Onion World March/April 2018 by Columbia Media Group

OnionWorld.net â&#x20AC;˘ March / April 2018

Making H-2A Work

Obendorf Farms

Bacterial Rot Growth Essentials Buyers' Guide

Table of Contents Magazines For Maximum Yield

ONION WORLD Volume 34, Number 3

March/April 2018 4 8

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 Publisher / Advertising Manager Dave Alexander dave@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com

Making H-2A Work Obendorf Farms

Around the Ring

Idaho and Malheur County Onion Growers Associations

Bacterial Rot is Frequent and Vicious: New Tools to Reduce Loss and Spoilage

W-3008 Plans for 2018

Growth Essentials

Editor Denise Keller editor@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com Director of Operations Brian Feist brian@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com

EDITORIAL INFORMATION 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.

W-3008 Annual Meeting Buyers' Guide

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

SUBSCRIPTIONS U.S. $24 per year Canada $40 per year Foreign $80 per year Payments may be made by check, Visa, MasterCard or American Express.

Find the newest fertilizers, crop nutrients and more in the Growth Essentials Buyers’ Guide on pages 16-17.

On the Cover Phil Obendorf keeps white onions in the rotation at Obendorf Farms, a large hops producer, to provide supplemental work for the farm’s H2-A workers during the hops off-season. See story on page 4.

Onion World • March/April 2018

Departments

18 18 20 22

Calendar In The News New Products 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 2017. 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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Making H-2A Work Story by Denise Keller, Editor Photos by Dave Alexander, Publisher

As a result, Obendorf turned to the H-2A program in 2015. The program allows agricultural employers to hire foreign guest workers on temporary work visas to fill seasonal jobs. The farm will employ 195 workers through the program this year. The majority arrived Feb. 15 for spring and summer work, with a second crew coming Aug. 1. The first crew will go home after hop harvest, while the second group will stay until Dec. 15. The workers stay busy in the hop fields through June and again at the end of

An Obendorf Farms employee hand-tops white onions into a 5-gallon bucket.

Obendorf Farms grows 200 acres of onions in Wilder, Idaho. Pictured, from left, are Brock, Ray and Phil Obendorf.

n 1938, Ray Obendorf, a sophomore in high school at the time, decided to grow a half acre of onions to earn some money. Little did he know then, that onions would still be in the Obendorf Farms rotation 80 years and two generations later. Today, the Wilder, Idaho farm, now managed by his grandsons Phil and Brock Obendorf, produces 200 acres of onions. While onions make up a small percentage of the farm’s overall production, the crop plays a key role in the farm’s ability to utilize the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program.

Onion World • March/April 2018

Onions in the Off-Season

During the last decade, Obendorf Farms has decreased onion acreage by about 50 percent as the farm expanded its hops production to its current 2,600 acres with another 300-acre partnership with the Watson family. With 250 employees needed to operate the four hop-harvesting facilities, labor presents the biggest hurdle on the farm. High-paying construction jobs created by Boise’s booming housing market have consumed much of the labor pool, says Phil Obendorf.

Phil Obendorf grows onions, hops, wheat, corn, hay and blueberries at Obendorf Farms in Wilder, Idaho.

August through September, but have some downtime in between. Obendorf uses onions and the farm’s 18-acre blueberry crop as supplemental work for the H-2A employees during the off-season. This allows the grower to hire the workers on a full 10-month program as opposed to two separate programs in the spring and fall. “Hops are the foundation of the farm, so it establishes how much labor we require. The amount of labor we have determines how many white onions we can plant and the way that we operate all our other crops,” Obendorf explains. Onions occupy about 20 percent of the H-2A workers’ time. The workers install and remove irrigation drip tape, pull weeds, hand-top and sack white onions, bin onions and help with planting. The farm’s onion crop includes 100 acres of white onions, 70 acres of yellow onions and 35 acres of red onions, as well as an additional 220 acres of sharecrop onions. Obendorf Farms began hand-sacking the white onions in 2016. The white onions are undercut during the hotter part of the growing season, whereas the reds and yellows aren’t harvested until October. Hand-topping and sacking the early-maturing white onions helps prevent sunscald, and “you get a superior product if you put them in a bag,” Obendorf says. The crew hand-tops the onions into 5-gallon buckets, which are emptied into 50-pound burlap sacks before being

H2-A workers place white onions in 50-pound burlap sacks.

OnionWorld.net

Obendorf Farms dumped into a truck bed, transported to a binning station and placed in storage.

H-2A Benefits, Burdens

Obendorf Farms is one of four employers in the Treasure Valley using the H-2A program, according to the grower. “We are the pioneers of the H-2A program in the area,” he says, noting that a large onion operation and two apple growers also use the program. Adoption of the H-2A program has brought both benefits and burdens. After experiencing a high turnover rate on crew labor, Obendorf has appreciated the stability of the H-2A workforce. “The biggest benefit of the program is having the same people show up every day, and you don’t have to retrain new people,” Obendorf shares. “Many of the workers return each year, which is very cost effective for us. They are extremely dependable and very hardworking.” On the flipside, the greatest challenge has been finding enough housing to accommodate the crew. The program mandates that employers provide workers with approved housing that meets requirements including a minimum square footage and proximity to a store. A local housing shortage has made this difficult. Other expenses include transportation costs to and from Mexico, as well as wages based on the prevailing wage set by the state each year. In addition, a fulltime Obendorf Farms employee spends 90 percent of her time on H-2A paperwork. “Anybody that is looking at the H-2A program has to have diversity in their farm to be able to justify this program because it costs so much to bring these people from Mexico. You need to have multiple

The Obendorf family has been growing hops since 1948. Pictured in an Obendorf Farms hop field are Brock (left) and Phil (right) with their grandfather Ray Obendorf (center).

jobs lined up for it to be cost effective,” Obendorf says. The H-2A program has been a good fit for Obendorf Farms, according to the grower. Without the program, he would have to restructure the farm to include crops that are less labor intensive. He would likely still grow onions, but possibly shift acreage from whites to yellows. For now, he plans to keep acreage as is and only grow as many white onions as he has the labor to harvest.

Obendorf Farms hand-tops and sacks its white onions, which grower Phil Obendorf says prevents sunscald and results in a superior product.

Four-Generation Farm

In addition to onions, hops and blueberries, Obendorf Farms has 550 acres set aside for wheat and corn. Another 700 acres of grass hay and 300 to 400 acres of alfalfa are grown to feed the family’s 800-head cow and calf operation located in Jordan Valley, Oregon. The Obendorf family has been farming in Idaho for four generations. Early crops included lettuce, and in 1948, they began growing hops. In 1961, Ray Obendorf moved his 1,300-acre row crop farm six miles north of Parma through the desert entry program and continued farming hops in Wilder. His son, Greg Obendorf, took over the operation in the early 1980s and handed over the reins to his sons, Phil and Brock, in 2008. Greg Obendorf now runs Obendorf Hops. As for Ray Obendorf, his first half acre of onions, which he sold to JC Watson, led to a lifetime in the business. He says Watson took him under his wing and showed him the ropes. Now a spry 94, Ray Obendorf continues growing onions as a sharecropper for Obendorf Farms.

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AROUND

THE RING

The 58th annual meeting of the Idaho and Malheur County Onion Growers Associations was held Feb. 6 in Ontario, Oregon. The meeting featured a trade show with 47 booths, and the 350 attendees were greeted with a packed schedule and the opportunity to catch several speakers. Though only a one-day event, many participants drove hours to attend. As one person at the trade show said, “All the growers are here. It’s how it should be – everything in one day.”

Agri-Lines reps Dan Cutler, James Dayton and Fred Butler promote the company’s products and new Nampa, Idaho, location.

Ellie Clark with The Nichols Accounting Group serves chips and homemade salsa at her trade show booth.

Dave Hawes, Eloyd Harris and Ryan Buhler with G&R Ag Products, Inc. stand by to field questions from trade show visitors.

Shawn Beavers advertises Merivon fungicide at the BASF booth.

Gowan Seed Company shows off these beauties at the trade show.

CH2O reps Justin Ranger and Bucky Synder sell equipment and chemicals to keep drip lines flowing cleanly.

Isao “Kame” Kameshige (left) and Gary Bybee (right) accept plaques in recognition of their induction into the Treasure Valley Onion Hall of Fame. Also pictured are Paul Skeen, president of the Malheur County Onion Growers Association (center), and John Wong, chairman of the Hall of Fame committee (top).

Randi Svaty and Heather Haueter with Northwest Farm Credit Services promote the company’s services at the show.

Ann Jacops and Candi Fitch represent the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee.

Doug McAdams with Orchard Valley Irrigation, LLC displays samples of irrigation parts he keeps in stock.

Retired onion grower Tom Uriu has been helping with the annual meeting for over 30 years. The Air Force veteran from the Korean War still organizes the luncheon today.

Based in western Idaho, Kasey Knopp represents Ag-West Distribution Company, Inc., which specializes in fertilizer and spraying equipment.

Brothers Michael and Richard Navarrete staff the Seminis booth. Michael works in variety development, and Richard is a sales rep.

Duane Kido, Laura Snow and Amber Maples work the Top Air, Inc. booth.

Bacterial Rot is Frequent and Vicious: New Tools to Reduce Loss and Spoilage By Michael Larose, Agrichemical Segment Manager, BioSafe Systems

sk an onion grower what he fears most, and he will probably tell you a bacterial rot outbreak in his fields. There are few things worse than an exhausting season of blood, sweat and countless hours of tending to and growing a beautiful stand of onions, only to find it decimated by disease. Bacterial rot can strike just before harvest, during harvest, or in transit or storage; it does not discriminate. Onion growers across the United States are part of a tightly knit network and have shared their stories about bacterial “plagues” that have decimated localized onion production areas and destroyed 60 to 90 percent of a once-flourishing crop. The hardest hit regions of the United States are, by far, the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states, where a favorable summer climate creates a hotbed for bacterial growth. With limited labeled solutions to combat bacterial pathogens on onions, growers have rapidly been educating themselves and adopting new technologies such as bio-chemicals and biologicals as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) program to reduce overall outbreak incidence and severity. Applying changes to an established program to favor a preventative approach, rather than a

reactive one, can reduce bacterial inoculum to negligible levels, creating a further reduction of loss.

Need for New Tools

This onion shows foliar symptoms of bacterial soft rot.

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There’s a thought that tends to take root in the agricultural community: “I’ve been using the same spray program for years, and all it does is help me sleep at night. I have no idea if it’s really working.” For the past five to six years, there has been some validity to that thought process. There are very few advancements or new technologies being introduced to combat bacterial rot, especially when it comes to bactericides to help the onion industry compared to the tremendous funds allocated to other crops with bacterial susceptibility. Onion growers have relied on centuriesold solutions, including standard applications of copper and sulfur sprays, which many university research studies have proven contribute to the mutational resistance issues with similar treatments. To combat this growing resistance, biopesticide manufacturers are providing growers with innovative tools that work synergistically with growers’ standard programs.

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Peroxyacetic acid (PAA) is a biochemical, yet a lethal tool in bacterial pathogen control for onion, shallot and garlic crops. Over the past 20 years, peroxyacetic acid’s use as a foliar bactericide/fungicide for conventional fruit and vegetable crops has increased tremendously. Through continued research and development, innovative formulations have been developed for soil treatment programs targeting root rot pathogens, irrigation water treatment for coliform reduction and food safety solutions that address challenges in controlling human health pathogens. This includes packing house solutions related to recirculated water, spray bar applications and hydrocooler treatments to improve the overall quality and shelf-life of crops that are prepared for consumption.

“I’ve been using the same spray program for years, and all it does is help me sleep at night. I have no idea if it’s really working.” Peroxyacetic acid, when formulated and engineered to ensure optimized formulations for specific uses, provides a rapid oxidative reaction against bacterial and fungal cells within minutes of contact. Utilizing a non-ionic surfactant with chemistries such as PAA can increase effectiveness in high-pressure scenarios or when used in thick canopy crops.

Bacterial Infection Management

Many bacterial pathogens affect onions, with most causing center rot or bulb surface rot near harvest, during storage or in transit. Bacterial diseases of onions have been a limiting constraint on the freshmarket onion yield and quality for decades. In recent years, growers have seen a dramatic increase in losses due to pathogen resistance and weather abnormalities. In fact, onion crop loss caused by bacterial pathogens has surpassed the amount of loss due to fungal pathogens, insects or weed competition.

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Bacterial Rot

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Bacterial soft rot symptoms can range from spongy, water-soaked scales to complete Approximately 3.6 million pounds of onionsbulb were breakdown. in this Champion Produce storage facility when the roof caved in. Photo courtesy Champion Produce

As with any pathogen outbreak, there is no cure-all chemistry that will solve bacterial pathogen issues in onions; however, incorporating a year-round IPM strategy to manage the level of bacterial infection in the field dramatically improves the efficacy in a growerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program. Recent Pennsylvania State University research found that a significant percentage of bacterial inoculum originates from transplants and weeds. Combating this by maintaining a strong herbicide program through the season will help reduce harboring points. Similarly, ensuring transplants are sprayed with a bio-chemical product before planting will help reduce any existing inoculum to prevent it from entering the field. The use of biologicals and bio-stimulants in a production program to help with numerous pathogen, pest and plant stress challenges should be the new norm among onion growers.

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The cross-section of this onion bulb shows bacterial surface rot infection.

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W-3008 Plans for 2018

acterial diseases and the allium leafminer are among the issues on the radar this year for the W-3008 multistate research committee. The group, which includes onion specialists and stakeholders from across the U.S., discussed these topics and a long list of others during its annual meeting, held Dec. 4, 2017, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The W-3008 project originates from the W-1008 project, which focused on onion thrips and Iris yellow spot virus, and the W-2008 project, which broadened to include other onion diseases and pests. The project, now in its 11th year, has facilitated collaboration among researchers on efforts including securing larger federal grants.

Bacterial Diseases

Bacterial diseases of onion were problematic during the 2017 growing season in some states including California, New Mexico and Washington, according to state reports shared at the meeting. Washington State University’s Tim Waters said that 2017 appears to be one of the worst years for bacterial rots in the Columbia Basin for some growers, with several farms experiencing 30 to 40 percent bacterial bulb rots in red cultivars at harvest or soon after harvest. This appears to have been correlated to high heat in late July and early August combined with high relative humidity caused by severe wildfire smoke for several weeks during late maturity of the crops.

Bacterial diseases continue to be an area of focus for many research programs. Beth Brisco reported on the work being done at Michigan State University. In evaluating the interaction between bacterial foliar diseases and onion thrips, researchers found that protecting onions from thrips damage significantly reduced disease severity. They are also evaluating sources of bacterial inoculum through weed and seed sampling and have isolated suspect bacteria. Other trials are looking at the effects of nitrogen fertility, temperatures, humidity and planting date on bacterial disease incidence and severity.

Allium Leafminer

Beth Gugino brought the group up to speed on Pennsylvania State University’s work on allium leafminer, a pest reported in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Maryland. Although the pest is limited to the Northeast, it is increasing in geographic distribution fairly rapidly, according to researchers. Plants affected by the pest display symptoms including a line of oviposition marks on the leaves as well as serpentine mines. The larvae burrow down into the bulb and pupate. All alliums are susceptible, and long-distance transport on planting material is a potential concern. A Pennsylvania State University entomology lab was able to rear a colony of leafminers, which is promising for conducting future research. Plans include

comparing infestation levels among different allium hosts and cultivars, evaluating planting dates for bunching onions and conducting insecticide efficacy trials.

New Website

Launching a new website is also on the W-3008 committee’s to-do list for early 2018. The old site, www.alliumnet.com, has been dormant since Colorado State University researcher Howard Schwartz retired in 2015. Bhabesh Dutta and Joe LaForest with the University of Georgia are building a new site at www.alliumnet.bugwoodcloud.org. The site will focus on collaboration among research, extension and industry. They are requesting input on useful resources, links and other information to include on the site.

Officers, Meeting Plans

Rounding out the annual meeting was the election of new officers and scheduling of future meetings. The 2018 officers are Christy Hoepting, Cornell University, chair; Beth Gugino, Pennsylvania State University, vice-chair; Bhabesh Dutta, University of Georgia, secretary; and Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University, past-chair. The 2018 W-3008 annual meeting will be held Nov. 13 in conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Vegetable Association Annual Convention and Trade Show, scheduled for Nov. 14-15 in Kennewick, Washington.

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Growth Essentials Buyers’ Guide

Redox • www.redoxchem.com diKaP

Redox believes the highest quality and biggest yields come from superior plant nutrition and management of environmental oxidative stress. One of the company’s tools to help accomplish this is diKaP, a reacted plant nutrient product high in potassium and phosphorus. diKaP is complexed with plant available humic, fulvic and amino acids to prevent tie up in the soil, making it a highly efficient potassium and phosphorus source. It is unique in its ability to promote phenolic compound production in the plant, helping the plant combat the negative effects of oxygen free radicals that cause cell damage. diKaP is applied to the soil or as a foliar before a heat or cold event, or during a time of water stress.

Innovak Global • www.innovakglobal.com BioFit N, Nutrisorb

BioFit N recovers and maintains the productive capacity of the soil and promotes biological fertility. Its beneficial microbes enhance fertilizer uptake and suppress root-knot nematodes and soil-borne diseases. The product improves the root activity and development and optimizes the nutritional state of crops. The use of Biofit N for long periods of time contributes to the development of optimal soil structure. And it’s easy to apply. Nutrisorb is a bio-stimulant for nutrient assimilation that promotes root development and active absorption of nutrients. It increases economic return per unit of fertilizer applied. Nutrisorb favors greater vegetative development of the plant as a result of the best extraction of nutrients. The product unlocks nutrients immobilized in the soil due to rhizosphere acidification.

RTI-Ag • www.rti-ag.com Biological Inoculants

RTI-Ag introduces economic and highly effective biological inoculants. Products include arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, growth promoting nitrogen-fixing bacteria and crop nutrient delivery systems. RTI-Ag also offers highly viable arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The most successful strains of mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria are chosen for their ability to increase crop production and sustainability. Products increase crop yields and nutritional content while also improving soil structure, moisture and nutrient management.

Actagro • www.actagro.com For nearly four decades, Actagro has taken cues from the foremost authority in crop nutrition: nature. By working with natural soil processes to enhance plant nutrient uptake, the company develops and manufactures products that increase yield potential while improving soil health. This boosts growers’ environmental stewardship and the long-term productivity and profitability of their land. Actagro’s team of agronomists and scientists works in state-of-the-art facilities, examining the relationships between plants and soil to determine how well the products work with nature, not against it. All products are rigorously tested in laboratories and in the field to ensure maximum performance before release into the market. 16

Onion World • March/April 2018

Nutri-Cal • www.nutri-cal.com Nutri-K

Nutri-K liquid potassium is a special formulation of highly soluble potassium, carboxylic acids and carbohydrates. The carboxylic acids and carbohydrates, which are the same complexing agents identified in the formulation of Nutri-Cal, are derived from plant extracts in a patented process. There are no nitrates, chlorides or sulfates. It has a low salt index and is therefore non-corrosive. The product works when the T.O.G. complexes the elemental potassium ion, which subsequently allows the ion to be absorbed directly and immediately through the leaf and fruit cell walls. Nutri-K T.O.G / liquid potassium complex provides a unique delivery system, which protects the potassium from forming an insoluble compound, enabling more efficient movement of potassium ion to the fruit/ vegetable where it is needed most.

Huma Gro • www.humagro.com Vitol, Breakout

Huma Gro’s Vitol is carbon-complexed with Micro Carbon Technology to feed the natural metabolic processes within the plant for vegetative development. It increases the nutrient uptake of the plant and smoothly transitions the plant through its growth stages. It also improves plant recovery from environmental stresses during peak crop demand periods. When soil-applied, Vitol provides necessary nutrients for root growth and elongation critical in taproot crops. Huma Gro Breakout is also carbon-complexed with Micro Carbon Technology and designed to feed the natural metabolic process within the plant. When applied to soils, Breakout effectively provides needed nutrients for fibrous root growth and enhanced root mass development.

Agrinos • www.agrinos.com iNvigorate, B Sure

iNvigorate from Agrinos promotes the absorption of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and promotes a healthy soil microbial community. The product improves nutrient uptake by freeing up soil-bound nutrients, increases fertilizer use efficiency and aids in stronger root growth. It also rejuvenates the soil microbial community and increases soil organic matter. iNvigorate reliably improves yield and crop quality across a wide variety of soils, crops and growing conditions. B Sure is a liquid nutrient solution from Agrinos. To support plant productivity in a variety of environmental conditions, B Sure contains carbon, nitrogen, true protein, amino acids and essential metabolic micronutrients. True protein is a source of highly bioavailable time-released nitrogen, complementing the activity of applied nitrogen. The micronutrient formulation helps build and support an active photosynthetic pathway. Carbon and essential minerals boost plant metabolism and stimulate plant and root growth. Free amino acids provide ready-made building blocks for protein synthesis.

AgroLiquid • www.agroliquid.com Sure-K

Sure-K is a clean, chloride- and hydroxide-free potassium solution. It can be applied in combination with other crop production or protection products and presents a very low risk of crop injury. Sure-K can be used in any cropping situation where potassium is needed. Sure-K’s unique formula provides increased crop utilization, allowing lower total product application volume to produce the same results as other conventional potassium fertility products when applied at typical rates. OnionWorld.net

In the News

Reddin Resigns From the NOA

After 13 years as the voice of the onion industry, Kim Reddin has left her position as the National Onion Association’s (NOA) director of public and industry affairs. She has accepted a job as director of communications at Colorado Corn. Reddin calls her departure bittersweet. While her new job is an opportunity to advance her ag communications career closer to home, she is sad to see this chapter come to a close. “I have truly loved working for the NOA,” Reddin says. “Since day one, in 2004, when I boarded the plane for New Orleans where NOA’s annual convention was being held, the ride has been extraordinary!” She is proud of her accomplishments at the NOA and deeply grateful for the opportunities and unique experiences that came with her job, she adds. Wayne Mininger, NOA executive vice-president, says Reddin will be missed, noting she was “a star performer and a true team player.” “A mere thank you is not enough for all of what Kim has accomplished for members of the National Onion Association. She has a real knack for maximizing public relations on a budget and is particularly adept with membership interactions,” Mininger says.

Tearless Onion Hits the Market

Sunions, a new tearless and sweet onion, made its debut in select supermarkets this winter. Sunions are described as having a flavor profile that is consistently sweet, mild and crunchy. The variety was developed through an all-natural cross-breeding program over the course of three decades. Unlike other onions, Sunions become sweeter in storage. The volatile compounds responsible for tearing and pungent flavor decrease over time, creating a tearless, sweet and mild onion. The onions must be certified to be both tearless and sweet before shipping to grocery stores. Last year, Sunions were grown in trials and tested by consumers pre-disposed to tearing when cutting onions. Sunions were preferred 5-to-1 over a leading onion variety and rated significantly less irritating to the eyes compared to the other onion. Currently, Sunions are grown only in Nevada and Washington.

Calendar July 18-21 National Onion Association Summer Convention Bakersfield Marriott at the Convention Center. Bakersfield, Calif. www.onions-usa.org

•

June 25-27 United Fresh 2018

McCormick Place Convention Center, Chicago, Ill. www.unitedfresh.org

Editor’s note: To have your event listed, please email Denise Keller editor@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com Please send your information 90 days in advance.

Onion World • March/April 2018

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Oct. 18-20 PMA Fresh Summit Convention and Expo Orlando, Fla. www.freshsummit.com

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Dow Hires Telone Specialist

Agri-Lines Opens New Store

Offering “anything irrigation,” AgriLines Irrigation Inc. is opening a new store in Nampa, Idaho, on March 1. The store will provide parts, sales and service for pivots, wheel lines, drip, pumping systems and pipe. In addition, Agri-Lines offers electrical service and custom fab work. Headquartered in Parma, Idaho, the company is a dealer and specialist for both Lindsay Zimmatic pivots and Netafim drip systems. Visit www.agri-lines.com.

Dow AgroSciences has hired Jorge Villasenor as the Telone specialist for the Columbia Basin area of Washington. He replaces Ryan Roslak, who retired after 33 years with Dow AgroSciences. Villasenor will work in various crops, but will focus on onions, potatoes and tree fruit. He will work with all applicators of Telone to ensure that stewardship programs and proper applications are maintained. He will also provide expertise on equipment issues related to fumigation with Telone and coordinate field trials with university and contract researchers. Previously, Villasenor was employed as a Telone specialist in Idaho, where he worked with growers, retailers and custom applicators. He earned a degree in tree fruit management from Washington State University in 2016.

Drexel Chemical Company Announces New Hire, Retiree

Drexel Chemical Company has hired Josh Elmore as western regional sales representative. Drexel, located in Memphis, Tennessee, manufactures insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, growth regulators, nutrients, adjuvants and surfactants. Elmore will be responsible for sales in Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah. He earned his agronomy degree from New Mexico State University in 2017 and will be based in the Fresno, California, area. Meanwhile, the company is wishing Jim Corder well in his retirement from the company. He’s ending a more than 50-year career in the crop protection industry, including eight years handling Drexel’s western U.S. business.

TUCANNON

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 Brian Haddon

Casey Crookham

Steve Graton

Larry Chambers

Todd Clark

Larry Duell

Jimmy Graton

Norm Haak

971-282-2884 Western OR & WA

509-531-7254 Columbia Basin

509-832-2620 Columbia Basin

208-841-9702 Treasure Valley

435-230-4667 Utah

970-397-8566 Colorado

805-305-5447 Product Development

701-710-0099 North Dakota

P.O. Box 190 Chualar, CA 93925

831-679-1900 OnionWorld.net

New Products

Drone Package Flies Into Market

Aero Hawk is flying into the precision ag market with its new combination of drone, camera and software designed for the ag industry. The drone and four-lens camera combination weighs in at 2.9 pounds. The lightweight design provides a flight time of 25 minutes with the unit covering 160 acres on one battery charge. The eightmegapixel camera is equipped with four filters including two tri-band filters. Aero Hawk downloads the data from the camera and uploads it directly onto a user’s computer in less than two hours. Aero Hawk software stitches the pictures based on the best pixel, providing seamless data, according to the company. Data provided can be used to pinpoint areas in the field that have disease, damage, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and water issues, and to see relative nitrogen values. More than three dozen indexes can be measured per flight. Pricing is under $5,000. Visit www.aero-hawk.com.

TRUCK, TRACTOR OR OFFICE

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TURNING RAW IDEAS INTO STAINLESS STEEL SOLUTIONS CMI is an expert at taking a vision—and engineering it to work at production speed. Whether onions need to be peeled, or a complete processing line developed, CMI delivers its magic in stainless steel.

www.cmiequip-eng.com 320-864-5894

Onion World • March/April 2018

Ag App Issues Weather Alerts

A new smartphone application promises to make growers’ lives easier. Available on the App Store and Google Play, SetPoint Weather is a customizable weather application designed specifically for the agriculture industry. Users select locations, and then set custom weather alerts for each location. When the weather or forecast triggers an alert, users are notified by push notifications sent directly to their phones. Users can subscribe to five or 10 locations and set alarms based upon selected parameters including temperature, humidity, dew point, wind speed, barometric pressures, rain accumulation and chance of rain. Visit www.setpointweather.com.

PRECISION VACUUM PLANTERS

Canadian Company Offers Organic Options

Cropland Solutions is promoting its line of organic fertilizers and plant supplements to improve soil quality and crop yield. The products are formulated to manage plant stress at the cellular level and utilize technology that focuses on plant-soil energy management to optimize crop yield. The products have helped growers increase yields, while reducing water waste, soil degradation and labor costs, according to the company. The products, all of which are approved for organic and conventional production in the U.S. and Canada, can be mixed for a one-pass application. Contact susan@croplandsolutions.com.

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Our proven accurate seed placement is why growers have continued to purchase our planters over these many years. Special inner and outer singulators removes doubles to insure placement of individual seeds. All planters are assembled and tested at our plant in Chino, California, to insure accuracy.

13477 Benson Ave. • Chino, CA 91710 Ph: 909.548.4848 • Fax: 909.548.4747 www.gearmore.com Onion World Ad 1/3 page square - 4.875” x 4.875”

OnionWorld.net

From the NOA

Are You Overlooking a Marketing Gem?

By Kim Reddin, National Onion Association Director of Public and Industry Relations

nions are so important to cooking that Julia Child once quipped, “It’s hard to imagine civilization without onions.” Like the onion is to cooking, public relations are a vital part of marketing. And, just like an onion, public relations can often be an overlooked, underappreciated element of successful marketing. Promotion, one of the 4Ps of marketing, has five channels: direct marketing, personal selling, sales promotion, advertising and public relations. In today’s business climate, no single channel wins. Integrated marketing is a must as customers expect relevant, timely messages. They expect their interactions to be real, relevant, truthful and connected. Of the five promotional channels, are you utilizing all of them at some point and time in your marketing efforts, or have you let one or more slip past your radar? If you are like many companies, the promotional channel being underutilized or completely ignored is public relations. Specifically, most companies overlook publicity and its value.

ONLINE AUCTION

ONION/POTATO EQUIPMENT Ends March 28

Gumz Farms LLC Endeavor, WI is selling excess assets from the acquisition of P&R Packing

Including: •Idaho

Steel Stacker Sizer •Volm Rucker •Spudnik Scoop •Lockwood Scale •Shuknecht Grading Table •Shuknecht Onion Topper •Case MX220 Magnum •And much more! •Shuknecht

For Complete Listing, visit:

www.DaveBellAuctionsAndEquipment.com Auctioneer: Dave Bell Auctions LLC Wisconsin Auctioneers License 2679 Phone: 920-763-8373

Onion World • March/April 2018

If a promotional mix channel could talk, here’s what publicity might say: “Go ahead, ignore me. I don’t care. I’m used to it anyway. It’s okay, I know I am invisible.” But why is such a powerful promotional mix channel ignored? Is it because products are boring and no one really wants to hear about them anyway? Is it because publicity is inexpensive? Is it because products should be kept a secret? Or maybe, other channels are working so well, orders are pouring in and they don’t need more sales. All that money… what a headache! Yeah, that’s probably it. Actually, the answer is none of these. Most companies overlook publicity as the marketing gem that hides in plain sight. Publicity can be challenging, which is why members of the National Onion Association (NOA) unanimously voted on a promotion program 35 years ago. To this day, NOA’s promotion program is funded by growers, shippers and marketers – not with membership dues, but a separate investment. At one cent per hundredweight (or half a penny per 50-pound bag), every shipper and marketer can go from overlooking publicity with zero media coverage to having a public relations partner with a 35-year track record of providing media coverage and a whole lot more. NOA’s promotion program does publicity on a national scale, year-round, with consistent returns on every dollar invested in the form of measurable results. Last year, growers, shippers and marketers invested $144,000 in NOA’s promotion program. Over 125 million bags of onions are marketed in the U.S. annually. At this volume, investments in the promotion program should exceed $600,000 a year. What a difference this level of funding would make to attract the next generation of onion buyers and consumers. Perhaps you or your company have overlooked NOA’s promotion program and the value it will have in your promotional mix. If so, the solution is simple. Invest in the program today. The recommended investment is one cent per 100 pounds of onions shipped/processed/sold. Please mail payments by check to NOA; 822 7th Street, Suite 510; Greeley, CO 80631, or pay by credit card online at www. onions-usa.org/members/payonline. To request an invoice, call (970) 353-5895 or email sjohnston@onions-usa.org. And for current promotion program activities, call (970) 353-5895 or email prdirector@onions-usa.org. Author’s note: Excerpts are taken from MarketSmart Newsletter, August 2017; Media Relations, Inc.

Read this issue online with hotlinks and videos:

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SYSSTEM SeaCal ®

More value in one jug! Can your calcium do all this?

Right Nutrient, Right Form, Right Time, Right Mix Sysstem® SeaCal provides more value to onion growers in one jug than any other competing foliar calcium on the market. No other foliar calcium on the market gives growers a better way to supply the right nutrient at the right time, in the right form and in the right mix, in combination with Agro-K’s superior seaweed spray and a 40 year track record of success.

For more information contact Agro-K or an authorized dealer today.

• Fastest Penetration and Uptake - the low pH calcium phosphite solution is rapidly absorbed by waxy onion leaf surfaces making it the best choice to systemically deliver calcium faster and more completely than other foliar formulations. Low pH formulations have significant advantages over neutral pH phosphite products – aiding in the uptake of other larger crop protection molecules. In addition, low pH solutions improve compatibility and stability of most tank mixes without the need of an acidifying agent. • Root Flush Technology™ - Sysstem® SeaCal works to increase root mass and foraging capacity by enhancing the natural root exudate process that plants create to free-up and extract soil-bound nutrients. Increasing the natural “root flushing” activity allows the plant to extract more nutrients and moisture from the soil while also increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of soil applied fertility programs. • Seaweed Technology – Agro-K’s 40 plus year history and experience working with seaweed formulations is built into Sysstem® SeaCal. Agro-K utilizes a specific blend of seaweed sources to maximize all levels of the unique compounds found in various seaweed varieties that have been demonstrated to improve cell division as well as helping to alleviate both physiological and climatic stress. The formulation of Sysstem® SeaCal uses a proprietary reaction process to enhance and stabilize these key plant growth promoting compounds ensuring consistent performance from this value-added foliar product. Applied in combination Sysstem® SeaCal helps improve cell division during the early stages of bulb development and overall plant health leading to improved quality, increased packout and higher grower returns. Sysstem® SeaCal is designed to support calcium needs in all crops but is particularly effective on onions. Meeting peak demand timing for calcium aids in maximizing bulb quality. Once bulb formation begins, the cell division window begins and calcium demand increases significantly for the next 3-4 weeks as onion cells divide. Sysstem® SeaCal’s low pH calcium phosphite solution is designed to penetrate quickly and more completely resulting in higher bulb calcium levels and higher quality onions.

Sysstem® SeaCal effectively drives calcium into the leaves improving cell wall thickness. Thicker stronger cell walls are more tolerant to disease and improves overall plant health aiding higher yields and quality.