Onion World March/April 2024

Onion World Turns 40 • Growth Essentials • Is a Backyard “Still” in Your Future?

ONION WORLD Voice of the Industry for 40 Years • OnionWorld.net

Why Onions in the Middle Get the Short End

Advertiser Index Bejo...................................15 Chinook Equipment ............ 7 Clearwater Supply .............11 Gearmore ..........................17 Gowan Seed ......................14 Inter Agra ..........................13 Kerian................................13 L&M ..................................20 NOA ..................................23 Nunhems...........................21

Redox ................................. 9 Redwood Empire ................ 9 Seed Dynamics ..................24 Seedway ............................11 Spudnik .............................12 TKI...................................... 3 Top Air................................ 8 Verbruggen........................21 Volm..................................19

March/April 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ONION WORLD Volume 40, Number 3

MARCH/APRIL 2024

4 Is a Backyard “Still” in Your Future?

Idaho-Malheur County Onion Growers' Association Annual Meeting

8 Researchers Investigate Mechanical Harvest of Short-Day Onions

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

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

10 Onion World Turns 40 16 Why Onions in the Middle Get the Short End 18 Crop Protection Essentials Buyers' Guide

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

Subscribe online at: www.OnionWorld.net/subscribe or call (503) 724-3581.

1999: Merill Jensen and Tom Uriu converse at the Idaho-Malheur County annual meeting. See more photos from the Onion World archives, celebrating our 40th anniversary, on pages 10-14.

ON THE COVER Onions in the middle of a planting bed show signs of stunting compared to the outer rows. Find out why onions in the inside rows might experience reduced stand, yield and bulb size on page 16.

Photo courtesy Mike Thornton, University of Idaho 2

Onion World • March/April 2024

DEPARTMENTS 14.... Calendar 15.... In the News 21.... New Products 22.... Market Update 22.... Advertiser Index

Email address changes/corrections to brian@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com or mail to: Onion World PO Box 333 Roberts, ID 83444 Onion World magazine (ISSN 0892-578X), 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 2024. 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.

IDAHO-MALHEUR COUNTY ANNUAL MEETING

Is a Backyard “Still” in Your Future?

Recycling Drip Tape Story and photos by Dave Alexander, Publisher

I

f the thought of making moonshine in your backyard makes you read this article, then chalk one up for salacious headlines. We’re not going to give you any hooch recipes here, but if you use drip to irrigate, or plan to in the future, then read on.

At the 64th annual meeting of the Idaho and Malheur County Onion Growers’ Associations held Feb. 6 in Ontario, Oregon, Marina Denny with Oregon State University (OSU) talked about how to address a big problem facing drip irrigators – what to do about used drip tape.

Every year, millions of pounds of drip tape are pulled from the ground.

Rather than using the non-sustainable method of dumping it on the “north forty,” growers have limited options to dispose of the old tape. Most landfills won’t accept the tape, or will only take restricted amounts. Burning plastic releases dangerous gasses and is illegal in most states. There are companies in the Treasure Valley and Washington, such as Clearwater Supply, that will collect old drip tape and ship it out for recycling the plastic. Currently, this is the best option, but what if old tape could be converted to fuel for tractors on the farm?

From left, Dennis Atkinson, Jade Takehara and Jay Sutton man the Seminis booth in Ontario.

Pyrolysis

OSU has already built a small-scale, 1kg reactor (or still, as we like to say) to turn ag plastics into tractor-ready red diesel using pyrolysis. Pyrolysis, in this case, is the heating of plastic to extremely high temperatures to break it down and vaporize it. The vapor is then re-condensed into diesel. One kilogram of drip tape yields one liter of fuel.

Does it make sense to build one of these open-source reactors on your farm? The construction only takes three components, and they are simple to operate and only need minimal maintenance. The idea is intriguing, but in reality, it will all come down to return on investment for growers. OSU will be working on ROI numbers soon.

Perhaps a better solution is placing a large-scale commercial unit nearby. PDO Tech has a 500kg unit available that may be a solution for a grower collective or a single grower that uses a lot of tape. The company operates a reactor currently in western Oregon, where a lot of tape gets sent for recycling.

Sustainability

Vegetable processors and large retailers are already pushing for sustainability and zero-carbon footprint farms. If you are not currently recycling drip tape, it’s time to do it on your own before you are forced to. Plus, it’s the right thing to do and it opens up a lot of moonshine jokes.

Denise Anderson, CEO of Clearwater Supply, is looking forward to plastic-tofuel technology, but she also knows there is much work ahead to get there.

“As we look forward to the future, envisioning recycled products being

4

Onion World • March/April 2024

Marina Denny with Oregon State University is looking into building a small demonstration reactor that will recycle drip tape into red diesel at the OSU Extension Center in Ontario, Ore.

transformed into fuel represents a beacon of innovation and sustainability,” Anderson said. “Until such technology becomes both feasible and readily available, we must persist with other sustainable methods, ensuring our commitment to the environment remains steadfast and adaptable.”

OSU estimates that there are 1.6 million pounds of drip tape used per year in the Treasure Valley alone. While that might sound like an immense amount of tape to get rid of, the plus side of this is that’s over 191,000 gallons of potential diesel fuel.

Washington onion grower Kerrick Bauman with L&L Ag Production visits with speaker Lindsey duToit with WSU at the Idaho-Malheur County Onion Growers' Association Annual Meeting in Ontario, Ore.

Rene Emch and Katharina Wigg with Enza Zaden tour the trade show.

Resources:

Clearwater Supply: cwsupply.com PDO Tech: pdotech.com OSU: Search “OSU plastic to fuel” on YouTube

OnionWorld.net

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IDAHO-MALHEUR COUNTY ANNUAL MEETING

Sean McDonald (left) with Terramera explains the benefits of Rango to a meeting attendee in Ontario.

Meeting attendees in Ontario find a sold-out trade show.

6

Onion World • March/April 2024

I

n recognition of their involvement in the onion industry, Brian Taylor and Charlie Morgan were inducted into the Treasure Valley Onion Hall of Fame during the annual meeting of the Idaho and Malheur County Onion Growers’ Associations.

Brian Taylor

Brian Taylor was a longtime employee of Skeen Farms in Nyssa, Oregon. He took a job on the farm in 1984, beginning what would become a 38-year career and family-like friendship with the Skeen family. Taylor enjoyed learning and adapting to new ways of farming. As the years went on, he was known to be able to fix almost anything or have a shortcut that would make a repair go more smoothly. Taylor served on the board of the Onion Research Committee from 2004 to 2023 and as chairman from 2009 to 2023, roles he felt passionate about.

He passed away in March 2023.

Charlie Morgan

Charlie Morgan enjoyed more than 30 years in the onion and potato storage business. After earning an associate’s degree in electrical technology, he began working for Argonne National Laboratory in Idaho Falls, Idaho, as a research technician and nuclear operator.

Morgan became involved with onion storage in 1970 when he joined Industrial Ventilation Inc., a new startup. He was the company’s first fulltime employee, and he later became part owner. He is said to have been instrumental in designing equipment and methods commonly used in onion storage today.

He retired from IVI in 2003.

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Cory Maag (far left) and Jarom Jemmett (far right) present Treasure Valley Onion Hall of Fame awards to Lynne Taylor (accepting for late husband Brian Taylor) and Mark Morgan (accepting for father Charlie Morgan).

OnionWorld.net

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Researchers Investigate Mechanical Harvest of Short-Day Onions

T

exas A&M AgriLife Research has received more than $5.2 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture for a project to address multiple aspects of the southern U.S. onion harvest system. Subas Malla, an associate professor of vegetable breeding at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Uvalde, Texas, is taking the lead on the project.

“The goal of this proposal is to improve profitability and ultimately market share for short-day onions by mechanizing short-day onion harvesting,” Malla said.

The majority of onions grown across the southern U.S. are short-day onions, but their biology and structure present some difficulties, especially during harvest.

“Dry matter content in the shortday sweet onion is low, but the water

Subas Malla, an associate professor at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, is leading a research project to look into the mechanical harvest of short-day onions.

Photo by Paul Schattenberg, Texas A&M AgriLife

content is high,” Malla said. “Due to the high water content in the bulb, there is a greater likelihood of bruise damage since the bulbs can’t withstand a higher-

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harvesting have resulted in too many damaged bulbs to be acceptable for the fresh market.

“However, these past attempts were limited to substituting the mechanical harvester for manual labor and did not involve a whole-system approach,” Malla said.

The new project will involve the whole system and include short-day onion areas in Texas, Georgia, New Mexico and California to represent a full range of growing conditions. The University of Georgia, New Mexico State University and the University of California will partner on the project.

The project will address many facets of developing a successful harvest system. These include identifying cultivars and production practices suitable for mechanical harvesting, modifying the harvest system to minimize the potential damage to onion bulbs, evaluating the influence of mechanical harvest on profitability and risk faced by onion growers, and communicating the benefits and drawbacks of adopting mechanical harvesting to growers.

Malla said the adoption of any advances by growers will rely on partnerships with equipment manufacturers, seed companies and technology providers. A stakeholder advisory panel and scientific advisers will participate in the project’s proposed research and outreach activities.

“We are already in the process of evaluating diverse Texas A&M onion germplasm to understand the genetic mechanism of host resistance against diseases and insects,” Malla said.

“We are working with the Texas A&M Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center to test bulb quality and storability in onions. We are also testing Texas A&M onion germplasm in a way that will help shorten the cultivar development cycle.”

Malla said that to his knowledge, this project is one of the broadest and most comprehensive ever undertaken to address the challenges to short-day onion production.

“Our ultimate goal is identifying the best cultivars and improving the short-day onion harvest system in a way that provides better results and better profitability for the producer,” he said.

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Onion World Turns 40 O

nion World magazine is turning 40 this year, but that pales in comparison to how long Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon, onion growers have been getting together for an annual meeting. This year marked the 64th meeting of the two grower associations.

You’ll find photos from 2024 on pages 4-7, and here, you’ll find images from past Treasure Valley meetings and gatherings.

If you have an old photo that you think would be perfect for upcoming 40th anniversary issues of Onion World, email it to editor@columbiamediagroup.com.

2002: Chris Yamamoto works the Top Air booth at the annual meeting trade show.

1999: Reid Saito and Ron Mio conduct official duties at the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Festival.

10

Onion World • March/April 2024

1995: Richard Beck still runs Mel Beck Precision Planters today.

SEEDWAY_Onion World_Oct2021_Layout 1 10/4/2021 2:52 PM Page 1

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2000: Doug Maag takes the podium.

2001: Rene Emch speaks to attendees.

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1997: Lynn Jensen (right) visits with an attendee at the annual meeting.

2002: Volunteers fry onion rings at the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Festival.

2002: From left, Cory Ransom, Gary Pelter, Brad Geary and Mack Thompson all spoke at the annual meeting in ’02.

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2002: From left, Sid Marakami, Mas Yamashita and Kay Teramura enjoy lunch at the Idaho and Malheur County Onion Meeting.

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2000: Joe Seward attends the annual meeting.

2001: Speaker Pat Takasugi was director of the Idaho Department of Agriculture at the time of this meeting.

2003: Tom Moore (left) receives his Treasure Valley Onion Hall of Fame plaque from Red Frahm.

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CALENDAR

June 25-29

NOA Summer Convention Sheraton Anchorage Anchorage, Alaska www.onions-usa.org

Oct. 17-19

Global Produce and Floral Show

Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, Ga. www.freshproduce.com

IN THE NEWS

WSU Researcher Inducted Into Ag Hall of Fame Tim Waters, a Washington State University (WSU) regional vegetable specialist, has been inducted into the Mid-Columbia Agriculture Hall of Fame.

Hall of Fame members are recognized for their noteworthy achievements, expertise, and legacy of impactful results. Waters received the Rising Star Award, which recognizes demonstrated commitment to the future of agriculture.

Waters specializes in integrated pest management of onion, potato, carrot, dry bean and other production vegetables in the region, working closely with growers and crop consultants to address pest and disease issues they are experiencing. He has been a WSU faculty member since 2006.

Redox Turns 30

Redox Bio-Nutrients is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The company provides carbon-based nutrition products with bio-stimulant properties to agricultural producers across the U.S. and internationally. The company aims to help growers succeed in four primary areas: soil health, root development, abiotic stress defense and nutrient efficiency.

According to Redox, the field of bio-nutrition is gaining broad acceptance, and new breakthroughs in scientific research indicate a bright future for progressive growers.

The company points to quantifiable benefits from bio-stimulants, including improved size and firmness for multiple crops, as well as dramatic nitrogen efficiency gains while maintaining strong crop yield.

Clearwater Supply Expands Recycling Program

Clearwater Supply, an irrigation supplier with locations in Othello, Washington, and Ontario, Oregon, is expanding its recycling program to customers in the Treasure Valley of Oregon and Idaho. The program aims to address the growing need for sustainable waste management solutions in agriculture by enabling growers to recycle their used irrigation supplies, including drip tapes, poly-tubes, and, in the future, other plastic materials.

The expansion of the recycling program is expected to significantly reduce waste in landfills, lower carbon footprints and foster a culture of sustainability in the area, according to the company.

For more information, contact Devin Felton in Ontario, Oregon, at (541) 889-0981, or Tyler Casper in Othello, Washington, at (509) 488-5793, or visit www.clearwatersupply.com.

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OnionWorld.net

15

Why Onions in the Middle Get the Short End

By Denise Keller, Editor

percent difference in initial stand, 4,000 fewer plants per acre at the end of the season and 70 sacks per acre less yield. The difference in bulb size was less significant. In 2023, the inside rows yielded 120 fewer sacks per acre.

“Think about that going back to stands. Usually when we have a thin stand, those onions blow up, they get big, they get bull necks. Here, we have less stand, yet the onions are smaller.

So it’s not just the fact that we’re losing stand; the onions just aren’t growing as vigorously all season long for some reason and they’re staying small when we would expect that they would actually be bigger,” Thornton said. “I think that’s important enough to pay attention to. If I told you I could help you get 100 sacks more in yield or 5 tons more per acre, most people would say, ‘yeah, I’ll sign up for that.’”

Stunting of onions grown in the inside rows of a planting bed, closer to irrigation drip tape, resulted in smaller bulbs (bottom row) compared to onions grown in the outer rows of a bed (top row).

D

o onions in the inside rows of a planting bed get the short end of the stick? Researchers in Idaho asked the question and say “yes.”

Mike Thornton, a professor of plant science at the University of Idaho, has been studying differences in stand, yield and bulb size based on plants’ distance from irrigation drip tape.

Putting Numbers to the Observations

The work started after Idaho onion growers observed in 2019 that onions planted near drip line weren’t growing as well as onions planted farther from the tape. Researchers paid attention the following year and saw that, sure enough, onions closer to the drip tape were significantly stunted compared to the outer row.

To determine whether the stunting

16

Onion World • March/April 2024

observed was substantial enough to impact onion growers’ bottom line, University of Idaho researchers began a study in 2021. Working with a 44-inch bed, they planted a double row of onions on each side of irrigation drip tape, with the inside rows 6 inches from the tape and the outside rows 9 inches from the tape.

Two months after planting, the inside rows had a plant stand of 75 percent compared to 81 percent in the outside rows. Some plants were lost throughout the season, regardless of placement within the bed; however, at the end of the season, inside rows had about 9,000 fewer plants per acre than the outside rows. In addition, yield was 200 cwt per acre lower and bulbs were 2.4 ounces smaller, on average.

Thornton’s team repeated the trial in 2022 with similar results: 11

Identifying the Root Causes

During 2021 and 2022, the researchers identified several differences in soil conditions in the inner rows compared to the outer rows that could explain the reduced stand, yield and bulb size. The inner row next to the tape experienced wetter and slightly colder soil conditions than the outer row. The inner row also had less soil compaction – and thus, poorer seed-soil contact, which is important for germination, Thornton said.

“When we go through and put beds down in the spring, most of that soft soil is ending up in the middle, and then we’re shanking the drip tape in, which is breaking up the soil and making it less compact, too. It’s great for not having compaction, but it’s maybe not great for seed-soil contact. So that could explain why we’re having variable germination early in the season,” Thornton said.

The researchers also found that the incidence of pink root was 22 percent

higher in the rows closer to the drip tape, and severity was 3 percent higher.

Researchers believe that the wetter, cooler soil closer to the drip tape creates an environment more conducive to disease development, resulting in the lower yields and bulb size observed in the inner row.

the 2023 trial, they increased tape flow from 0.25 gpm/100ft to 0.34 gpm/100ft to allow for faster movement of the wetting front. This treatment tended to produce the highest bulb yields and 800 800

700 700

Taking a Closer Look

600 600

-68 -68 -183 -183

-196 -196

500 500

Total Yield (cwt/acre)

Total Yield (cwt/acre)

In 2023, researchers began evaluating ways to modify the soil conditions in the rows closer to the drip tape. To provide more uniform moisture across the planting bed, researchers evaluated drip tape emitter volume. They also applied pelleted bio-char over the seed row at planting to absorb sunlight and warm the inner rows and even out temperature fluctuations. To address soil compaction, they used a press wheel behind the planter to firm the soil and provide more uniform seed-soil contact.

Finally, the research team examined the role of pink root by planting into a section of the field fumigated with chloropicrin and comparing it to nonfumigated ground in order to determine if the extent of stunting, stand loss, yield and bulb size reduction is related to the level of root disease.

The increases in pink root, reduction in total yield and smaller bulb size for onions closest to the drip tape found in 2023 closely matched what researchers observed in 2021 and 2022. And while the soil warming and soil firming treatments did change the temperature and firmness of the soil around the seed during emergence and early plant growth, they failed to provide any improvement in stunting and yield loss for onions in the inner row. From these results, it does not seem likely that soil temperature and firmness are the main cause of the stunting observed, according to Thornton.

Likewise, fumigation reduced pink root levels but did not reduce the difference in yield or bulb size between the inner and outer rows, indicating that pink root is probably not one of the main factors driving the stunting and reduced yields in inner rows.

However, the researchers are interested in taking a closer look at the role of the drip tape emitter volume. In

minimize the difference between inner and outer row locations. Thornton recommends that this high-flow drip tape treatment be evaluated for at least one additional year to confirm the results.

400 400

300 300

200 200

100 100

00

2021 2021

2022 2022

Outside Outside Inside Inside

2023 2023

Average yield of inside and outside rows during three years of research

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These chelates protect the nutrient from combining with other elements or losing nutrient value for absorption. JH Biotech’s Biomin chelated line is OMRI, CDFA and WSDA organic certified and compatible with humic and fulvic acid products. Without using harsh chemicals, it provides plants with stable nutrients, balancing mineral deficiencies more quickly than conventional inorganic nutrients. It can be used for soil and foliar applications without compromising environmental quality and safety. Biomin may be applied to all crops and turf. It reduces the effects of saline soils, water deficiency and weather conditions while encouraging increased yield, homogeneous ripening, more flavored and high quality fruit, and greater nutrient absorption.

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Onion World • March/April 2024

Nutri-Cal • 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 NutriCal, 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 • omexusa.com Slyce

Slyce Ca8% provides organic compounds, feeding soil microbial activity, which increases the soil-available fertility, especially when applied after granular fertilizers (e.g., DAP, MAP, CalSul or KCl), by reacting with those granular nutrients to release their components for faster and more efficient fertilizer use by plants.

In addition, Slyce aids in water penetration and increases the permeability of the soil profile, providing better soil moisture movement for developing bulbs.

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GROWTH ESSENTIALS Buyers’ Guide Redox Bio-Nutrients • redoxgrows.com Mainstay Calcium 2.0

Mainstay Calcium 2.0 from Redox Bio-Nutrients is a key asset to achieve premium onion quality come harvest time. It is specifically formulated to provide concentrated plant-available calcium and shortchain soluble carbon compounds for plant nutrition and soil structure.

Results include crop firmness, cell wall strength, plant nutrition, soil structure and root growth.

TPS Lab • tpslab.com CSL+

CSL+ is an innovative organic blend of L-amino acids from a combination of soy protein hydrolysate and corn steep liquor. This cutting-edge formulation provides many benefits from fulvic and other beneficial organic acids, proteins, enzymes, vitamins, hormones and sugars.

CSL+ is a highly bioavailable nutrient source with outstanding uptake efficiency, effectively increasing the plant-available N-P-K chemical analysis over other fertilizers that are excellent for any conventional, sustainable or organic program.

L-amino acids are nature’s building blocks of proteins and play a vital role in photosynthesis. They also contribute to many plant functions: cell wall strength, fruit quality, pollination, pollen fertility, hormone synthesis, formation of vegetative tissue, chlorophyll synthesis, stomatal regulation, chelation and more.

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Onion World • March/April 2024

NEW PRODUCTS

Smart Sprayer Enters North American Market

Ecorobotix, a Swiss ag-tech and AI software company, has introduced ARA, an ultra-high precision smart sprayer. ARA’s primary application currently focuses on targeted herbicide treatments in vegetable fields, such as onions, showcasing reduced phytotoxicity and enhanced overall crop yields. This translates to substantial profit increases for farmers while reducing herbicide volumes by 70 to 95 percent, according to the company.

Beyond herbicides, the sprayer’s usage extends to the application of liquid fertilizers, growth treatments, insecticides and pesticides, offering users a combination of precision and versatility.

In the U.S., contact Ecorobotix at marcus.lung@ecorobotix.com.

In Canada, contact Univerco at info@ univerco.net.

We take perfect care of your onions.

Discover the ultimate onion stacking & palletizing solutions.

Do you need the ability to accumulate boxes with multiple SKUs? Scan the QR to watch our flagship machine VPM-VHV stack pallets at blistering speeds or visit verbruggen-palletizing.com

OnionWorld.net

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MARKET UPDATE

Going, Going, Gone

By John Harris, Founder, Paradigm Fresh Inc.

T

already under severe duress. By midhe 2024 I have lived through and experienced to-late January, many shippers in the onion storage plenty of crazy markets throughout Northwest were down to little to no crop market my career. 2007, 2010 and the COVID availability on all sizes and colors for the has exposed market felt somewhat similar to this open market. Jumbo reds seemed to be something I year. The 2007 and 2010 spring markets the one item that carried reasonable dayhave never seen had higher FOBs, and the COVID craze to-day availability. What was left in storage happen before in was pretty nuts, as well, but it was just was needed to finish out spring contracts. my 20-year career on the sales desk: we a flash in the pan and not comparable I heard of this happening a couple of times are likely going to run out of onions for to what happened this year. COVID was in the early 1980s and mid-1990s, but the open market. As we approached mida far different scenario as supplies were it was before my time, and I can’t speak to-late January, white onions, generally more than ample, and suppliers were to what that was like. Mexico had some speaking, became nearly nonexistent. having trouble moving product before colder weather that delayed the early Aside from contract business, open the shutdown. When the shutdown Mexican crop slightly this year and pushed market whites became non-existent from happened and panic buying set in, there availability back into early the storage crop in the "Storage supplies that are typically in play February, adding one more Northwest. With a daily increasing market from in May and June will be gone completely." wrinkle to the already complicated puzzle that mid-December to midwe had going on. Lastly, and interestingly was plenty of product, but there weren’t January, along with high demand from enough, daily shipments were still in the enough hours in the day to pack for the Mexico, the industry took advantage of high 300s and low 400s going into late the hot market and fierce demand and insane demand that ensued for the next January, continuing to drain what storage sold all the onions that could be packed. several weeks. 2007 and 2010 had many supplies remained. Supplies were being more similarities to this year by way of Fast forward to the end of January, and depleted at a record pace, putting the comparison. The difference between the domestic white onion supply had March and April open markets almost those markets and this year is that those nearly vanished. Medium reds became exclusively on the Mexican and Texas nearly as tight as the white supply, and markets didn’t flip until after the first shoulders to carry. by mid-January, it seemed most shippers of the year. Supplies were not nearly as This spring will undoubtedly have were sold out for the week on all sizes and stressed as they currently are in 2024, trickle-down effects that will carry colors by Tuesday afternoons. Even yellow either. weight on the market and supply chain onions were becoming pretty scarce for There are several things that come to throughout the summer. Storage supplies the open market by the end of January, mind that are different this time around. that are typically in play in May and which is unimaginable to me even in the Eastern Canada will be a buyer several June will be gone completely. Increased wildest scenarios, yet there we were months earlier than normal this year, witnessing it firsthand. putting even more stress on a market demand out of California and New Mexico this summer is a certainty at this point, which nearly guarantees an above-average Advertiser Index market for nearly three quarters of 2024.

Bejo...................................15 Redox ................................. 9 The next opportunity we have for market reset and returning to normal conditions Chinook Equipment ............ 7 Redwood Empire ................ 9 looks to me like mid-August when next Clearwater Supply .............11 Seed Dynamics ..................24 year’s storage crop season begins.

Gearmore ..........................17 Seedway ............................11 Speculation is always a little cloudy, but Gowan Seed ......................14 Spudnik .............................12 the current outlook for what’s ahead is Inter Agra ..........................13 TKI...................................... 3 pretty clear.

Kerian................................13 Top Air................................ 8 To close, remember that a good L&M ..................................20 Verbruggen........................21 relationship with your suppliers in the coming months is going to be a lynchpin NOA ..................................23 Volm..................................19 in getting through the coming four to six Nunhems...........................21 months successfully.

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Onion World • March/April 2024

Summer Convention

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