Onion World May-June 2024

301 Natividad Rd. Salinas, CA 93906

Phone: (831) 443-4901 www.takii.com

info@takii.com

Hi-Keeper

Hi-Keeper is an intermediate, overwintering type jumbo onion with medium maturity. It has a globe shape and is jumbo sized, averaging 11 ounces. Growing vigorously with good long-term storage ability, Hi-Keeper is best suited for storage markets.

T-448

T-448 is an intermediate, overwintering type onion with good sizing, mostly colossal (3.5 to 4 inches in diameter) and firm bulbs. It expresses refined, uniform, globe-shaped bulbs with strong root systems and good bolting tolerance. The skin quality of T-448 is excellent, and it has small necks, allowing for good curing. It is well suited for fresh and process markets in the Pacific Northwest Columbia Basin.

Rio Dulce

Rio Dulce is a mid-early, short-day onion with low pungency. It has strong roots, a high tolerance to pink root and good single centers. Bulbs are firm, have a globe shape with good skin retention and are mostly jumbo and colossal.

Hi-Keeper

Blanca Grande

Blanca Grande is a medium-early maturing short-day white onion and has a high percentage of single centers with strong bolting tolerance. Uniform, globe-shaped bulbs have thin necks, sizing in the medium to large range with good interior white color.

Superex

Superex is an early, short-day onion suited for tropic and sub-tropic climates. Jumbo-sized bulbs are firm, flattenedglobe in shape with brown-yellow skin. Lab analysis puts Superex within the Vidalia Superior Onion Flavors standards. It’s best for fresh market.

T-448

Superex

Blanca Grande

Rio Dulce

1200 Anderson Corner Rd.

Parma, ID 83660

Phone: (800) 733-9505

www.nunhemsusa.com

nunhems.customerservice.us@basf.com

Information provided is based on experience with tests, trials or practices, as well as general observations over multiple years.

NEW

Amadea

Amadea is a short-day white variety that thrives during the early to main season, maturing in 155-160 days. This variety boasts a uniform, round Grano-shaped bulb with a bright color. Amadea has good bolting tolerance, and its tops are notably strong and healthy.

Dulciana

Dulciana is an early short-day yellow onion with a maturity of 160 days. This variety produces a round Grano-shaped bulb, has good bolting tolerance and is a strong yielder for the early, mild, yellow segment. Dulciana also has high pink root resistance.

Plethora

Plethora is a flat, yellow short-day onion with a maturity of 180 days. This variety produces a round Granex-shaped bulb with a sweet flavor profile and a golden straw color. Plethora has good bolting tolerance and a high percentage of single centers.

Rasta

Rasta is a main-season short-day red onion with a maturity of 175-180 days. This variety produces round globeshaped bulbs with a dark red exterior, has good bolting tolerance and a medium percentage of single centers.

Sofire

Sofire is Nunhems’ earliest short-day red onion with a maturity of 150-155 days. This variety produces a uniform, round Grano-shaped bulb, good internal and external color, and strong and healthy tops. Sofire has excellent bolting tolerance, moderate pink root resistance, and a strong, vigorous root system.

Vidora

Vidora is a flat, yellow short-day onion with a maturity of 150 days. This variety produces a rounded Granex-shaped bulb, a sweet flavor profile and a golden straw color. Vidora has excellent bolting tolerance and a high percentage of single centers.

Plethora

Sofire

Amadea

Vidora

Rasta Dulciana

1972 Silver Spur Place

Oceano, CA 93445 www.bejoseeds.com

Greg Styers

Phone: (805) 689-1627 g.styers@bejoseeds.com

Macon

Macon is a short-day yellow Granex onion introduced for the late-season maturity slot. The variety is high yielding with a deep Granex shape, excellent uniformity, strong tops, and sweet and mild flavor.

Red Marvel

Red Marvel is a new red short-day Grano onion with a nice globe shape, deep, attractive red color, healthy tops, strong roots and excellent yield potential.

Macon

Red Sensation

Red Sensation is an early maturing red Grano with strong, healthy tops and excellent bulb firmness and color. The variety is widely adapted across short-day growing regions.

Red Marvel

Red Sensation

NEW Betty

Betty is Crookham’s earliest maturing short-day white onion. Betty has strong tops for shading late in the season and a root structure to allow it to grow through stressful conditions. Bulbs are excellent in shape and uniformity, and size to mostly jumbo.

Red Ranger

Red Ranger is a late-maturing, deep, rich red short-day onion that is a consistent yielder. The rings on Red Ranger are also distinguished by a deep red color, and bulbs have a high percentage of single centers. Red Ranger is very adaptable, making it a grower-friendly variety.

P.O. Box 520

Caldwell, ID 83605

Phone: (208) 459-7451

ccoinfo@crookham.com

www.crookham.com

Intermediate- and Short-day: Rob Gobleck

Phone: (575) 644-5712

robg@crookham.com

Delightful

NEW Delightful

Delightful is a late intermediate onion. This variety produces a firm, large jumbo bulb that can be easily mechanically harvested. The scale is retentive and golden brown in color. The variety’s main feature is in a retail sweet onion program. The pyruvate levels on this variety are low at harvest and through storage. This variety is very versatile and can work well as a high yielding transition from early intermediates to long-day onions.

Mesilla

Mesilla delivers consistent yield and beautiful scales at the end of the short-day growing season. It has excellent tolerance to bolting and disease challenges, making it a grower-friendly variety. Mesilla can transition with direct seeding between short-day and intermediate-day, lowering the need for transplants.

Long- and Intermediate-day for U.S. and International:

Lyndon Johnson

Phone: (208) 369-3390

lyndonj@crookham.com

Salute

NEW Red Velvet

Red Velvet is a main-season intermediate. It has a uniform globe shape with a bold internal red color at harvest. Red Velvet has a strong top structure that allows for good shading during growing and a high percentage of single centers for market adaptability.

Salute

Salute is a great early- to main-season intermediate variety that displays a nice golden brown scale and cuts a high percentage of single centers. This intermediate Spanish onion is a consistent yielder and a uniform producer of jumbo and colossal bulbs. Salute has shown strong tolerance to pink root and Fusarium.

Betty Red Velvet

Mesilla Red Ranger

8269 E. US Hwy. 95

Yuma, AZ 85365

Phone: (928) 341-8494 www.dpseeds.com info@dpseeds.com

Cherry Mountain F1

Cherry Mountain F1 is a large, brilliant colored, dark red Grano onion with excellent storage capabilities. This intermediate/long-day variety produces round bulbs that are uniform in shape with refined necks. The variety is highly single centered and ideal for the fresh market. Plant in early spring.

Diamond Swan F1

Diamond Swan F1 is an early, intermediate/long-day variety with good storage capabilities. This variety features a round, very white bulb with a refined neck. Bulbs are highly single centered.

DP Sweet F1

DP Sweet F1 features a round shape with a small neck and firm bulb weighing 250-300 grams. It is a very early variety with good flavor and is resistant to downy mildew and bolting.

Saffron F1

Saffron F1 is a large, yellow intermediate/ long-day Grano onion with excellent storage capabilities. This is an early variety with a refined neck and beautiful dark yellow-bronze skin. The variety is highly single centered and will do well in North Carolina and in the northern U.S.

DP Sweet F1

Saffron F1

Cherry Mountain F1

Diamond Swan F1

Bonarda F1 (E61D.10441)

Zinfandel F1

Zinfandel is a mid- to late-maturing short-day onion. With a strong root system, globe-shaped bulbs, and an intense internal and external red color, Zinfandel provides growers a solid, high yielding option in its maturity class.

Elsye F1

Elsye is a mid-maturing intermediate yellow onion with excellent sizing potential. Strong vigor and bolting tolerances make Elsye a prime choice for growers looking for an excellent yielding, processor-friendly onion that works well in the fresh market. As a bonus, Elsye’s mild flavor profile would allow it to be packed as a sweet onion, adding to its marketing flexibility.

www.enzazaden.com/us

Rene-Didier Emch, Sales Representative & Product Developer

r.emch@enzazaden.com

Monastrell F1

Monastrell is an intermediate-day onion that boasts high quality, single-centered bulbs. Bulbs are uniform and resistant to sunscald in the field. With bulbs averaging 3.5-4 inches, the variety is recommended for the fresh market.

Cabernet F1

With a vigorous plant habit, Cabernet produces uniform, globe-shaped bulbs of outstanding holding ability and high quality. Typical harvest is July through August, offering earliness and firmness.

Bonarda F1 (E61D.10441)

Bonarda is a main-season intermediateday onion with improved bulb qualities. It produces firm, uniform, globe-shaped bulbs with multiple, tough, deep red skins and good scale retention. Bonarda can also provide growers with an earlier maturing option in northern long-day areas with moderate storage potential.

Cabernet F1

Monastrell F1

Elsye F1

Zinfandel F1

Maragogi

Maragogi is a hybrid yellow early mainseason onion in the short-day maturity class. Bulbs are uniform, flat-round to globe shape with beautiful straw brown skin. The variety features strong tops with great disease tolerance and a high percentage of single centers. Maragogi is a Vidalia-approved variety.

Nyala

Nyala is a hybrid yellow late-season onion in the short-day maturity class. Tops are vigorous and upright with strong field tolerance to foliar diseases and strong pink root tolerance. The variety is widely adapted to all U.S. short-day district climates and latitudes. Bulbs are globe shaped with bronze skin, very firm, highly single centered, and jumbo to colossal in size.

Maragogi

Chualar, CA 93925

Phone: (831) 679-1900

www.gowanseed.com

info@gowanseed.com

Sweet Tule

Sweet Tule is the next generation of yellow early main-season short-day deep Granex hybrid. Bulbs have attractive light straw brown skin. Top habit is erect, and the necks are refined. The variety offers excellent spring onion flavor. It holds well in the field for optimum post-harvest quality and is a Vidalia-approved variety.

Tacoma

Tacoma is an exciting new hybrid yellow onion in the mid-early short-day class. This high yielding variety boasts a very uniform globe shape, shiny bronze skin and excellent firmness. Bulbs are highly single centered, and top health has been a standout in a wide variety of trial conditions and locations.

Sweet Tule

Tania

Tania is a hybrid yellow mid-early onion in the short-day maturity class. Uniform, deep Granex bulbs are firm with a strong root system. Upright, vigorous tops make it widely adaptable to challenging growing conditions. The Vidalia-approved variety has strong pink root tolerance.

Veronica

Veronica from Starke Ayers is a short-day hybrid yellow onion variety with excellent color, quality and uniformity. Featuring medium- to large-sized globe-shaped bulbs, this high-yielding variety has good general foliage disease resistance and pink root resistance.

Nyala

Tacoma Tania

Veronica

Phone: (954) 429-9445

www.hazera.us.com

Toro Rosso is a short-day red onion with a semi-flat globe shape. Toro Rosso is a very productive variety for early-main season production and provides excellent internal coloration. Toro

Central Valley:

David Scheidt

Phone: (559) 367-7080 david.scheidt@bayer.com

Pacific Northwest:

Richard Navarrete

Phone: (208) 317-6451 richard.navarrete@bayer.com

Texas:

Lee Schill

Phone: (956)-227-3442 lee.schill@bayer.com

CALENDAR

June 25-29

NOA Summer Convention

Sheraton Anchorage

Anchorage, Alaska

www.onions-usa.org

Aug. 29

WSU Onion Field Day

Hartley Farms

Prosser, Wash.

Tim Waters, (509) 545-3511 or twaters@wsu.edu

Oct. 17-19

Global Produce and Floral Show

Georgia World Congress Center

Atlanta, Ga.

www.freshproduce.com

Dec. 8-11

NOA Annual Convention

Savannah, Ga.

www.onions-usa.org

Never Miss An Issue!

OnionWorld.net/subscribe

Alba Blanca

Alba Blanca provides growers a high quality, early maturing white onion with vigorous top development, healthy, strong roots and reliable bulb characteristics. Alba Blanca delivers an opportunity for growers to be first to market and reduce water usage during production. It is well adapted to the white onion markets of Mexico, southern Texas, New Mexico and California.

Hellcat

Hellcat is a first-to-market, short-day yellow onion with great scale, quality and color. Its superior bulb uniformity and excellent size profile deliver customers with highly attractive medium- to jumbosized bulbs. Flexibility across planting dates and rapid speed to maturity offer a reliable product that is suitable for mechanical harvest.

Hornet

Hornet is an early maturing yellow variety with wide adaptability for the Rio Grande and Imperial Valley regions. This variety provides exceptional bulb uniformity and shape, as well as flexibility within multiple planting windows. Hornet has shown to be a very high yielding hybrid in trials and has low pungency, which makes it a flavorful, mild tasting onion.

Red Halen

Red Halen provides growers with a high quality, mid-maturing red short-day onion. Red Halen has vigorous and strong tops that protect the bulb from bleaching. With superior external quality and a fast speed to internal red, Red Halen provides growers with consistent and reliable bulbs. With flexibility during planting and harvest, Red Halen is well adapted to the red onion markets of Mexico and the Western U.S.

Hornet

Alba Blanca

Red Halen

Hellcat

Vidalia Onion Committee Hires Executive Director

The Vidalia Onion Committee (VOC) has selected Shane Curry as its new executive director. Curry replaces longtime VOC manager Bob Stafford, who retired last year.

Curry has spent the last 17 years working with the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, and his resume includes numerous awards for his work with various produce commodities, including onions, strawberries, blueberries and pecans.

Curry was born and raised within the Vidalia growing region. He has a master’s degree in agriculture and environmental education from the University of Georgia.

Syngenta Partners With Emerald Seed Company

Syngenta Vegetable Seeds and Emerald Seed Company have signed a licensing agreement that will provide Syngenta exclusive access to Emerald Seed’s genetics and allow Syngenta to make Emerald Seed’s products available globally.

Emerald Seed Company breeds open-pollinated and hybrid varieties of several crops including onions. The company, based in El Centro, California, was founded in 1995 as a vegetable seed breeder and producer, partnering with seed distributors throughout the world to serve commercial vegetable growers.

Syngenta operates in more than 60 countries and ships seeds to 124 countries.

Vidalia Onions Hit the Market

Vidalia onion producers began shipping onions April 17, this year’s official pack date set by the Georgia Agriculture Commissioner. The pack date is determined by soil and weather conditions during the growing season to help ensure only the highest quality Vidalia onions, known for their sweet, mild flavor, are shipped to stores.

Vidalia onions are available for a limited time each year between April and early September. Approximately 11,000 acres of Vidalia onions were planted for the 2024 season.

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

UNITED STATES

UNITED STATES

MEXICO

MEXICO

California (661) 699-0055

Lancaster & San Joaquin Valley (661) 978­5342

Irapuato

+52 (462) 220-0453

Torreón, Coahuila (461) 117­3878

Desert Southwest (928) 446­7737

California, New Mexico (661) 300-9109

Torreon

+52 (461) 117-3878

Colima, Col. (461) 104­0134

Colorado & New Mexico (970) 396­9728

Southern California, Arizona (760) 791-0325

Chihuahua

+52 (648) 109-1597

San Luis Potosi (461) 140­9452

Colorado (208) 550-7733

Idaho, East Oregon, Utah & Nevada (208) 941­1421

San Luis Potosi

Chihuahua (461) 171­9401

+52 (449) 196-1848

Idaho, Eastern Oregon, Utah, Nevada, North Dakota (208) 941-1421 (208) 550-7733

Skagit Valley, Washington (360) 941­7503

Rio Grande Valley & West Texas (956) 618­5574

Washington, Western Oregon (509) 820-9887

Texas (956) 618-5574

Tamaulipas (461) 134­2421

Tamaulipas

+52 (461) 346-1531

Irapuato, Gto. (461) 546­5792

Colima

+52 (461) 104-0134

IOnion World Turns 40

n honor of the 40th anniversary of Onion World, we’re taking readers back through the past with old photos from our archives. The archives and the magazine were created by Onion World co-founders, Brent Clement and Mike Stoker, in 1984. Though both men are retired now, they’ll always be remembered as the originators of Onion World.

Unlike this publication, the origins of onion cultivation in North America are not so cut and dry. In his 2023 book “The Core of an Onion: Peeling the Rarest Common Food — Featuring More Than 100 Historical Recipes,” Mark Kurlansky details the origin stories of several onion varieties, including Bermuda onions, Vidalias, Walla Walla Sweet Onions and Maui Kulas.

Kurlansky has filled his volume with old-world recipes and interesting tidbits and trivia about onions. Here are some examples:

• Onion powder was developed as a way to get onion flavor without “crying eyes.”

• Sweet onions are the official state vegetable in Georgia, Texas, Utah and Washington.

• European settlers in the New World first planted onions in Massachusetts in 1629 and in Virginia in 1648.

• Ancient Egyptians painted onions on pyramids and tomb walls and placed them in or tied them to mummies.

• High onion prices were a factor in changing the government in the 1980 national election in India.

“The Core of an Onion” is available as a hardcover and audiobook from Amazon and is an enjoyable read for onion lovers.

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.

2004: Cal Dyk checks on the crop at his Michigan farm.

2004: Darlene Maxwell displays onions with IYSV at a field day.

"The Core of an Onion" by New York Times bestselling author Mark Kurlansky is available from Amazon.

2010: Beverly and Mike Stoker enjoy an ATV ride. Mike co-founded Onion World in 1984.

2015: Onion World co-founder Brent Clement and his wife, Ann, attend the NOA's summer convention in Boise, Idaho, where Brent was named an honorary NOA member in recognition of his decades of involvement in the U.S. onion industry and support of the NOA mission.

1999: The Story Farms crew poses in Roswell, Idaho.

1993: Ron Engels with the Petoseed onion team looks at field trial results.

Texas 1015 Sweet Onions

By Dante Galeazzi, President, Texas International Produce Association

Ashome to the first fresh onions available domestically and the original sweet onion – the Texas 1015 Sweet Onion – Texas plays a critical role in the U.S. onion industry. The season typically kicks off in mid-March and continues into the first days of July or until the weather gets too hot for too long. While Texas onion growers typically produce around 3.5 million bags per year, they strive for better yields and hope for cooperative weather to get closer to the 4 million figure annually.

Texas onions are truly unique. They are the first new crop sweet onions, meaning they’re the first domestically grown onions available every year. Consumers love this variety of onions because they have less pyruvic acid (the juices that make you cry), making them ideal for both cooked and raw consumption. Texas 1015s are particularly delightful when sautéed or grilled, offering a mild flavor, excellent crunch and great nutritional benefits, perfect for enjoying fresh anytime.

Named after their ideal planting date of Oct. 15, Texas 1015 Sweet Onions faced a delayed planting start in 2023 due to a prolonged hot summer lasting

through October and into November. While shippers will have supplies in March, the peak of the harvest is expected in the later weeks of April, just in time for spring promotions and the barbecue season.

Since the bulk of the Texas onion crop will be around late April into early May, the marketing geniuses of Full Tilt Marketing helped choose this year’s campaign: The Sizzlin’ Flavor of the Texas 1015 Sweet Onions. This campaign features sweet prizes selected based on the imagery that comes from grilling onions on warm spring days, capturing the mouthwatering smell as family and friends gather to enjoy meals

Exploring nature never stops

TANIA

New short day yellow granex introduction: Strong upright tops with great plant habit. High yielding deeper granex shape, strong root system, and firm bulbs. Pink root and bolting resistance.

“Vidalia Approved Variety ”

RED SENSATION

BEJO ONIONS - LAYERS OF EXCELLENCE

Early maturing grano red. Strong healthy tops. Pink root resistance. Excellent bulb firmness and color. Uniform round bulbs. Good internal color. Widely adapted across short day growing regions. High percentage single centers.

SWEET TULE (BEJO 369)

Early main season maturing yellow granex variety. Healthy and strong, with upright tops. Petite neck size for rapid field curing. Excellent bulb firmness with attractive appearance and great flavor!

“Vidalia Approved Variety ”

MARAGOGI

Early main season short day yellow onion. Attractive lighter colored skin. Uniform flat round to globe shape. Healthy with disease resistant tops. High percentage single centers.

“Vidalia Approved Variety ”

Bejo Seeds Inc. (main office) 1972 Silver Spur Pl. Oceano, CA | T: 805- 473-2199 | E: info@bejoseeds.com

bejoseeds.com

outdoors before the heat of summer fully takes over. The Texas 1015 Sweet Onion will have plenty of social media and consumer-facing toolkits to help any seller or marketer better reach their buying audience – and those tools are free at www.tx1015.com.

Texas not only grows Texas 1015 Sweet Onions, but the state also grows plenty of conventional yellows, reds and whites to round out the onion category. Going into the Texas onion season, supplies have been very limited for both domestic and internationally grown onions due to a variety of factors, so there are a lot of indicators pointing toward pricing for Texas onions being much stronger than previous years.

While Texas is renowned for its sunshine, growers have faced challenges, including excessive heat in 2023 and several days of freezing temperatures in January that slowed growth. However, the most significant issue has been the limited availability of water.

The Rio Grande Valley (RGV), where nearly 80 percent of the Texas onion crop is grown, relies on water from the Rio Grande River. Both the South Texas growers and the farmers in Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon, Mexico, depend on the Rio Grande River as the primary water source for both agriculture and residential use.

A 1944 treaty overseeing shared waters between Mexico and the U.S. states that the U.S. will send water from the Colorado River to Mexico, and Mexico will in turn deliver water to the Rio Grande River. In the last 30 years, the U.S. has never missed a delivery while Chihuahua, Mexico, has never made a delivery in that time. Since the treaty was signed, the state of Chihuahua has built reservoirs away from the international border and has filled them with the inflows from the Colorado River. Without that flow of water, the Rio Grande River continues to report historically low water levels.

Last summer, the water situation in Tamaulipas, Mexico, reached a point where residents in the Mexican city of Monterrey were limited to water for only

a few days a week, and only a few hours each day. Similar conditions are arriving in the RGV. Earlier this year, after 51 years in business, the last sugar mill in Texas (located in the RGV) announced its closure. Farmers growing nearly 30,000 acres of sugarcane had no choice but to plow anything in the field into the ground, and the 500 employees at the mill were laid off.

Water has impacted many of the

other 40 fruit and vegetable commodities grown in the RGV, as farmers have collectively reported changing their crop mix to less water-intensive crops such as cabbage and onions. As the situation with water becomes scarcer in the region, more water districts may limit or simply stop water service to agriculture. The issue is such that Texas onion growers have a sharp eye on the future of the water availability in the region.

Making the Most of Mulch Onion Thrips Control With Plastic Mulches

By Natalie Constancio and Zsofia Szendrei, Department of Entomology, Michigan State University

As

The use of plastic mulch can be part of an effective strategy for onion thrips management. To help growers maximize the benefits of this tool, researchers at Michigan State University worked to identify best practices for using plastic mulch to control onion thrips.

Onion thrips are a major insect pest of onions. Thrips consume the green leaf tissue of the plant, resulting in a reduced ability to photosynthesize and subsequently a yield reduction for growers. Because thrips can cause significant damage, it is important to have a robust management plan.

Onion thrips are managed with action threshold-based insecticide applications and by rotating the insecticide class to prevent insecticide resistance from developing. While insecticide resistance can be managed, it is important to consider other potential management strategies to further reduce the risk.

Plastic mulches are an alternative strategy for onion thrips management and provide additional benefits to growers. Additional benefits include weed control, increased soil moisture retention and temperature regulation, but selecting the correct color mulch is important. For example, black mulch may help increase soil temperature at the beginning of the season but may become too warm later in the season. White plastic mulches help retain soil moisture but do not increase soil temperature as much as black mulches. However, white plastic and black plastic mulches have been shown to increase thrips populations when compared to bare ground. In contrast, red and reflective silver mulches have been reported to reduce thrips populations.

Interestingly, none of these mulches have been tested in onions, or in combination with pesticides. This led us to ask two questions for onion thrips management: 1) How do plastic mulches and insecticides compare to each

Ailsa Craig variety onions in the two- to three-leaf stage were transplanted onto plastic mulches on May 17, 2023. The onions were transplanted into a 2-foot-wide bed, approximately 8 inches apart. An irrigation line was placed under the plastic mulch, and onions were watered weekly.

other for suppressing thrips? 2) Can we combine these management strategies?

Field Trial

We tested different colored mulches, either with or without a pesticide program applied. The mulch colors and pesticide combinations tested were: 1) bare ground (no mulch) + no insecticide, 2) bare ground + insecticide, 3) black mulch + no insecticide, 4) black mulch + insecticide, 5) red mulch + no insecticide, 6) red mulch + insecticide, 7) silver mulch + no insecticide, 8) silver mulch + insecticide, 9) white mulch + no insecticide, 10) white mulch + insecticide (Fig. 1).

Testing mulch color without a pesticide program allowed us to compare how mulches control thrips populations compared to the standard management practice of bare ground and pesticide treatments. Mulches with pesticide applications allowed us to test whether improved thrips control is achieved with the addition of insecticides. The insecticide program consisted of two back-to-back applications of Movento seven days apart, applied June 6 and 14, followed by two back-to-back applications of Minecto Pro seven days apart on July 11 and 18, and each insecticide application was applied with Syl-Tac 1% v:v. Onion thrips were scouted weekly from May 24 through Aug. 18.

Comparing Plastic Mulches, Insecticides

To determine how plastic mulches and insecticides compare to each other, we compared the bare ground + insecticide treatment to the colored mulches without insecticide treatments (Fig. 2). First, we found that white mulches and black mulches were the least effective and increased thrips populations compared to the bare ground + insecticide treatments. On white mulch, there were three times more thrips per leaf (2.2 thrips/leaf) compared to the bare ground + insecticide treatment (0.8 thrips/leaf), and about 60 percent more thrips on the black plastic mulch (1.3 thrips/leaf). On the other hand, the silver reflective mulch and the red mulch without insecticides were as effective as the bare ground + pesticide applications

sprayed with insecticides and

was left untreated. Insecticide treatments consisted of two back-to-back weekly applications of Movento in early June, followed by two back-to-back weekly applications of Minecto Pro in mid-July. For each treatment, onion thrips were scouted weekly.

Bare ground: no mulch Black mulch Red mulch Silver

Figure 1. In a field trial testing the effect of different color mulches and insecticide programs on onion thrips, half of each mulched plot was

half

mulch White mulch

Figure 2. Researchers compared a standard onion thrips control program (bare ground + insecticide) to different colored mulches without insecticide treatments in a field trial. A total of four insecticide applications were made throughout the season, two in early June and two in mid-July. Bars with the same letter indicate no significant differences among the number of thrips.

Bare ground +insecticide Black mulch Red mulch Silver mulch White mulch

for controlling thrips populations. On the silver reflective mulch, there was a similar number of thrips per leaf (0.7

thrips/leaf) compared to the red mulch (0.7 thrips/leaf).

Combining Plastic Mulches, Insecticides

To understand if insecticides provided additional control when combined with mulches, we compared the bare ground + insecticide treatment to the colored mulches + insecticide treatments (Fig. 3). We first looked at the white mulch + insecticide treatment and found that the addition of an insecticide was not enough to manage thrips, and there was about two and a half times more thrips on the white mulch + insecticide (1.9 thrips/leaf) compared to the bare ground + insecticide treatment (0.8 thrips/leaf). We found that black mulch + insecticide treatment (0.8 thrips/leaf) performed similarly to the bare ground + insecticide treatment (0.8 thrips/leaf). In contrast, silver reflective mulch + insecticide (0.5 thrips/leaf) controlled thrips similarly to the bare ground + insecticide. Red mulch + insecticides were the most effective (0.3 thrips/leaf) at controlling thrips populations and reduced thrips numbers by 60 percent.

Conclusions

Pacific North West

Brian Haddon, Area Manager (971) 282-2884

San Joaquin Valley

Russ Brown, Area Manager (559) 799-0799

Imperial Valley & Yuma AZ

Scott Richards, Area Manager (928) 580-2484

New Mexico

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

Texas

Clegg Smith, Area Manager (956) 340-0022

Florida, Georgia & the Carolinas

Derek Levy, Sales Rep (912) 433-4752

Overall, we found that mulches can be as effective for thrips management as insecticides and these two strategies can be combined for improved control. To summarize, white mulches increased thrips populations, and the addition of insecticide applications was not enough to control thrips populations. Black mulch performed similarly to the bare ground treatments. Silver reflective mulch was as effective at controlling thrips as insecticide applications, but silver reflective mulch + insecticide did not provide additional thrips control, indicating that the addition of insecticide was unnecessary. Red mulch controlled thrips populations similarly to the bare ground + insecticide, and the combination of red mulch + insecticide provided the greatest thrips control. These results highlight that plastic mulches can be an alternative solution to insecticides for thrips control, and the effectiveness of insecticides combined with mulches was dependent on the mulch color.

Figure 3. Researchers compared a standard onion thrips control program (bare ground + insecticide) to different colored mulches with insecticide treatments. Four insecticide applications were made throughout the season, and onion thrips were scouted weekly. Bars with the same letters indicate no significant differences among the number of thrips.

Onion Industry Advocacy

By John Harris, Owner and Founder, Paradigm Fresh

It’s time to beat the drum for the National Onion Association (NOA) and its tremendous support and

leadership in Washington, D.C., every year on behalf of all U.S. onion farmers. I have traveled to the nation’s capital nearly every year for a decade with many members of the NOA. When I started going on this trip with NOA’s thenexecutive vice president, Wayne Mininger, my eyes were opened to how vital our advocacy for the industry is on Capitol Hill.

I would be remiss if I didn’t applaud Kay Riley for his decades of service on this trip, his vast knowledge and the many relationships he created, making inroads on things that happen in the background that many people are unaware of. He inspired me as a younger man to become more involved, put forth more effort, and continue to educate myself and my peers about the work we do every year on behalf of the onion industry.

Every generation of leaders needs to eventually pass the torch to the younger generation. Leadership is harder to come by these days, and as an industry, we can’t wait for someone else to do the work and be our voice. I feel like if anyone is going to speak for me and my livelihood, I want

that voice to be my own.

The topics discussed during the NOA’s trip to Washington, D.C., change from year to year. However, the IR-4 program, the Farm Bill and the foreign supplier verification program are typically high on the list of things we are working on, along with meetings with the USDA, FDA and EPA.

The IR-4 program is a little-known funding bill that supports chemical research for specialty crops like onions. Without this continued funding, our farmers will run out of approved chemicals to produce safe and healthy onions year after year. At our meetings with the EPA every year, we find the list of approved, labeled chemicals for use in our production getting smaller. We explain to the EPA that continuing to remove approved labels without adding additional ones puts a stranglehold on our ability to produce a crop that is not only safe to eat but also affordable for growers to produce and consumers to buy.

We also meet with many of our state delegates and their aides, making sure they are aware of these topics at the top of our agenda. As voting comes up on these topics, we are the boots on the ground that are constantly educating these folks about what we support and why it’s vital to our work. Without these visits and the information we provide,

Advertiser Index

many of these delegates would not even know these issues exist. It is our job year after year to continue to educate them and keep our issues as a priority throughout the year. There isn’t space here to expand on all of the essential details that are part of our trip each year, but our presence year after year has made an enormous impact on our industry without question.

During our trip this past February, we had 17 people from all parts of our industry representing our interests. The more people we have, the louder and stronger our voice becomes. I strongly encourage anyone who has ever had an interest in being involved to join our group in 2025 and be part of the voice that advocates for our way of life. Our current executive vice president, Greg Yielding, does a tremendous job arranging our schedule, setting appointments and keeping us moving in the right direction. His leadership is appreciated by all of us who get to see the work he puts in behind the scenes to make this trip successful. Thank you to all who have made the trip to Washington, D.C., and to all who will attend in the future. I hope that I, along with many of you, can be a voice and leader for our onion community for years to come and do impactful and worthwhile work. Have a great summer, and here’s to a continued and robust onion market!

UNIQUE SOLUTION FOR THRIPS FAST STOPS PEST-FEEDING

IDEAL ROTATIONAL TOOL

When it comes to protecting your onions from damaging thrips, you need TORAC ® Insecticide. TORAC works quickly to control immature and adult stages of onion thrips and Western flower thrips. And because TORAC has rapid stop-feeding activity, it helps reduce the transmission of Iris Yellow Spot Virus (IYSV). In addition, the unique mode of action of TORAC makes it an ideal rotational chemistry for resistance management. Also, TORAC can be applied by air, ground, or pivot, allowing application flexibility. So add a powerful tool to your onion spray program this season. Get TORAC Insecticide. To learn more, contact your distributor or local Nichino sales representative.