Onion World February 22

ONION WORLD Voice of the Industry • OnionWorld.net

February 2022

Crop Protection • Thrips & Stemphylium Leaf Blight Control • Onion Maggot Management • Buyers' Guide

Advertiser Index Bejo .............................. 15 Nunhems ...................... 17 Chinook Equipment ........ 9 Nutri-Cal ....................... 13 Clearwater Supply ........ 19 Redwood Empire .......... 17 CMI ............................... 21 Rietveld Equipment ........ 3 DP Seeds ......................... 7 Seed Dynamics ............. 24 Gearmore ..................... 23 Seedway ....................... 11 Gowan Seed ................... 9 Verbruggen ................... 21 L&M .............................. 14 Volm ............................. 18 NOA ................................ 9 Weyns Farms ................ 11 Noffsinger ..................... 19

Plus: Onion Disease Quiz NOA Annual Convention • Stop the Rot

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ONION WORLD Volume 38, Number 2

FEBRUARY 2022

PO Box 333 Roberts, Idaho 83444 Telephone: (208) 520-6461 Circulation: (503) 724-3581

OnionWorld.net ONION WORLD CONTACTS

4 Two Challenges, One Strategy

Editor Denise Keller editor@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com

8 Food Safety Guidelines Take Focus

Publisher / Advertising Manager Dave Alexander dave@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com

Onion Thrips and Stemphylium Leaf Blight Management

at Annual NOA Convention

National Onion Association Annual Convention

12 Crop Protection Essentials

Director of Operations Brian Feist brian@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com

EDITORIAL INFORMATION

Buyers' Guide

16 Getting to the Root Cause of Rot

Progress in the Stop the Rot Project in Georgia

18 Push Back Against Onion Maggot

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.

ADVERTISING SALES For information on rates, mechanics, deadlines, list rental, direct mail, inserts or other information, call (208) 520-6461 or email: dave@onionworld.net

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Subscribe online at: www.OnionWorld.net/subscribe

Jennifer McEntire of the United Fresh Produce Association (center) leads a discussion with farmers from across the country on updating the NOA’s food safety guidelines. Read the story on page 8.

ON THE COVER

DEPARTMENTS 14... Onion Disease Quiz

Find the latest research and products to help you protect your onion crop from pests and diseases in this issue of Onion World.

15... Calendar 20... In the News 22... From the NOA 22... Advertiser Index 23... Peels of Laughter

2

Onion World • February 2022

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 2022. 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.

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THRIPS AND STEMPHYLIUM MANAGEMENT

Two Challenges, One Strategy Onion Thrips and Stemphylium Leaf Blight Management

By Natalie Constancio, Doug Higgins, Mary Hausbeck and Zsofia Szendrei, Michigan State University

A

potential interaction between thrips and Stemphylium leaf blight is prompting researchers to evaluate management strategies that can control both.

Onion thrips feed on leaves, which results in scarring, thus reducing the amount of green tissue on the plant. This compromises the plant’s ability to photosynthesize, resulting in yield loss for growers. In addition to causing feeding damage, onion thrips can spread many plant pathogens.

Onion thrips are known vectors of viral and bacterial pathogens, but they may also be vectors of fungal plant pathogens. In laboratory experiments, onion thrips can pick up fungal spores on the outside of their body and transfer them through physical contact.

Recently, the fungal pathogen Stemphylium vesicarium, the causal agent of Stemphylium leaf blight, became an important plant pathogen in Michigan onion fields. Symptoms of Stemphylium include tan, water-soaked lesions on the leaves,

and eventually excessive leaf dieback occurs. It is important to manage Stemphylium leaf blight because progression of the disease results in severe yield reduction. Infected onions may also be vulnerable to storage rot due to opportunistic secondary pathogens.

Onion thrips can vector Stemphylium spores in the laboratory, but more field research is needed to better understand the relationship between thrips and Stemphylium under commercial field conditions.

Onion thrips are managed by applying insecticides based on an action threshold and rotating the insecticide classes to prevent the development of insecticide resistance. Foliar fungicide applications begin early in the season and are continued as weekly sprays to prevent pathogens from entering the leaves. Increasingly, research provides evidence that onion plant pathogens can be vectored by thrips and that the management of thrips and Stemphylium should be considered simultaneously.

The field plots of a foliar spray trial conducted in a commercial onion field are pictured mid-season on July 5, 2021.

4

Onion World • February 2022

The control plots, pictured on Aug. 9, 2021, received no insecticide or fungicide applications throughout the 2021 growing season.

A weekly application of a conventional insecticide plus a conventional fungicide resulted in the best thrips control and the least amount of plant tissue necrosis, as seen in this photo taken Aug. 9, 2021.

Pesticide Trial

Trial Results

In the 2021 growing season, researchers at Michigan State University tested a combination of organic (OMRI approved) and synthetic (conventional) fungicides and insecticides to determine their ability to manage both onion thrips and Stemphylium leaf blight. This foliar spray trial was conducted in a commercial onion field in Michigan with eight treatments (Fig. 1).

The two OMRI insecticides tested were Neemix and Entrust, and the OMRI fungicide was Kocide, all applied weekly. The conventional insecticide program consisted of Movento, Minecto Pro, Radiant and Lannate+Warrior, each applied twice seven days apart before rotating to the next insecticide. The conventional fungicide program consisted of alternating weekly Miravis Prime and Bravo WS. Fungicide and insecticide applications started on June 15, 2021. Insecticides were applied at the one thrips/leaf threshold detected on June 11, 2021. Pesticides were tank mixed with a non-ionic surfactant.

Organic insecticides did not effectively control onion thrips populations. The thrips pressure in these plots was similar to that in the no-spray control plots. Treatments without an insecticide did not suppress onion thrips populations.

Conventional insecticides suppressed thrips numbers below the one thrips/leaf threshold (Fig. 1). The combination of conventional insecticides and fungicides controlled onion thrips populations best (Fig. 1). The second best performing treatment was the combination of a conventional insecticide with an organic fungicide, which reduced thrips by about 60 percent compared to the control and organic treatments.

Disease pressure from Stemphylium leaf blight was high, with an average of 67.8 percent leaf necrosis on Aug. 17 (final disease rating date) in plots receiving a combination of conventional fungicide and insecticide treatments. Organic insecticides did not limit Stemphylium leaf blight symptoms.

The percent leaf necrosis was similar to the no-spray control plots (Fig. 2). The combination of conventional fungicides OnionWorld.net

5

THRIPS AND STEMPHYLIUM MANAGEMENT

1.6

A AB

1.2 1.0

AB

Kocide

Neemix + Kocide

Neemix

Entrust + kocide

0.0

Entrust

0.4

Conventional insecticide + fungicide

C

Conventional insecticide + kocide

0.6

0.2

AB

AB

BC

0.8

Control

Mean onion thrips per leaf

1.4

A

Treatment Treatment

Figure 1. A 2021 study compared onion thrips control by organic (Neemix, Entrust (insecticides); Kocide (fungicide)) and conventional insecticides and fungicides in a small plot field trial. Foliar spray applications started in early June and were applied weekly. Treatments with the same letters indicate no significant differences among the numbers of thrips.

and insecticides significantly reduced Stemphylium leaf blight symptoms by about 10 percent compared to when an organic fungicide was used in combination with the conventional insecticides (Fig. 2).

The difference in thrips numbers between the conventional insecticide treatment with organic versus conventional fungicides, while not statistically significant, points to a potential interaction between thrips and Stemphylium leaf blight. This is currently being investigated by researchers.

Our results highlight the need for an effective multiple pest management strategy to control both onion thrips and Stemphylium leaf blight.

Authors’ note: We thank the cooperating onion grower who allowed us access to their farm for the spray trial. Funding for this research was provided by the Organic Transitions Program Grant #2019-03518 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Sign up for the free

E-Newsletter Stemphylium leaf blight symptoms can be seen on an onion in the field, along with a close-up of the Stemphylium spores. Thrips are able to transfer spores between onion plants, possibly contributing to the disease spread.

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Onion World • February 2022

OnionWorld.net Bimonthly news you can use

AB

A

Neemix + Kocide

B

AB

Neemix

C

A

0

Control

20

Kocide

40

Conventional insecticide + kocide

60

Conventional insecticide + fungicide

Leaf necrosis (%)

80

AB

Entrust + kocide

A

Entrust

100

Treatment

Figure 2. Disease pressure from Stemphylium leaf blight indicated by the percent leaf necrosis on Aug. 17, 2021, in a small plot field trial treated with organic (Neemix, Entrust (insecticides); Kocide (fungicide)) and conventional insecticides and fungicides. Treatments with the same letters indicate no significant differences among the numbers.

Weekly conventional insecticide and fungicide applications managed thrips populations better than the control plots, as seen in this photo from Aug. 9, 2021.

OnionWorld.net

7

NATIONAL ONION ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONVENTION

Food Safety Guidelines Take Focus at Annual NOA Convention

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

M

embers of the National Onion Association (NOA) got started immediately at the annual convention in December to begin sketching out an updated version of the industry’s food safety guidelines, which hadn’t been updated in a decade.

The last guide that was completed by the NOA was in 2010, and it doesn’t address a lot of issues that are current, said Jennifer McEntire, vice president of food safety and technology for the United Fresh Produce Association.

McEntire walked a large group of onion growers at the 2021 annual convention, held Dec. 1-4 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, through some early steps in updating the guidelines. NOA leadership already has created a committee of members to keep the document moving, with a plan to finish it by June.

Joaquin Vaughan with Seed Dynamics and Lana Vaughan share a laugh.

Greg Yielding with the NOA and Jennifer McEntire with the United Fresh Produce Association visit with a convention attendee.

8

Onion World • February 2022

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NATIONAL ONION ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONVENTION “To me, it’s equally part technical.

What do you need to do for food safety?

But it’s very much a communication and PR piece. How do we want to influence buyers? Then we need buy-in,” McEntire said.

Many growers expressed frustration about how all complaints come back to them when onions way down the supply chain are found with issues. Specifically, they mentioned large retailers who change the playing field so much that a document of best practices might not be able to keep up. Many worried that coming up with more checks in their systems would make them inefficient.

“I wouldn’t be surprised in making this update to best practices, if it doesn’t result in a change in what you actually do,” McEntire said. “It documents and communicates what the industry at large is doing, sets that expectation maybe for people who aren’t doing them.

“For those who are already doing what needs to be done, it shouldn’t change.

There’s no benefit in doing more if you’re already doing good enough. I don’t see this as being onerous for people who are already operating at reasonably high standards.”

Several members who will be part of a committee to make the changes will be identified. The group of NOA members who will go to the annual Fly-In to Washington, D.C., Feb. 20-23, will meet with McEntire for another discussion in addition to their other meetings and congressional visits.

Also on the Agenda

While the heavy conversation settled on food safety issues, there was a lot of other business to take care of. At the annual dinner, the NOA recognized Nunhems-BASF as the 2021 Legislative Advocate of the Year and Top Air Inc., owned by Duane and Kris Kido, as the 2021 Promotions Champion. Both were awarded for their continued unrivaled commitment to these individual causes at NOA. The annual raffle brought in almost $23,000 (after winnings and expenses) to benefit the promotions program. The raffle winner was Braxten Wagstaff, 7, son of Tyler and Brette Wagstaff, who attended the meeting for Central Produce Distributors in Oregon. Braxten had big plans for the $4,500 prize check. The top 10

Onion World • February 2022

Braxten Wagstaff celebrates his $4,500 raffle win after the banquet dinner on Dec. 3.

Duane Kido (left) and Kris Kido with Top Air, Inc. won the NOA 2021 Promotions Champion award with a generous donation of a harvester for the NOA auction for the second year in a row.

seller was Doug Stanley with Harris Fresh in Coalinga, California. He will receive a $200 check for his efforts.

The NOA also awarded Randi Svaty of Northwest Farm Credit Services with her “3 or More” jacket, which she earned in 2020. Members who recruit three or more new members in a calendar year can join this prestigious club of dedicated members who help secure and strengthen NOA membership.

The NOA invites members to attend this year’s summer convention July 6-9 in Boise, Idaho. There, attendees can participate in the continued work and/or finalization of the food safety guidelines and the annual summer auction. Anyone considering donating an auction item this year is asked to email René Hardwick at rhardwick@onions-usa.org.

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Brett Ross with Nunhems-BASF accepts the 2021 Legislative Advocate of the Year award for the company’s continued commitment to sponsoring NOA members visiting Washington D.C.

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11

CROP PROTECTION ESSENTIALS Buyers’ Guide Disinfecting Services LLC • www.disinfectingservices.net Harvest 6.0

Harvest 6.0 is an EPA-registered and OMRI-listed versatile sanitizer and disinfectant that utilizes two powerful active ingredients: hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid. Both of these elements working together strengthens the product’s ability to eliminate and protect against fungus and bacteria in a combination that is both effective and environmentally friendly.

This is one of the strongest disinfectants on the market labeled for onions, potatoes and other crops including seed potatoes. It is also an effective disinfectant for equipment and cleaning storage facilities. Harvest 6.0 helps to control bacterial soft rot, ring rot, early blight, Fusarium dry rot, silver scurf and late blight.

Gowan Company • www.gowanco.com Zing! Fungicide

Zing! Fungicide is a premix protectant fungicide combining zoxamide and chlorothalonil in an easy-to-use liquid SC formulation. The combination of zoxamide and chlorothalonil works to enhance the performance beyond each individual product. These products have been successfully controlling diseases for several years in the labelled crops with no documented resistance in the field.

Zing! Fungicide provides excellent control of key diseases like early blight, late blight, downy mildew, anthracnose and more.

Registered for use on onions, potatoes, cucurbits and tomatoes, Zing! is an excellent choice, adding multi-site, multimode of action to your resistance management program.

Jet Harvest Solutions • www.jetharvest.com Jet-Ag

Jet-Ag is a peroxyacetic acid (PAA) broad-spectrum fungicide, bactericide and algaecide.

Jet-Ag works great for broad-spectrum activity and is an indiscriminate killer on contact against Erwinia, Botrytis, anthracnose, Pythium, Fusarium, Colletotrichum, Penicillium, powdery and downy mildew, bacterial soft rot, Xanthomonas leaf blight and much more.

Jet-Ag is also a very effective thermal fog post-harvest tool against storage rots.

The versatile product offers a zero-hour restricted-entry interval (REI) and zero days to harvest. It is exempt from pesticide residue tolerance requirements and has no mutational resistance. Jet-Ag is OMRI certified and can be applied through chemigation, by ground rig or aerially.

12

Onion World • February 2022

Oro Agri • www.oroagriusa.com ORO-RZ

ORO-RZ adjuvant improves the efficacy of soil-applied pesticides and nutrients.

When tank mixed with pre-emergent herbicides, it improves soil hydraulic conductivity, even in hydroscopic soils, to move the herbicide solution into soil pore spaces to lay down a uniform barrier of herbicide protection. ORO-RZ, when applied with nutrients such as Nanocal, distributes the application uniformly throughout the soil profile, boosting efficient uptake by the root system.

Nichino America, Inc. • www.nichino.net Torac Insecticide

Torac insecticide controls thrips in onions and other bulb vegetables (Crop Group 3-07). The active ingredient in Torac, tolfenpyrad, works by blocking cellular respiration and is effective on immature and adult stages of thrips. Because Torac causes rapid cessation of feeding in the pest, it also aids in reducing the transmission of Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV).

Torac belongs to the METI (Mitochondrial Electron Transport Inhibitor) class of compounds and is an IRAC Group 21A insecticide. Torac is an excellent rotational option to manage resistance in spray programs for onions. For effective resistance management, Torac should be used in rotation with insecticides of different modes of action.

Vive Crop Protection • www.vivecrop.com/products/azterknot AZterknot Fungicide

AZterknot is the industry’s first three-way fungicide that combines the benefits of a biological with the performance of chemistry and the ease of Allosperse. The fungicide delivers systemic, broad-spectrum, preventative control of key diseases. It induces the plant’s natural defenses to improve plant health and increase stress tolerance and, in turn, improves quality and yield.

AZterknot contains two powerful modes of action, Group 11 and Group P5, for smart resistance management. The product mixes well with liquid fertilizers, hard water and other crop inputs, even in low-volume solutions.

AZterknot contains azoxystrobin and Reynoutria sachalinensis extract and the Allosperse nano-polymer delivery technology.

Delivering groundbreaking disease control, AZterknot promotes better plant health and greater return on investment.

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OnionWorld.net

13

Onion Disease Quiz

This material is provided courtesy of Claudia Nischwitz, Associate Professor and Plant Pathology Specialist, Utah State University.

Many diseases can affect an onion crop. Correctly identifying the problem is crucial to choosing the proper solution.

What is wrong with the onion seedlings in these photos?

Answers on page 21

1

2

Untreated control

14

Onion World • February 2022

Inoculated with C. gloeosporioides

CALENDAR Feb. 8 Utah Onion Association Winter Meeting

Feb. 20-23 National Onion Association Annual Washington D.C. Fly-In

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

•• •

July 6-9 National Onion Association Summer Convention

Greg Yielding, (970) 381-8172

•

Feb. 28-March 1 National Allium Research Conference, W-3008, and Stop the Rot Research Project Team

Boise, Idaho www.onions-usa.org

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15

Getting to the Root Cause of Rot Progress in the Stop the Rot Project in Georgia

By Bhabesh Dutta, Associate Professor and Extension Vegetable Pathologist, University of Georgia; and Mei Zhao, Post-doctoral Research Associate, University of Georgia

R

esearchers at the University of Georgia (UGA) are learning more about onion bacterial rot – specifically, what causes the problems and how cultural practices influence the effects.

Two years into an ongoing research project, the UGA team is sharing their findings and how they hope to develop management recommendations to help growers minimize the impact of onion bacterial rot.

The University of Georgia has been an important part of the USDA-NIFASpecialty Crop Research Initiative “Stop the Rot” project since its inception in 2019. As part of the project, UGA is involved in a bacterial survey, a specific detection assay for onionpathogenic bacteria utilizing genomic approaches, assessing cultural practices that influence bacterial bulb rot in the field, standardizing and evaluating the methodology for onion cultivar/ germplasm screening and conducting

economic analysis. Extension and communication is an integral part of the project. Since 2019, UGA has made important contributions in all the stated objectives of the project.

Bacterial Survey

The overall goal of the bacterial survey is to determine the diversity of bacteria causing infections in onion production in the Vidalia region in Georgia. Onion leaves and bulbs were sampled from multiple fields (January to April) and in storage (May and June).

Survey results indicate seasonal changes in the predominant bacterial genera isolated from onion foliage and bulbs. For example, during the months of January to March (in both 2020 and 2021), pathogenic Pesudomonas spp. and Pantoea spp. formed the predominant bacterial species that could be found in commercial onion fields, mostly as a foliar infection. However, in April and

Figure 1. Symptoms of onion center rot caused by Pantoea are seen on the left, and onion bulb rot caused by Burkholderia gladioli can be seen on the right.

May, apart from Pantoea spp., other bacterial species such as Burkholderia, Rahnella and Enterobacter could also be found.

Bacterial rots that result in maximum culls during grading prior to storage are due to infection caused by Pantoea and Burkholderia. Onion samples that were surveyed after a month of storage (June) were comprised predominantly of Burkholderia. Occurrences of these bacterial genera during different months and different stages of the production cycle is intriguing.

Some of the observations can be explained by the temperature differences experienced in Georgia from January to May. Pseudomonas spp., particularly P. viridiflava, is a cold-loving bacterium, and we often observe limited outbreaks in onion fields during January and February.

From mid-March onward, bacterial infection due to Pantoea takes the upper hand and it continues until harvest.

Somehow, the outbreaks of Pantoea spp. infection often coincide with the advent of thrips, the known vector of Pantoea in onions, in the Vidalia onion region. This situation is unique to Georgia and needs further investigation.

As the temperature increases in April and onions get closer to harvest, we experience more Burkholderia infection.

The survey also allowed us to delve deeper into the correct identification of some bacterial species. For example, based on whole-genome sequence, we found that bacterial leaf streak is caused by two distinct Pseudomonas species, the previously identified P. viridiflava and a new Pseudomonas species closely related to Pseudomonas viridiflava.

Cultural Practices

We evaluated the effect of irrigation method, nitrogen (N) rate and the timing 16

Onion World • February 2022

of the last N application on bacterial bulb rot. The method of irrigation did not influence bacterial internal rot; however, numerical trends indicate a higher percentage of internal rot with overhead vs. drip irrigated onion plots. This is partly due to more than average rainfall events during February and March

Significantly higher incidence of internal rot was observed with the straightblade undercutter compared with the chain digger. The method of harvest had a significant effect on internal rot in storage. Significantly higher incidence of internal rot was observed with the manual harvest compared with the

The survey also allowed us to delve deeper into the correct identification of some bacterial species. For example, based on whole-genome sequence, we found that bacterial leaf streak is caused by two distinct Pseudomonas species, the previously identified P. viridiflava and a new Pseudomonas species closely related to Pseudomonas viridiflava.

of 2020 and 2021, which could have masked the true effect of drip irrigation.

Nevertheless, drip irrigation in Vidalia onions, although not widely utilized, can be investigated further for its usefulness in not only water use efficiency but also in reducing bacterial infection.

We also evaluated the effect of N fertility and the impact of the last N application in bacterial rots. We observed that the rate of N did not impact bacterial rots, but the application timing did impact it. The lowest incidence of rot was observed when N was applied two weeks before bulb swelling, while the highest incidences were observed when N was applied either at bulb swelling or two weeks after bulb swelling. In 2021, neither the rate of N nor the timing of the last N application significantly influenced both external and internal bacterial rot. This could be partly explained by considerable low bacterial infection in 2021 vs. 2020. This field trial will be repeated during the 2022 season.

The effects of digging and harvesting methods on the post-harvest incidence of bacterial bulb rot were evaluated. The method of digging had a significant effect on internal bulb rot incidence in storage.

mechanical harvest.

We also evaluated the impact of clipping length of onion neck on internal bulb rot incidence in storage. We observed significantly higher internal rot when onion necks were clipped at

a 1-inch length compared with when clipped at 3- or 5-inch lengths.

Bactericides

We evaluated eight to 10 bactericides and plant-defense inducers in the 2020 and 2021 onion seasons in Georgia.

Among the treatments that showed promise in reducing bacterial bulb rots are Mankocide, Kocide 3000, Champ, Nordox, Mastercop, LifeGard and NuCop compared with Actigard and Leap.

The first two years of this USDA project have been fruitful, and during this time, we learned many intricacies that are involved with the biology and management of onion bacterial rot.

During the next two years, we will focus on refining our treatments and integrating them into a package that can be extended to our onion growers.

The UGA “Stop the Rot” team is comprised of vegetable extension specialist Bhabesh Dutta, bacteriologist Brian Kvitko, economist Greg Colson, and post-doctoral research associates Mei Zhao and Gi Yoon Shin.

Under the Nunhems Brand, BASF offers more than vegetable seeds.

We offer partnerships and customer-oriented solutions for the entire vegetable value chain.

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THE ONION PODCAST.COM

OnionWorld.net

17

Push Back Against Onion Maggot ncreasing pressure from onion maggot demands growers push back with multi-season management plans that address resistance management and deliver high efficacy.

A treatment plan should rotate multiple active ingredients (AIs) yearon-year. Spinosad has been effective for more than a decade, but rotating AIs is critical for continued protection to prevent resistance from developing.

Although onion maggot is an important insect pest to control, an effective insect and disease program should consider all pests and diseases that are difficult to manage in your field.

Other repeat offenders might include 1 22-01 Onion World-7.3x4.9.v2.pdf

18

Onion World • February 2022

EVALUATION OF TRIGARD IN A SEED TREATMENT PACKAGE FOR ONION MAGGOT CONTROL IN ONION,

Dr. Brian A. Nault, Department of Entomology, Cornell University 2020 90

% Plants killed by Onion Maggot

I

By Jon Hamill, Technical Lead, Syngenta

80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

FarMore® F300

FarMore FI500 (with Regard™) 0.2 mg ai/seed

FarMore FI500 (with Trigard® OMC) 0.225 mg ai/seed

Evaluation of Trigard in a seed treatment package for onion maggot control in 2020.

Courtesy Brian A. Nault, Department of Entomology, Cornell University

All photos are either property of Syngenta or are used with permission.

2022-01-06

11:28 AM

EVALUATION OF TRIGARD IN A SEED TREATMENT PACKAGE FOR ONION MAGGOT CONTROL IN ONION,

100

% Plants killed by Onion Maggot

seedcorn maggots, onion thrips and leafminers. Key diseases to look out for in the upcoming season are Rhizoctonia, Fusarium and Pythium.

Growers can start with a seed treatment that offers multiple modes of action against insects and diseases.

With this option in mind, I recommend FarMore FI500 Onion seed treatment with Trigard OMC. The difference between this new FarMore F1500 Onion seed treatment and the older one is that it replaces Regard SC with Trigard OMC. Containing three fungicides and two powerful seed-applied insecticides (Trigard OMC + Cruiser 5FS), this new FarMore FI500 Onion seed treatment offers direct-seeded onion growers earlyseason insect and disease protection to increase opportunity for a healthy, vigorous stand while also offering increased protection against onion maggots and seedcorn maggots.

This year, Syngenta will be offering the FarMore FI500 package with either Trigard or Regard options. However, to help minimize resistance in the onion maggot populations, we will be transitioning to Trigard only after 2022. This will be a shift from the active ingredient in Regard of spinosad to the active ingredient of cyromazine in Trigard. Cruiser 5FS will still be included in the FarMore F1500 package, as well.

Recent trials with Dr. Brian Nault at Cornell University show a high level of efficacy from Trigard OMC insecticide seed treatment in the new FarMore F1500 package.

It’s never too early to start planning your defense against yield-robbing insects and diseases. Get ahead of potential pests and diseases by strategizing a plan that will provide you with the highest yield and quality opportunity. Work with your local seed treater, local extension agents and agronomic advisers now – during the pre-planting season – to stay ahead of potential threats to your yield.

Dr. Brian A. Nault, Department of Entomology, Cornell University 2021 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

FarMore® F300

FarMore FI500 (with Regard™) 0.2 mg ai/seed

FarMore FI500 (with Trigard® OMC) 0.225 mg ai/seed

Evaluation of Trigard in a seed treatment package for onion maggot control in 2021.

Courtesy Brian A. Nault, Department of Entomology, Cornell University All photos are either property of Syngenta or are used with permission.

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19

IN THE NEWS

Colorado Onion Grower Passes Away

Daryle Tateyama, a longtime member of the Colorado onion industry, passed away on Dec. 28, 2021, at the age of 70.

Tateyama grew up on the family farm in Ault, Colorado. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness at Colorado State University and started farming near Greeley, Colorado. Eventually, he joined his father, Harold, and brother, Ed, and established Harold Tateyama & Sons to grow, pack and ship onions and spinach in Weld County and the San Luis Valley.

Tateyama later held management positions with Tanimura and Antle in California, Navajo Mesa Farms in New Mexico and Schnorr Farms in Colorado. Most recently, he was a produce broker for Rocky Mountain Produce in Windsor, Colorado. He was a longtime member of the National Onion Association and the Northern Colorado Onion Association.

He is survived by his wife, Jane, two children and one grandson.

NOA Voices Support for Existing Pesticide Law

The National Onion Association (NOA) joined more than 350 organizations engaged with pesticide products in a letter sent to members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The letter voices support for the pesticide regulatory system currently in place under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). This comes in response to legislation (S. 3283) recently introduced by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) that would undermine the science-based standards contained within the nation’s pesticide law, according to the NOA. This is the second time these organizations have reached out to Congress to voice concern over similar proposed legislation.

Read more about the proposed legislation in “Standing Up to the Grandstanding” on page 22.

20

Onion World • February 2022

Lender Predicts Breakeven Returns

Northwest Farm Credit Services’ 12-month profitability outlook calls for “breakeven returns” on onions. The drivers behind this prediction include demand for remaining large onions, rising input costs and weather.

Following a shortage of large onions in the 2021 onion crop, producers with large onions in storage are well positioned to capture higher prices, according to the January report.

However, rising input costs are adding pressure to producers’ breakeven costs. Headline inflation was 6.8 percent in the last year. Nitrogen fertilizer prices skyrocketed from under $225 per ton in November 2020 to $570 per ton a year later. Machinery and drip irrigation costs reached an alltime high in November.

Profitability in 2022 will also depend on growing conditions; ample rainfall is needed to make up for shortages in last year’s onion crop.

Onion Quiz Answers From page 14

These are symptoms caused by the fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. The symptoms of twisted and distorted leaves give the disease its name of “twister.” Photo 1 shows the symptoms on seedlings in an onion seedbed, and Photo 2 shows the results of inoculations on plants in the greenhouse with an isolate of C. gloeosporioides recovered from the onions in the seedbed.

The symptoms can easily be mistaken for chemical damage.

The fungus does not produce spores or acervuli on onions, as it does on other vegetables, thus making it difficult to confirm its identify in the field. To make a diagnosis, tissues from the base of onion seedlings should be plated out on an artificial medium such as potato dextrose agar (PDA).

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The pathogen is common in the U.S. on other vegetables such as pepper and tomato and survives on plant debris in the farmscape. Infections with C. gloeosporioides occur during warm and humid conditions.

The outbreak on onion in the U.S. occurred during a period of unusually warm weather (low 80s) at the time of seedling production. The disease was also aided by conditions of high humidity provided by overhead irrigation. In this outbreak, only seedlings were affected as the disease did not progress to mature onion plants. However, in tropical regions, 100 percent yield losses have been reported.

No management recommendations for this disease are currently available.

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21

FROM THE NOA

Standing Up to the Grandstanding

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

I

f you haven’t been paying close attention to what’s going on in Congress, or perhaps you’re focused more on the presidential arena or your local issues, you may want to take another look.

Democrats in late November introduced a bill in the Senate that if passed will clearly rock the world and make food production a thing of the past.

The regulations and continued new rules that make it difficult for America’s farmers to operate will continue. But this particular bill, introduced Nov. 30 and

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Onion World • February 2022

assigned to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, is seeking to wipe out all pesticide use, claiming that pesticides harm America’s children, and they are pawns in the Environmental Protection Agency’s apparent plot to ignore and break the rules when it comes to pesticide registration and management.

Grandstanding? Yes. Likely to pass?

No. But if we continue to watch our policymakers introduce and attempt to debate topics like these without so much as a phone call from those of us who could educate them, today’s grandstanding could be tomorrow’s reality.

This bill, S. 3283, also known as Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act, is sponsored by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and has the backing of the likes of Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Edward Markey (D-Mass.).

We say it’s time to pick up the phone and advocate for all American farmers.

This bill isn’t about protecting America’s children; it’s about grandstanding and making an issue out of one of the most vital implements farmers use all over the world.

According to PesticideFacts.org, “Between 26 (percent) and 40 percent of the world’s potential crop production is lost annually because of weeds, pests and diseases. Without crop protection, these losses could easily double.”

We’re preaching to the choir, we know.

We are all well aware that pesticide use is vital, and that when used correctly and safely, pesticides do exactly what they say they’re going to do. But there is an increasing number of people in Washington D.C. who have no idea about food production reality; they get into roles for which they have absolutely no business doing. When major committees that help form policy have no actual farm experience, of course we’ll end up with bills like S. 3283.

We all know the reality of the American farmer. It’s time to start educating America. Invite reporters to the farm, reach out to news crews, and let them film what we do to keep food safe and feed America. And though we are all comfortable in our own corner of the world doing our own thing, we need to get and stay involved.

A lot of us complain about politics in Washington D.C., but we could do more. At the National Onion Association (NOA), we’re working to fight illinformed legislation constantly. We go to Washington D.C. and advocate to do the right thing. Wouldn’t it be amazing if America’s farmers, or at least the onion industry, collectively stood behind this effort to combat ridiculous and illinformed measures?

When we look at the text of this bill, we feel like it will go down pretty heartily, but there are no guarantees in Washington D.C. “The NOA is having a Fly-In Feb. 20-23 to discuss many important issues with our policymakers,” said Greg Yielding, executive vice president of the NOA. “If you cannot attend, you can still make a difference by contacting your legislators.”

We invite you to give feedback on this bill by contacting your member of Congress. If you do not know who this is, NOA members at least can look in the membership directory. The district number in their listing will correspond to your legislator under the legislative tab.

Or, just go to www.house.gov and type in your residential zip code to find your House member. On the Senate side, go to www.senate.gov. Press the Senators tab, and you can punch in your state through the drop-down menus.

Or, simply visit www.congress.gov and search S. 3283 to read the text of the bill and watch its progress through the process. So far, there has been no actual debate on the bill.

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17

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