Onion World March/April 2021

ONION WORLD Voice of the Industry • OnionWorld.net • March / April 2021

Fagerberg Produce

Right Place, Right Time

For the Advertiser Index click here

Metam Movement Lessons From COVID-19 Throwing Maggots a Curveball

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Table of Contents Magazines For Maximum Yield

ONION WORLD Volume 37, Number 3

March / April 2021

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

6 Right Place, Right Time Fagerberg Produce

10 Throwing Maggots a Curveball

Old Product Returns to the Field in New Onion Seed Treatment Package

14 Growth Essentials Buyers' Guide 17 Lessons From COVID-19: The Good, the Bad and the Opportunities

18 Metam Movement

40,000 Soil Readings, Five Takeaway Insights

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.

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.

A new onion seed treatment package is available to help protect seedlings from maggot pests and certain diseases. Learn more on page 10.

On the Cover Ryan Fagerberg stands inside the packing shed at Fagerberg Produce in Eaton,Colo. Get to know this grower-shipper on page 6.

4

Onion World • March / April 2021

Departments 13 Onion Quiz 22 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 2021. 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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challenges the onion root and leaf system presents. Using a science driven approach to nutrient management the systemic formulation of Sysstem-Advance applied between growth stage 2 and 4 delivers zinc, manganese and other key nutrients that rapidly and completely penetrate waxy leaf surfaces and move systemically down to the roots to support early season growth and health leading to strong stand establishment. The unique formulation enhances the natural root exudate process that plants use to feed beneficial soil microorganisms to improve nutrient foraging and calcium uptake.

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Fagerberg Produce

Right Place, Right Time Story by Denise Keller, Editor Photos by Dave Alexander, Publisher

T

hrough the years, Fagerberg Produce has been shifting more and more of its onion business to the retail market.

And years like 2020 – and possibly 2021 – make the Fagerbergs glad to have gone in that direction. The recent increase in demand for onions at retail has shielded Fagerberg Produce from some of the sting that has come with the COVID-19 pandemic.

would sell out as soon as they would get them,” Ryan Fagerberg says. “It seemed like onions were one of those items that people might have thought were going to be gone all of a sudden. There was definitely an uptick in sales in certain items – produce items and otherwise – and I felt like onions, for whatever

reason, were one of those items.”

Although demand has returned closer to normal levels, Fagerberg is glad to be on the retail side of the market.

“It has been a good transition for us.

We’re definitely grateful to have that business,” the grower says, adding that the Families to Farmers Food Box

In the Market

Fagerberg Produce, a grower-shipper in Eaton, Colorado, grows and packs 1,200 acres of onions, with corn and winter wheat grown as rotation crops. The farm’s onion acreage includes yellow, red, white and sweet onions; yellows make up about two-thirds of the crop.

Dave Fagerberg first planted onions in the 1940s. His son Lynn Fagerberg started farming his own onions in the late 1960s and built a packing shed on the farm in the early 1980s. Lynn’s son Ryan Fagerberg joined him 15 years ago.

Today, Lynn remains involved in the farming operations, while Ryan runs the processing side of the business, handling sales, pricing and human resources and coordinating production in the warehouse.

The addition of the packing shed helped the farm’s retail business take off in the 1980s and ‘90s. Since then, the Fagerbergs have been increasingly tailoring the company to meet retail demand rather than foodservice.

Currently, 90 percent of the farm’s onions go to retail and 10 percent are sold for foodservice.

Because Fagerberg Produce’s customer base consists mostly of retailers, the company has been fortunate to be somewhat insulated from the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fagerberg saw a bump in sales around the time of the initial shutdown of restaurants and other non-essential businesses in spring 2020. As consumers started to purchase more onions in grocery stores, retailers began buying whatever onions growers could offer.

“They just needed onions because they

Yellow onions make their way through the packing facility at Fagerberg Produce in Eaton, Colo.

Busy employees process onions at Fagerberg Produce.

program provided another outlet for onions, especially medium yellows.

In the Field

Being a grower-shipper gives Fagerberg Produce its biggest competitive advantage with retailers, Fagerberg says.

Customers want to work directly with the farm and value the consistency in product coming from the same farm. They also appreciate having access to information about the quality of the crop in the field and packing shed.

Fagerberg begins planting direct-seeded onions in mid-March and harvests the crop in August through early October.

Grown in a 50-mile radius of Eaton in northeastern Colorado, onions generally experience good growing conditions with cool summer nights and little precipitation.

The farm uses sub-surface drip irrigation on 800 acres of onions. Drip lines are installed 8 inches deep and stay in place for 15 to 20 years. The subsurface drip lines use 40 percent less water, according to Fagerberg, ensuring

Lynn Fagerberg shows off his son Ryan’s taxidermy at the company office.

Ryan Fagerberg and salesman Colby Cantwell ship yellow, red, white and sweet onions across the U.S.

OnionWorld.net

7

Fagerberg Produce a quality crop can be grown even during drought conditions. The remainder of the onion acreage is grown under overhead pivot and flood irrigation.

Fagerberg Produce ships its own onion crop August through March and buys and repacks onions from New Mexico, California and Texas in order to supply select customers with year-round onions.

A year ago, the company hired Colby Cantwell as a new salesman. Bringing on someone new to the sales desk was a big move for the company, Fagerberg says.

The cost of labor presents the biggest challenge for the company with minimum wage on the rise and the possible elimination of the overtime exemption for agricultural employers looming. Other business challenges include keeping up with various regulations, including new COVID-related rules, and having to change course often to meet moving targets in the areas of food safety and worker safety.

In the Future

Looking ahead, Fagerberg sees the potential of continued opportunity for onions in retail, following the changes

Tracking labels are applied to pallets of onions at Fagerberg Produce.

brought about by the pandemic.

“I don’t know ultimately what the effect of COVID will be to retailers. Are they going to continue to have increased sales? Maybe. Some people will get used to staying home and cooking at home more. But there are also going to be those people that, once everything is lifted, are probably going to be itching to go out, so

they’re going to be less inclined to go to the grocery store. So it will be interesting to see at the end of the day the effect on the onion industry that COVID had,” Fagerberg says.

He plans to monitor trends in the market to see if consumers gravitate toward certain onion packs or if a need arises for more consumer packages as a Ryan Fagerberg checks the quality of onions on the packing line.

Pacific North West

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Brian Haddon, Area Manager (971) 282-2884

Greg Patti, Sales Rep. (575) 202-2250

San Joaquin Valley

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Russ Brown, Area Manager (559) 799-0799

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Onion World • March / April 2021

result of shoppers perceiving them to be safer than bulk onions.

As for production on the farm, Fagerberg has no plans to increase acreage from what it’s been for the last 12 or so years.

“I feel like it’s at a level to where I don’t want to just grow as much as we can or sell as much as we can. I’d rather do it right and make sure we do it the best we can,” the grower says. “We just want to have good customers and make sure we do a good job for them, and we’re pretty content with that.”

While the future at Fagerberg Produce might not include a production increase, Fagerberg is excited to see what advancements in technology might lie ahead.

“Agriculture seems like an industry that always has a lot of innovation. A lot of things change each year and new things seem to be introduced as far as machinery, so that’s an exciting aspect of it.”

Sweet onions are bagged for grocery retail.

Bagged onions move to a stretch-wrapping machine to speed production at Fagerberg Produce.

Raise your grade with Nutrien’s CAN17. This fast-acting, easy to apply and highly effective fertilizer contains two forms of nitrogen that are designed for quick response and sustained feeding. With more soluble calcium to help improve tolerance against disease and reduce levels of rot, it gives onions higher quality and greater yields for high-grade profits.

Ask your retailer for the original CAN17 from Nutrien, or visit liquidcropnutrients.com © 2020 Nutrien. 66857

OnionWorld.net

9

Seed Treatment

Throwing Maggots a Curveball Old Product Returns to the Field in New Onion Seed Treatment Package

By Brian Nault, Department of Entomology, Cornell AgriTech, Cornell University Christy Hoepting, CCE Cornell Vegetable Program

O

nion seed treatments are an excellent option for protecting seedlings from maggot pests (onion maggot and seedcorn maggot) and certain diseases (smut and damping off). Once onions are either infested with maggots (Fig. 1) or infected with pathogens that cause these diseases (Fig. 2), there are no rescue treatments.

Therefore, selecting effective insecticide and fungicide seed treatments is critical for protecting the onion crop.

This article provides an update on new options to consider for managing maggots and seedling diseases. Additionally, we comment on our experience evaluating these seed treatments and guidelines for their use in New York’s muck cropping systems, where onion maggot and smut levels can be very high. We expect that these seed treatments will perform as well in other onion production systems, too.

Figure 1. Onion maggot damage can be seen in the photo on the left, while maggots actively feed in the photo on the right. Photos courtesy Erica Moretti, Cornell

Trigard is available for 2021 onion crop.

Trigard OMC (cyromazine) was not available for treating onion seeds for the 2020 season. Fortunately, it will be available for the 2021 season. Syngenta will offer Trigard OMC as part of an “Alternative FarMore FI500” seed treatment package, while the original

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Onion World • March / April 2021

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FarMore FI500 package will be called “Classic FarMore FI500.”

The Alternative FarMore FI500 package will include both Trigard OMC and Cruiser 70WS (thiamethoxam), while the Classic FarMore FI500 package will continue to include Regard SC (spinosad) and Cruiser 70WS. Both of these seed treatment packages will contain the trio of fungicides Dynasty (azoxystrobin), Maxim 4FS (fludioxinil) and Apron XL (mefenoxam), which is still called FarMore F300 (Table 1).

In a New York onion field where onion maggot pressure was very high (e.g.

63 percent stand loss due to maggot in the untreated control), Trigard OMC + Cruiser 70WS performed equally as well as Regard SC + Cruiser 70WS, with both resulting in 73 percent maggot control.

In the same experiment, Cruiser 70WS alone failed to control onion maggot.

Therefore, we learned that Cruiser 70WS had no activity against onion maggot and that Trigard OMC and Regard SC were providing all of the onion maggot control within the FarMore FI500 seed treatment package (see study results at www.doi. org/10.1093/amt/tsaa007).

Rotate annually between Trigard OMC and Regard SC.

The purpose of developing two FarMore FI500 seed treatment package options is to slow down insecticide resistance development in onion maggot populations. Regard SC and Trigard OMC belong to different modes of action: IRAC (Insecticide Resistance Action Committee) Groups 5 and 17, respectively (Table 1). The best way to

conserve these chemistries and reduce resistance development is to alternate between these active ingredients on an annual basis to minimize exposure of the insect to the same insecticide class, even in fields with low maggot pressure.

Ideally, Classic FarMore FI500 and Alternative FarMore FI500 seed treatment packages should be rotated annually per farm or production area. For example, in New York, this could be done either in an isolated muck pocket farmed by a single onion grower or in a larger muck area where there are multiple onion fields belonging to multiple growers.

The annual rotation of seed treatment packages should strive to cover most of the acreage within an isolated onion growing area. Since Trigard OMC was not available to treat seeds in 2020, the majority of New York onion acreage was grown from Regard SC/ FarMore FI500treated seed. Therefore, for best resistance management practices, we suggest that New York onion growers plant all onion acreage with Trigard OMC/ Alternative FarMore FI500-treated seed.

The exception would be if an entire isolated pocket of muck was grown from Trigard OMC-treated seed in 2020. In this situation, the onion field could be planted with Regard SC/ Classic FarMore FI500treated seed.

rather than onion maggot, is the dominant maggot pest.

Lorsban is not needed with FarMore FI500 packages.

In New York, Lorsban (chlorpyrifos) will be banned for use on onion in 2021.

Lorsban has been used for decades as an at-plant treatment for maggot control. Despite resistance to Lorsban in many onion maggot populations across New York, it continued to be used in combination with insecticide seed treatments as insurance for protecting the Onion World Buyers Guide_Sept2018_Layout 1 crop from maggots. This was especially

Figure 2. Seedling diseases include onion smut, shown here.

9/25/2018 9:17 AM Page 1

Alternative FarMore FI500 controls seedcorn maggot.

Of the three insecticide seed treatment products, Cruiser 70WS and Regard SC are excellent for managing seedcorn maggot, while Trigard OMC has not been as successful (Table 1). Therefore, control of seedcorn maggot is achieved when using either the Classic or Alternative FarMore FI500 seed treatment package because both include Cruiser 70WS. Seedcorn maggot could be a problem if Trigard OMC is used alone, so it is important to not rely only on Trigard OMC in fields where seedcorn maggot infestations have been a problem.

Sepresto seed treatment generally is not recommended.

Sepresto is another insecticide seed treatment option for maggot control (Table 1). Unfortunately, Sepresto has not consistently controlled onion maggot in New York field trials, and therefore is not suggested as an effective option for maggot control in this region. However, Sepresto may be a good choice where onion maggot infestation levels are low to moderate and where seedcorn maggot,

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11

Seed Treatment true when using Trigard OMC because it was less effective against seedcorn maggots (Table 1).

Research in Nault’s program over

many years showed an improvement in maggot control when Lorsban was added to Trigard OMC seed treatment.

In contrast, Nault’s research documented

Table 1. Insecticide and fungicide seed treatment options for onion including relative efficacy of products based on multiple years of research by Brian Nault, Cornell Entomology, and Christy Hoepting, CCE Cornell Vegetable Program Trade Name

Active Ingredient(s)

Group

Activity on Target Pests

IRAC1

Onion Maggot

Seedcorn Maggot

spinosad

5

Excellent

Excellent

Trigard OMC

cyromazine

17

Excellent

Fair

Cruiser 70WS

thiamethoxam

4

Poor

Excellent

Sepresto

chlothianidin + imidacloprid

4A 4A

Fair

Good

FRAC3

Onion Smut

Damping Off2

penflufen

7

Excellent

None

thiram + carboxiin

M3 7

Fair-Poor

Fair

mefenoxam

4

None

Phythium spp.4

fludioxonil

12

None

Rhizoctonia spp.

Fusarium spp. 4

azoxystrobin

11

None

Rhizoctonia spp.4

thiram

M3

Poor

Fair

Insecticides: Regard SC

Fungicides: EverGol Prime

FarMore F300

Pro Gro

Thiram

Apron XL Maxim 4FS Dynasty

Seed Treatment Packages: Classic FarMore FI500 = Regard SC + Cruiser 70WS + FarMore F300 Alternative FarMore FI500 = Trigard OMC + Cruiser 70WS + FarMore F300 IRAC: Insecticide Resistance Action Committee. Products belonging to different IRAC groups have different modes of action and kill insects differently. For resistance management, it is advisable to rotate among IRAC groups.

2 Most common pathogens that cause damping off in onion in New York are Phythium species.

3 FRAC: Fungicide Resistance Action Committee 4 Apron, Maxim and Dynasty have activity on different genera of soil-borne pathogens, which are listed here. Individually, these fungicides are not rated for their activity against the different damping off pathogens because we have no studies from New York to draw from. However, FarMore F300 and FI500 packages appeared to provide fair control of damping off in New York trials.

1

Green highlights - Excellent pest control Yellow highlights - No pest control

12

Onion World • March / April 2021

no improvement in maggot control when Lorsban was added to FarMore FI500 (includes Regard SC). Thus, trial results suggested that in the absence of Lorsban, use of Cruiser 70WS with Trigard OMC in the Alternative FarMore FI500 seed treatment package should be as effective against both seedcorn and onion maggot as the Trigard OMC + Lorsban combination.

FarMore FI500 does not control onion smut. Add EverGol Prime.

None of the three fungicides included in the FarMore FI500 packages (Apron XL, Maxim 4FS, Dynasty) have activity on onion smut, but they do have some activity on damping off pathogens (Table 1). So, in addition to Alternative/Classic FarMore FI500 seed treatment packages, EverGol Prime (penflufen) should be added to the seed for control of onion smut.

Since it first became available two years ago, EverGol Prime has appropriately become the first choice for onion smut control as its performance is far superior to Pro Gro (carboxin + thiram). When EverGol Prime is used with FarMore FI500 or F300 seed treatment packages, it is not necessary to order additional seed treatment for control of damping off. Mancozeb and/or mefenoxam (Ridomil) could be applied as an in-furrow drench for additional protection against damping off. If, for some reason, EverGol Prime is not used with a FarMore package, then another fungicide with activity on damping off should be included in the seed treatment (Table 1).

Onion Quiz

This material is provided courtesy of Stuart Reitz, Director, Oregon State University Malheur Experiment Station.

How well do you know what is happening in your onion field?

1. If you saw the black and white insect in Photo A in your onion field, what would you say?

2. What happened to the onions in Photo B?

A

3. What’s going on with the onions with racing stripes in Photo C?

Answers on page 21

B

C

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13

Growth Essentials Buyers’ Guide

Agro-K • www.agro-k.com Sysstem SeaCal

Sysstem SeaCal is designed to support the calcium needs of onions while also minimizing plant stress and improving nutrient uptake. Sysstem SeaCal is a low pH calcium phosphite solution that is rapidly absorbed through waxy onion leaf surfaces, delivering plant-available calcium more quickly and completely to improve cell wall integrity and bulb firmness.

Sysstem SeaCal is a unique foliar calcium in that it also aids in increased root foraging capacity by enhancing the natural root exudate process that plants use to free up and extract soil-bound nutrients. Increasing this natural “root flushing” activity improves nutrient and moisture uptake, leading to increased bulb quality, size and yield.

AgroLiquid • www.agroliquid.com Sure-K

Sure-K, from liquid fertilizer company AgroLiquid, is a high-efficiency soluble potash that gives plants the nutrients they need to thrive at key reproductive stages. By utilizing Flavonol Polymer Technology, the unique formula provides increased utilization at lower concentrations, providing the same or better results than standard potassium fertilizers while using less. In addition, Sure-K uses no chlorides or hydroxides, so it preserves soil health long term.

Potassium is a vital component in a variety of plant processes including the development of seeds and tubers. Sure-K 2-1-6 fertilizer is designed to provide long-lasting nutrition to sustain crops throughout these stages. This allows plants to process sugars more efficiently, producing larger, higher quality yields, while also making the crops better able to resist the effects of drought, disease and stress. Sure-K makes it easy to sustain ideal potassium levels or correct potassium deficiencies. It can be applied in many different ways and safely combined with other nutrients or crop protection products, minimizing trips across the field.

Crop Vitality • www.cropvitality.com CaTs

CaTs is a 100 percent water-soluble calcium with a 0-0-10S-6Ca analysis. CaTs applied through the irrigation system can supply much needed calcium and sulfur at critical growth and uptake times. Recent onion trials with CaTs in the Pacific Northwest have shown both increased yields and improved storability.

Ferticell • www.ferticellusa.com Explorer, Pro K, Nutri-Plus, ProCal, Active NPK

By developing a product line from clean plant- and mineral-derived sources, Ferticell guarantees a quality product without the chemical inputs and salts that can degrade soil health and microbial activity. Ferticell carries a full line of fertilizers approved for organic use in agriculture production with more than 14 available in 35 states.

Explorer, the first plant-derived soy protein in the U.S., is available as a 16 percent dry powder nitrogen or a 10 percent liquid solution. Pro K, the first plant-derived liquid potassium at 20 percent, eliminates salt inputs and is a great tank mix partner. Nutri-Plus is a super concentrate of amino acids essential for abiotic stress and protein formation and works as a complexing agent for other nutrients. ProCal is a calcium carbonate approved for organic use with 3 percent soy protein nitrogen to increase calcium uptake. Active NPK is a product line of four NPK dry powder fertilizers approved for organic use.

14

Onion World • March / April 2021

ICL Specialty Products Inc. • www.polysulphate.com Polysulphate

Polysulphate is the only naturally occurring fertilizer delivering four essential nutrients, all in sulfate form: potassium, sulfur, magnesium and calcium. Every granule of Polysulphate contains naturally balanced nutrition for uniform distribution across fields and maximum soil productivity. Low chloride and pH neutral, Polysulphate is extremely safe and ensures onions reach their highest quality and yield potential. Polysulphate is well suited for blending with most standard fertilizers and is fully soluble.

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.

OMEX • www.omex.com Zynergy

Zynergy is a specially formulated combination of highly available copper and zinc designed to form a key part of an integrated crop management program to boost crop health and maximize yield potential.

Zynergy corrects nutrient deficiency, improves plant health and increases tolerance of abiotic stress. Formulated to optimize nutrient uptake by the plant, the product can be used as a maintenance treatment in conjunction with a crop protection program.

The OMEX research and development team, assisted by university researchers and independent trial organizations, has identified the Zynergy formulation as an effective additive to crop protection programs, particularly against diseases including downy mildew in a wide range of crops.

Oro Agri • www.oroagriusa.com Nanocal

Nanocal is a sub-micronized, soil-applied, readily available liquid calcium specifically formulated to be applied at bulb initiation to strengthen cell walls, improve bulb quality, increase specific gravity, mitigate storage issues and promote overall crop health. Nanocal should be applied just prior to or at the early stages of bulb initiation to ensure maximum calcium uptake during cellular division. It’s meant as a supplemental source of calcium available to plants during this critical stage of development; it’s not meant to remedy calcium deficiency in soils.

OnionWorld.net

15

Growth Essentials Buyers’ Guide

Verdesian Life Sciences • www.vlsci.com Lyra

Lyra combines several proven technologies from Verdesian Life Sciences into a single new product formulated for fertigation application. Applied in proportion to fertigated nitrogen, Lyra improves plant nutrient availability in conjunction with plant nutrient demand, resulting in optimized plant health and yield. Early university research trials in onions revealed between 130 and 200 CWT/acre yield increases.

Vive Crop Protection • wwww.vivecrop.com AZteroid FC 3.3

AZteroid FC 3.3 contains nanotechnology, allowing it to be pre-mixed with fertilizer, water and other crop protection products or in bulk containers delivered to the field. The nanotechnology in AZteroid FC 3.3 has removed mixing issues so plugged nozzles, screens and gummed-up lines and tanks are issues of the past.

AZteroid FC 3.3 is Vive Crop Protection’s newest choice for controlling Rhizoctonia in onions. The product contains azoxystrobin, an effective active ingredient to protect against the disease.

AZteroid FC 3.3 is mobile in the plant so it protects the new growth and provides plant health benefits, as well.

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Onion World • March / April 2021

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Lessons From COVID-19: The Good, the Bad and the Opportunities

By Michael Sansolo, Retail Food Industry Consultant

F

ollowing the craziness of 2020, the entire food industry faces both a specific challenge and opportunity as prominent as ever: determine what shoppers want and, as a follow up, find out how to best satisfy those needs.

Certainly, 2020, thanks to the COVID-19 crisis, has created an unusual environment that casts this perennial issue in a new light. In 2020 (and certainly into 2021), shoppers’ needs have focused on finding enough supplies to survive mandated lockdowns and then finding solutions and ideas for mealtime in an environment where restaurant eating has become near impossible.

Against this backdrop, the entire food industry is presented and confronted with opportunities and challenges both new and old.

The unique concerns of this very strange year include ensuring that supply chains manage to stay functional despite incredibly unexpected shortages in everything from toilet tissue to even coins for change. While the industry has been – and continues to be – hard pressed to meet all those challenges, the results, nearly a year into the crisis, have been largely encouraging.

Food stores of all types remained largely in stock of all items, and retail workers rose to the challenge of keeping stores open and serving customers.

More visible than usual to shoppers has been the incredible efforts undertaken to keep all elements of the supply chain functioning from farms to transportation to product manufacturing and on to distribution centers. In countless ways, the industry has demonstrated its ability to survive an unthinkably difficult time and to merit its status as an essential industry.

Given the near complete collapse of the foodservice industry, it’s hardly surprising that food retail sales have boomed, with

many companies posting levels of sales growth unseen in decades.

But even in the face of that growth, other consumer challenges, wants and desires are changing, and savvy companies must keep an eye on these issues to best thrive once the health crisis passes. For example, online shopping for food has blossomed faster than anyone expected, likely altering the very nature of food shopping into the future. And the economic hangover of the prolonged shutdown of much of the economy creates a new set of challenges, as large portions of the population are likely to focus on budget issues in 2021 and beyond.

What makes these challenges more prominent than usual is that millennials and Gen Z, two young and incredibly large demographic groups, are coming of age while this is happening. That means their shopping, cooking and eating habits are forming in circumstances that might lead them to be even more focused on low-price operators and electronic commerce convenience for decades to come.

The opportunity and challenge is clear to the food industry, including commodity groups. For the first time in possibly 50 years, Americans are returning to home cooking and eating, so the industry has

a rare opportunity to help these shoppers with recipes, product tips, nutritional benefits and more. Done properly – and with cooperation throughout the supply chain – this could lead to long-term gains in food retail sales.

However, this requires new thinking and better levels of cooperation and consumer education than we’ve seen in years. Minus that, a once-in-a-generation opportunity could be missed.

In addition, agricultural groups growing onions, carrots, potatoes and other products need to consider how to pivot production away from the decimated restaurant industry and toward food retail, a daunting, but essential, task on its own.

There is no way of knowing today when the COVID crisis will deepen or, hopefully, end, but just as in other tumultuous times, some changes brought about will likely become permanent.

Shoppers’ desires are always shifting, and the entire food industry must constantly adapt to them or risk losing opportunity and more.

Editor’s note: Michael Sansolo is a retail food industry consultant, speaker and author. For more information, visit www.michaelsansolo.com.

OnionWorld.net

17

Metam Movement

40,000 Soil Readings, Five Takeaway Insights

By Kyle Coleman, Director of Marketing and Commercial Development, NovaSource North America

M

ore than four years ago, I wouldn’t have predicted the discovery of some assumption-busting revelations about the post-application movement and longevity in the soil of the fumigants metam sodium and metam potassium for the suppression of weeds, disease and nematodes.

But in 2017, I took the first soil sample readings of what is now a database of more than 40,000 readings to track what happens to metam products underground after they’re applied. The study involved soil sampling at dozens of locations in nine states across the U.S. in the hours and days following metam product application.

Today, with the help of coworkers and many custom applicators, we have

a much greater understanding of how to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of these proven products in a variety of different conditions.

Startling Revelations Our quest for insights into how to maximize metam product performance began when I acquired a photoionization detector (PID) after learning of this technology from Dr. Steve Fennimore, a weed scientist at UC Davis, and researchers at other major universities.

I had been working with metam products since 1999, but had no clue this equipment was available.

With the walkie talkie-sized unit in hand, I made a visit to a custom applicator to try it out. I only wanted to

see how the technology worked, and I had no idea that my own longstanding assumptions were about to change.

The initial findings in that first field were startling. Metam fumigant had been shanked at a depth of 12 inches, and 48 hours later, there was almost no trace of the product found in the top 6 inches of soil. We were all perplexed by the findings and assumed the product in those top 6 inches had already dissipated or would make its way up through the soil profile with time. Many evaluations later, I realized how wrong I had been.

We found that metam readings peak where the product is placed, and both upward and downward movement occurs.

But movement is limited and is subject to several factors.

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Onion World • March / April 2021

Common Themes Emerge I’ve seen single-level and dual-level placement, rototillers, drip application and chemigation. I’ve seen sweeps, shanks, nozzles and drop tubes in many configurations with more than 50 cooperators. I’ve been on soil that is so dry the dust shot up into my pant legs with every step, and fields so muddy I could barely keep my balance. Every single application method creates a unique pattern, and the conditions in which the product is applied create another layer of complexity.

It became apparent that we’d need to prioritize the pests being targeted, be more specific about pest location and determine how to get more precise about placing the product where it needed to be.

Now, the data we’ve collected reveals five primary variables that can create significant differences in product effectiveness – often, when only minor adjustments to an application method are employed.

I call these variables “the five pillars of 21-02 Onion World-7.3x4.9.v2.pdf 1 metam movement in soil.”

Moisture Preservation If possible, maintain 80 percent moisture throughout the soil profile weeks before application up to the day of application. Moist soil delivers several benefits: submoisture helps facilitate metam movement; moist soil promotes respiration in an important pest like weeds; moisture in the soil helps maintain longer exposure times; and from a stewardship perspective, moisture helps reduce odor and the chance of offgassing.

Placement Strategy Compared to other fumigants, the vapor pressure of metam products is relatively low, so they simply don’t travel as far or as uniformly as applicators have assumed for many years. Sampling the soil to better understand your exact pest location is recommended. Then, precision place your metam product near your targeted pests through chemigation, shanking or deep shanking.

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Equipment Making even minor adjustments to the equipment you’re using to prepare soil, apply product and seal the application can make a big difference. Know the precise and unique pattern created by your machinery. Roughing up the soil a little won’t compromise performance as long as you don’t dry it out or leave product on or near the soil surface.

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Metam Movement Case Study: Idaho Onion Grower Here’s an example from the many case studies we have collected.

In this situation, nutsedge was becoming a devastating problem for the grower. Weed seeds were not respiring at the time of application due to a prolonged period without moisture.

Then, the grower began to moisten fields with canal water immediately after grain harvest up until the time of application. The depth of application was changed from 10-12 inches to 6-7 inches.

These changes resulted in outstanding nutsedge suppression.

Pest Respiration Pests are living organisms. And metam products are most effective when the pest is most susceptible and the application is optimal. If you can’t imagine a weed seed really thriving in a certain soil condition, then it probably isn’t – and suppression is much more difficult.

Soil Tilth Dry, compacted or cloddy soil can limit product movement. Avoid applying the product to deeply frozen soil. Anything you can do to avoid drying the soil is critical because the metam may dissipate in dry soil before it has time to do its job.

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Skills: While its nutrients help ward off disease and build immunity, the onion provides amazing flavor to any meal, is healing, and sustainable

Onion World • March / April 2021

What Really Matters Many operators are reporting improved results from making product application adjustments based on “the five pillars.”

And while they’re all relevant to product performance, the consensus belief is that moisture preservation is the area that’s most important.

I often reflect back to 2012, when new use labels for metam products were implemented. Buffer zones drove the number of chemigation applications downward from 70 percent of all application activity to less than 30 percent in the Pacific Northwest. Several onion growers began to report increased weed populations during this period of transitioning application methods, and now I know why.

These growers had been delaying applications until long after water was shut off, and their onion fields were drying out. Looking back, as I have recorded total readings throughout the exposure period of dozens of applications, we have found that areas of a field with 80 percent moisture have shown consistently higher concentrations of metam and longer duration of exposure than in soil with 50 percent moisture.

Overall, every one of “the five pillars” matters more than people think, and when adjustments are made and tracked over time in each category, the full potential of metam product use can be realized.

For more information, contact me at kyle.coleman@tkinet.com.

Onion Quiz Answers From page 13

1. You could say “Arrgghh, matey” because the insect in Photo A is a pirate bug. You should also say “thank you” because pirate bugs prey on thrips. Other thrips predators in onion fields include lady beetles (ladybugs) such as the convergent lady beetle shown here.

2. The onions in Photo B were infested by serpentine leafminers.

Leafminer flies are small, yellow and black flies whose larvae tunnel through plant leaves. Usually, leafminer populations are held in check by parasitic wasps. The brown leafminer maggot in the photo here has been killed by a beneficial parasitic wasp. Parasitic wasps are very susceptible to some of the insecticides used to manage onion thrips.

Late-season sprays for thrips may flare leafminer populations.

Note that this leafminer species is not the new invasive allium leafminer.

3. The sporty looking onion in Photo C is a chimera. This is a genetic defect, rather than a pest or disease problem, and does not spread from one plant to another. Although chimeras are not unusual, they only occur at very low levels. The yellow stripes lack chlorophyll so the resulting onion would be smaller than its counterparts in the field.

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OnionWorld.net

21

From the NOA

Can We Rely on Luck or Skill to Pave Onion’s Road Forward?

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

A

fter the most bizarre year anyone could have ever lived through and appreciated, I sometimes wonder how much luck, or lack thereof, was involved when it came to major situations in the country.

Luck is a funny word. Many believe you make your own luck with hard work, talent and ambition. Still others believe luck plays a major role in success. In 2018, Scientific American magazine wrote, “The Role of Luck in Life Success is Far Greater Than We Realized,” revealing some interesting findings from various published studies that indicate luck or randomness indeed plays a role in success. Consider these thoughts: • About half of the differences in income across people worldwide are explained by their country of residence and by the

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income distribution within that country.

• Scientific impact is randomly distributed, with high productivity alone having a limited effect on the likelihood of high-impact work in a scientific career.

• The chance of becoming a CEO is influenced by your name or month of birth.

• The number of CEOs born in June and July is much smaller than the number of CEOs born in other months.

• Those with last names earlier in the alphabet are more likely to receive tenure at top departments.

• The display of middle initials increases positive evaluations of people’s intellectual capacities and achievements.

The article concluded that “luck and opportunity play an underappreciated role in determining the final level of individual success.”

As an industry, was it luck that per capita U.S. onion consumption rose every year from 1980 to 1993? Was it bad luck when consumption dipped in 2019 after record consumption?

Was it luck that allowed onions to escape a massive recall for decades, while other vegetables’ troubles turned into screamer headlines only to have the rug ripped beneath our feet last summer?

Was it luck that the feds finally intervened on Canada’s unfair onion trade practices that put U.S. onions at a competitive disadvantage?

I often think that something in the universe is on our side, but we shouldn’t take that “luck” or good vibrations for granted when we are in good times. You never know when that will change. I used to cringe when I’d write that onions had never experienced a recall because of foodborne illness. I knew that one day, our number could come up, as if it were a huge game of chance. Flash forward to summer 2020.

These days at the National Onion Association (NOA), while we feel lucky to be in a business full of smart, talented, prepared and industrious members, we

Onion World • March / April 2021

leave nothing to chance. Our leaders work consistently to ensure that onions are a part of the national conversation when it comes to food safety, fair trade, labor and wage regulations, immigration reform, pesticide regulations and water quality, you name it.

Our guys are on the ground, making the calls, inserting onions into the conversation.

That’s how onions were included in the Farmers to Families Food Box program to help hungry people during the pandemic.

That’s how U.S. trade officials intervened on growers’ behalf to ensure that all onions coming into the U.S. were inspected, meeting our high standards so as not to undercut our domestic product.

With these successes, lucky or not, we can’t rely on luck to ensure the market will always be bountiful for onions. It takes consistent persistence.

Now, with trade issues heating up with Panama, and potential new trade markets overseas, the National Onion Association is taking a seat at the table, leaving reliance on luck to the mystics and chance to the gamblers.

Our leadership will be there to talk to our nation’s new leaders to advocate for issues that affect the onion industry. Their efforts not only help our membership, but all in the onion industry. It’s up to all onion growers and ancillary industries to be persistent.

The NOA is your trade organization fighting for you. No other larger umbrella lobbying group is going to solely focus on your livelihood like the NOA. Would you look at that? In that last sentence, this column hit 666 words. I prefer to see that as good luck. In Chinese, for example, 666 is a tonal equivalent for “things go smoothly,” according to Time magazine.

Let us not only hope – but work – toward a smooth rest of 2021, and let luck favor the prepared.

P.S. Join our ranks. Go to our member center at www.onions-usa.org. You can join online for a fraction of the cost of other lobbying organizations.

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OnionWorld.net

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calcium When you need it Where you need it

More about applying CaTs® (0-0-0-10S-6Ca) on onions: Calcium plays a major role in onion development and internal bulb quality. An adequate calcium supply improves cell wall strength, disease resistance, shelf life, and reduces storage shrink.

The efficient liquid formulation of CaTs® can supply your crop with 100% soluble calcium and sulfur when and where you need it. ©2021 Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc. All rights reserved. CaTs® is a registered trademark of Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc.

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