthwise
Bactericide treatment Figure 3. Effects of various bactericide treatments on marketable bulb yield (top figure) and incidence and severity of bacterial bulb rot (lower figure) at harvest in an onion trial in the Columbia Basin of Washington state in 2019-20 1
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Bactericide treatment
Bulb rot at harvest (%)
*
50
Onion World • December 2020
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and rated for the presence and severity of bacterial rot to determine the incidence (percentage) of bulbs with bacterial rot and the mean severity of bacterial rot per plot. An additional 50 bulbs from each plot were placed in a commercial storage facility and rated on Feb. 11, 2020, for the incidence and severity of bacterial rot. The data were subjected to analyses of variance and means comparisons.
Results
The inoculation protocol used in the Washington trial was highly successful at causing bacterial leaf blight and bulb rot (Table 2). Symptoms of bacterial leaf blight were first observed 19 days after inoculation. On average, 38 percent of the plants in inoculated plots had symptoms of bacterial leaf blight by Aug. 20, with a mean severity of 4.3 (on a 0 to 7 scale), compared to 8 percent of plants in the non-inoculated plots with a mean severity of 1.7. A week later, on Aug. 27, 63 percent of plants in inoculated plots had symptoms vs. 23 percent of plants in non-inoculated plots, and the severity of symptoms had increased to 5.7 vs. 4.3,
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respectively. Inoculum spread between adjacent inoculated and non-inoculated split-plots because of the proximity of split-plots and dispersal of the bacteria by overhead sprinklers. Inoculating the plots with B. gladioli and P. agglomerans significantly affected all the variables measured (Table 2). The tops fell over more quickly in inoculated plots (55 vs. 48 percent tops down by Aug. 6). Marketable bulb yield was 15 percent less in inoculated plots (39 tons/ acre) compared to non-inoculated plots (46 tons/acre). In addition, 51 percent of the bulbs in inoculated plots had bacterial rot symptoms at harvest vs. 35 percent in non-inoculated plots. The severity of bulb rot in inoculated plots was 17 percent compared to 9 percent in non-inoculated plots. After four months in storage, 55 percent of the bulbs from inoculated plots had bacterial rot (mean severity of 27 percent) compared to 40 percent of bulbs from non-inoculated plots (mean severity of 17 percent). Disappointingly, most of the bactericide treatments provided no significant control of bacterial leaf blight or bulb rot.
There also was no significant interaction between bactericide treatments and inoculation treatments for any of the variables measured. Kocide 3000-O and Lifegard WG were the only treatments that caused a significant increase in marketable bulb yield compared to the control plots (Fig. 3). Marketable bulb yield averaged 49 and 48 tons/acre for plots treated with Kocide 3000-O and Lifegard WG, respectively, compared to 37 tons/acre for control plots. Similarly, Kocide 3000-O and Lifegard WG were the only two products that reduced the percentage of bulbs with bacterial rot at harvest (38 and 40 percent bulb rot, respectively, vs. 57 percent for control plots) (Fig. 3) and reduced severity of bulb rot after four months in storage (28 percent rot for bulbs from plots with these two treatments vs. 55 percent from control plots). Adding SP8010 to Kocide 3000-O did not add a benefit compared to Kocide 3000-O alone. None of the bactericide treatments caused symptoms of phytotoxicity.
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9
Bactericide Trial Next Steps
The very high bacterial disease pressure in this field trial illustrated the extent to which frequent wetting of the canopy from overhead sprinkler irrigation was so conducive to bacterial infection. The bactericide treatments evaluated were largely ineffective, except for Kocide 3000-O and Lifegard WG, despite all the plots having been treated at least twice with the products before the plots were first inoculated. This highlights the limited capacity for growers to manage bacterial diseases in onion crops using pesticides alone. Effective management of these pathogens should be based primarily on the use of pre-harvest cultural practices, particularly judicious irrigation and fertility practices, rather than a focus on pesticide applications. In fall 2019, the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded grant number 2019-51181-30013 for four years of funding to 24 onion researchers and extension specialists from 12 states as well as South Africa to help producers manage bacterial diseases more effectively in onion production. The project, titled “Stop the Rot - Combating onion bacterial diseases with pathogenomic tools and enhanced management strategies,” focuses on onion bacterial disease characterization and development of effective management recommendations. A team of 12 onion stakeholders from across the U.S. serves on the Stakeholder Advisory Panel to provide guidance over the duration of the project. Surveys and numerous field trials focused on practical aspects of managing bacterial diseases of onion are being carried out across seven regions of production in the U.S. over three
Table 1. Products evaluated for control of bacterial leaf blight and bulb rot in an onion trial in the Columbia Basin of Washington state in 2019-20
No.
Product
Active ingredient
Rate of application
No. of applications
Application interval
1
Control
-
-
-
-
2
ManKocide
Mancozeb + copper hydroxide
2.25 lb/A
5
7 days
3
Kocide 3000-O
Copper hydroxide
1.5 lb/A
5
7 days
4
Champ WG
Copper hydroxide
1.5 lb/A
5
7 days
5
Oxidate 2.0
Hydrogen peroxide + peroxyacetic acid
1.25 fl oz/2 gal
7
5 days
6
Kasumin 2L
Kasugamycin
32 fl oz/A
4
7 days
7
Kasumin 2L
Kasugamycin
64 fl oz/A
4
7 days
8
Nano-MgO
Nano-magnesium oxide
200 ug/ml
5
7 days
9
Nano-MgO
Nano-magnesium oxide
1,000 ug/ml
5
7 days
10
GWN 10120
Ammonia copper hydroxide
2.0 pt/A
5
7 days
11
SP8010
Unknown
19 fl oz/A
5
7 days
12
SP8010 + Kocide 3000-O
Unknown + copper hydroxide
19 fl oz + 1.5 lb/A
5
7 days
13
SP8010 + SP2700 2% SP
Unknown
19 fl oz + 4.2 oz/A
5
7 days
14
Lifegard WG
Bacillus mycoides J
4.5 oz/100 gal
5
7 days
15
Instill
Copper sulfate + metallic copper
0.86 lb active ingredient/100 gal
3
7 days
field seasons. This includes additional bactericide trials to build on results of this IR-4 project. For updates on this project, visit www.alliumnet.com/projects/stopthe-rot or contact du Toit, Stop the Rot project director at dutoit@wsu.edu; or Heather MacKay, project manager, at heather.mackaybrown@wsu.edu. We welcome your input.
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Application of a pesticide to a crop or site that is not on the label is a violation of pesticide law and may subject the applicator to civil penalties. In addition, such an application may also result in illegal residues that could subject the crop to seizure or embargo action. It is the user’s responsibility to check the label before using any product to ensure lawful use and obtain all necessary permits in advance.
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Table 2. Effects of inoculating onion plants with Burkholderia gladioli pv. alliicola and Pantoea agglomerans at the start of the tops falling and again two weeks later in an onion trial in the Columbia Basin of central Washington
Variable
Inoculated
Non-inoculated
ANOVA P value*
Percentage of plants with bacterial leaf blight on Aug. 20
37.7 ± 2.5%
7.5 ± 1.2%
<0.0001
Percentage of plants with bacterial leaf blight on Aug. 27
63.1 ± 3.3%
23.4 ± 2.2%
<0.0001
Severity of bacterial leaf blight on Aug. 20 (0 to 7 scale)
4.3 ± 0.2
1.7 ± 0.2
<0.0001
Severity of bacterial leaf blight on Aug. 27 (0 to 7 scale)
5.7 ± 0.2
4.3 ± 0.2
<0.0001
Percentage of tops down on Aug. 6
55.1 ± 3.8%
47.8 ± 4.0%
0.0620
Percentage of bulbs with bacterial rot at harvest
50.9 ± 2.2%
35.0 ± 2.3%
<0.0001
Mean severity of bacterial rot per bulb at harvest (% of cut surface area with symptoms of rot)
16.7 ± 1.1%
8.5 ± 0.8%
<0.0001
Number of marketable bulbs/5 ft of bed
34.0 ± 1.2
37.2 ± 1.3
0.0205
Marketable bulb yield (tons/acre)
38.7 ± 1.3
45.8 ± 1.3
<0.0001
Percentage of bulbs with bacterial rot in storage (Feb. 11)
55.2 ± 1.8%
40.4 ± 2.2
<0.0001
Mean severity of bacterial rot on bulbs in storage (Feb. 11)
27.4 ± 1.2%
17.1 ± 1.1%
<0.0001
* ANOVA P value = Analysis of variance probability of no significant effect of inoculation on the variable measured. A probability <0.05 was considered evidence of a significant effect of the inoculations.
OnionWorld.net
11
Goldies
Tearless Onions:
A Golden Opportunity? Story and photos by Denise Keller, Editor
F
rom breeding the variety in Japan to growing the crop in Washington state, it’s been a long road to get Goldies to market. But the new tearless onion variety has made its way to grocery store shelves in most every corner of the U.S. And the onion grower, marketer and distributor behind the venture are hoping Goldies will prove to be a golden opportunity.
In Partnership
Goldies is a mild-flavored sweet onion grown to be free of the pyruvic acid that makes onions pungent. For consumers, this means no tears when cutting the onion and no onion breath after eating it. The variety does not require time in storage to lose its pungency, so it’s ready for market the day of harvest. The variety originated in Japan, where House Foods Group began developing the genetics in 2005 and launched the onion under the name Smile Ball about three years ago. It was rebranded as Goldies for the U.S. market. Here, Bejo Seeds is producing the proprietary seed for Flavorful Brands, a branded produce company that is overseeing marketing and promotion. Flavorful Brands has appointed L&M
Goldies are an elongated-tear-shaped onion. About 90 percent of the crop falls within the 2.5-inch range.
Companies as the exclusive sales agent. “Given the success that we have and our footprint as an onion marketer and grower in the United States, Flavorful Brands thought we would be a good fit to bring this to market,” says Derek Ennis, sales director with L&M. “We have a lot of relationships with major retailers already.” L&M also has a relationship with Andy Jensen of Jensen Farms in Warden, Washington, as the marketer of Jensen’s onions for the last four years. Believing that the growing region would be well
suited for Goldies, Ennis approached Jensen about trialing the new variety. “And I told him, ‘Let’s give it a try,’” Jensen recalls. “You raise enough acres of these other varieties that are pretty much the same that trying something new is always a challenge, and I like it.” “Andy swears it’s the best onion he’s ever had raw,” Ennis adds. “He’s excited about it and thinks we have something that’s going to be really unique and market really well. It’s good when you have a grower that can get behind it and sees the value.”
In the Field
Pocket Pitter
Ag Engineering 12
Onion World • December 2020
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The Jensen family has been farming since the early 1970s. Onions were added to the rotation in the mid ‘70s when the local sugar beet factory closed, forcing Jensen’s dad to take on a new crop. At that time, Jensen says, Washington state was producing about 1,700 acres of onions. Today, Jensen Farms alone grows 1,700 acres of onions, with 75 percent of the acreage planted in yellow onions, 20 percent red and 5 percent white. On the remainder of the farm’s 6,000 acres,
Jensen grows carrot seed, alfalfa seed, corn, wheat, barley and hay. Last year, he grew a commercial test plot of Goldies. With a few lessons learned and greater market demand, but still in the trial phase, he grew six times as many acres this year. “We approached the Goldies test like any other,” the grower said. “It’s not a big deal. If it flops, it flops. But if it can work and it fits my program, we just as well try it.” On the plus side, Goldies seem to be a hardy variety, Jensen says, noting that the onions have escaped the downy mildew that has been an issue in the area the last few years. The crop also benefits from the farm’s good water supply, healthy soil, long days and dry weather – all of which generally help onions size up. Goldies, however, tend to be on the smaller side, which contributes to an overall yield about half that of a typical onion cultivar. The variety’s lower yield and higher seed prices increase input costs, which have to be passed along, Ennis says. To try to increase bulb size this year, Jensen “babied” the crop a little more and continues to fine tune seed population and fertilizer. He increased seed spacing by a half inch and increased liquid fertilizer applications. Bulbs were about 20 percent bigger than last year. “I like trying new things. Doing the same thing all the time gets boring,” Jensen says. “This year will be the tester year. It’s a challenge to get the right dollar amount for what you need to make these work. It’s been a challenge to get started. You have to figure out where you can make money in the deal and make enough sales to make it work.”
In the Market
With Jensen managing the crop from planting through packing, Chris White, Flavorful Brands’ vice president of agricultural operations and a partner in the company, tackles the challenges that come with supplying the onions to meet the marketing demands created by Flavorful Brands. The team at Flavorful Brands is tasked with capturing consumers who don’t like typical onions and enticing them to try this new tearless, non-pungent alternative.
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Expanding the onion industry
Andy Jensen with Jensen Farms and Derek Ennis with L&M Companies inspect a bin of Goldies.
Enza Zaden continues to lead the vegetable breeding industry in North America with the commercialization of two new varieties. Elsye (10106) is a late intermediate yellow onion targeted at the processing trade and the fresh market with large sizes and a mild flavor. Yield, earliness, size and flavor are the attributes Elsye brings to the professional grower. Barolo (10663) is a mid-maturing dark red long day onion with excellent foliar and root health for mid to long term storage. The release of Elsye and Barolo expands growers’ choices for well-adapted, high-performing varieties with intermediate and long day growing regions. Our product development teams work closely with growers and dealers, creating an informed synergy that delivers superior onion genetics. We look forward to growing these relationships and continuing to commercialize new, well-adapted varieties for our valued markets.
enzazaden.us 14
Onion World • December 2020
A website, social media, digital ads, and in-store displays and signage are all being utilized to build consumer awareness. So far, consumer response has been very positive with customers saying the product delivers on the brand promise. White has been pleased to see strong interest at the retail level despite the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, with more people cooking at home, retail sales have been up. For White and Ennis, it’s exciting to give consumers a new option at this time. “It’s fun to change and do something different with onions. Onions have been the same for 40 years. There are new varieties, but there’s been nothing like this,” Ennis says. “New varieties, but mostly bred for grower attributes and not as much for
OnionWorld.net
15
E
Goldies the flavor profile,” White adds. “There hasn’t been much evolution in the onion industry. It’s just reds, whites and yellows. So it’s cool to bring something new.” L&M sold its first round of Goldies during a Memorial Day test period in Safeway stores in the Pacific Northwest and is now selling at retailers throughout the U.S. including Hy-Vee in the Midwest, and Winn-Dixie, BI-LO and Harvey’s in the Southeast. Goldies should be available in stores through late April or early May. “If the onion sells the way we’re anticipating it to, we pretty much have this season’s crop allocated,” Ennis says. “This year will tell a lot about how the onion resonates with consumers and how the brand catches hold and grows.” Looking ahead, Ennis anticipates increasing production sixfold to eightfold in the next few years and would like to eventually have a year-round marketing program for Goldies.
Pictured from left are Chris White with Flavorful Brands, Andy Jensen with Jensen Farms and Derek Ennis with L&M Companies. The three men are involved in growing, marketing and selling Goldies, a new variety of tearless onions. Freshly harvested Goldies pile in a bin awaiting storage.
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Onion World • December 2020
ETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVA 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
Trekker
Trekker is an early- to mid-season maturing (95-100 days), storage-type variety. A very uniform variety, its extra-firm bulbs are globe shaped with dark skin with an attractive sheen. Slow to bolt, Trekker will store until May under optimum conditions. It has strong resistance to basal rot and neck rot and is perfect for fresh and storage markets.
Mountaineer
This early/mid Northeastern long-day onion has bulbs that are flattened globe in shape with excellent skin quality. Mountaineerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outstanding features are its earliness and storability. With thinner necks, this onion cures down quickly for excellent storage results. Mountaineer will store slightly longer than Frontier.
Milestone (T-441)
This hard globe, yellow Spanish-type onion compares to Tamara-type onions with earlier maturity. Bulbs are globe shaped with a high percentage of single centers and have 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. With medium maturity, Ridgeline has good roots with the potential to produce jumbo-sized bulbs.
Milestone (T-441)
Trekker
Mountaineer
Ridgeline
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AYVARIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIE
Bridewhite
Red Bull Hamilton
Legend Sedona
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.
Red Bull
Red Bull is a long-day red onion with late-season maturity and good long-term storage ability. Bulbs are large and hard with excellent dark red color throughout. The variety has vigorous tops and roots.
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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.
Legend
Legend is a full-season yellow onion variety with a vigorous root system. The variety produces jumbo bulbs and is well suited for long-term storage.
Sedona
Sedona is a long-day Spanish globe variety that produces large bulbs with attractive rosybrown skins, high yields and long storage potential. This variety performs well in the Northeast and also has excellent tolerance of hot weather.
Onion World â&#x20AC;˘ December 2020
1972 Silver Spur Place Oceano, CA 93445 Phone: (805) 473-2199 www.bejoseeds.com info@bejoseeds.com
ETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVA P.O. Box 520 301 Warehouse Caldwell, ID 83606-0520 Phone: (208) 459-7451 www.crookham.com ccoinfo@crookham.com
Caldwell
Scout
Trident
Caliber
Caldwell is a main-season onion with 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 is known for its ring separation and flexibility, making it more efficient for processing. Trident is an early main-season variety with wide adaptability. It has proven itself in extensive trials in the Northeast, Midwest and western United States. Tridentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consistent colored bulbs are deep bronze in color, have a refined neck and show good tolerance to both pink root and Fusarium. Tridentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scale has a nice sheen and is heavy, making it a great variety for both retail and foodservice.
Scout is a 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. Caliber is a later maturing main-season variety with vigor to grow through tough conditions. Its pink root and Fusarium resistance is unrivaled. It has an extremely strong and vigorous root structure. Growers can expect improved yields with very high single centers and extra-long storability. Caliber is part of the Celebrate Series of onions.
Scorpion
Scorpion is a proven early-season long-day variety in the Northeast and Midwestern growing regions of the U.S. Scorpion has a trim, refined neck and would be an excellent candidate for overhead irrigated retail markets. Its rich copper-brown scales are appealing, and its long-term storability gives it great shelf life.
White Cap
White Cap is a main-season white onion with strong, vigorous tops that characterize the Celebrate Series of onions from Crookham. The bulbs are very uniform with globular shape and bright white color. It also has high tolerance ratings for both pink root and Fusarium.
Caldwell
Scout
Scorpion
Trident
Caliber
White Cap
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AYVARIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIE 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 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.
Diamond Swan F1 Hybrid
Cherry Mountain F1 Hybrid
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Onion World â&#x20AC;˘ December 2020
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.
Saffron F1 Hybrid
ETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVA Barolo F1 (E61L.10663)
NEW! Barolo F1 (E61L.10663)
Barolo is an early- to mid-season long-day red onion with attractive dark red interior, shiny exterior color and globe shape. Strong against root diseases and adaptable to overhead, furrow and drip irrigation, Barolo makes a fine choice for the red onion grower’s mid-season crop. Marketing flexibility is increased by Barolo’s three- to four-month storage window.
Javier Russek, Sr. Product Specialist, Onions Phone: (831) 240-5736 www.enzazaden.us j.russek@enzazaden.com
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AYVARIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIE
NEW! Thunderstone (37-120)
This early- to main-season long-day hybrid allows growers the flexibility to decide what to do with their crops. This variety matures in 105 to 110 days and has been tested in many areas of the Midwest, Northeast and Pacific Northwest as number 37-120. In these trials, it demonstrated high yield and produced mainly jumbo-sized onions. Traits including dark skins and strong skin retention, along with very firm bulbs mean that Thunderstone can deliver quality pack-outs after a long storage period. This onion has erect, vigorous tops that make it suitable in adverse weather conditions and able to perform under a variety of irrigation methods including overhead and drip.
3155 SW 10th Street, Suite 6L Deerfield Beach, FL 33442 Phone: (954) 429-9445 www.hazera.us.com info@hazera.us.com
NEW! Redstone (37-114)
Redstone is an early maturing (100 days) long-day red variety with excellent storage and shipping quality. It offers upright tops with trim necks to ensure good closure and successful curing. This hardy red variety is very firm and has an excellent dormancy, making it suitable for long storage. Redstone has been tested under many conditions throughout North America and continues to perform well in the early red slot using both transplants and direct sowing methods.
Thunderstone (37-120)
Redstone (37-114)
Haeckero (37-116)
This early- to main-season hard globe variety has a 105-day maturity with a proven record of high quality storability. In addition, this conventionally bred hybrid offers resistance to downy mildew. Trialing collaborators have been continually impressed with the quality Haeckero offers after long storage.
Haeckero (37-116)
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Onion World â&#x20AC;˘ December 2020
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ETIESLONG-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.
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
AYVARIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIE 18095 Serene Drive Morgan Hill, CA 95037 Phone: (408) 778-7758 www.sakatavegetables.com vegetables@sakata.com
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.
Dulce Reina
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.
Aruba
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.
Lasso
Yukon
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.
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Dulce Reina Aruba
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Onion World • December 2020
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Yukon
ETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVA Khristopher Carlson, Onion Market and Product Development Manager Phone: (615) 318-7327 www.seedway.com khcarlson@seedway.com
Oneida
Oneida provides a thin neck and good skin retention. The variety offers medium to long storage potential, as well as high quality and high yield potential.
Traverse
Traverse (105-108 days) is a very early long-day yellow onion with very good skin retention. It yields and packs out very well to start the season for a growerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s packing shed. The variety produces nice jumbo- to colossalsize bulbs.
Oneida
Traverse Mondella
Mondella
Mondella (108-110 days) is a long-day variety that will get an onion growerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s season going with a very classy, high quality onion with skin that will deliver. It produces good yields with a good cross section of jumbo- to colossal-size bulbs.
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AYVARIETIESLONG-DAY VARIETIESVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARIETIESLONG-DAYVARI Tucannon 800 N. Lindbergh Blvd. Saint Louis, MO 63167 Phone: (314) 694-7375 www.seminis-us.com emily.standley@bayer.com
Tucannon
Tucannon is a great option for growers looking for flexibility. It is a dark-skinned long-day onion that performs well in long storage and in hot seasons with little susceptibility to storage rot and internal dry scale. It has great uniformity and an attractive dark yellow globe-shaped bulb. It provides growers with flexible adaptation to furrow or overhead irrigation. In addition, Tucannon is a great onion for retail as a 114-day maturity onion.
Jawbridge Crusher
Jawbridge and Crusher provide growers in the Treasure Valley and Columbia Basin the quality they expect in a long-day Spanish onion. With a high level of single centers, deep globe shape and attractive bronze color, these varieties offer high quality harvest potential and processing recovery. Jawbridge and Crusher are both well suited for processing or retail and demonstrate good scale retention and excellent storage potential. Both are great early-main season varieties, with Crusher as a 114-day maturity onion, followed by Jawbridge at 116-118 days maturity.
Jawbridge
Crusher
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Onion World â&#x20AC;˘ December 2020
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