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Telone® is a Restricted Use Pesticide. Telone is labeled under FIFRA 24(c) for nematode suppression in cotton and as an at-plant application only in the state of Georgia. In Florida, Telone is labeled under FIFRA 24(c) for nematode suppression with additional use restrictions in certain counties, including: Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, Sumter and Volusia. The use of Telone is prohibited in Broward and Dade counties. Consult the Supplemental Labeling for the specific restrictions in your area or call 800-258-3033 for more information. Some products are not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Consult the label before purchase or use for full details. Always read and follow label directions. ®Telone is a trademark of The Dow Chemical Company. ©2020 Corteva
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3
Table of Contents Magazines For Maximum Yield
ONION WORLD Volume 36, Number 6
September / October 2020
6 Onion Smut: Old Problem, New Solution
Excellent Debut by New Seed Treatment for Onion Smut in New York Muck Onions
10 Quality Over Quantity
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 Editor Denise Keller editor@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com Director of Operations Brian Feist brian@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com
Bachelder Farms
14 Storage Essentials Buyers' Guide
16 18 22 25
PO Box 333 Roberts, Idaho 83444 Telephone: (208) 520-6461
EDITORIAL INFORMATION
The Next Chapter in Onion Foliar Disease Seminis Peels Back Layers of Onion Breeding COVID-19 Pushes NOA into Virtual Convention US Imports of Fresh Onions, Shallots Trade Trends
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
A new seed treatment for onion smut is making an impressive debut. See the story on page 6.
On the Cover Bryan Bachelder farms onions in Ontario, Oregon, where he is scaling back production to focus on quality. See the story on page 10. Photo by Casey Crookham
4
Departments 13 20 21 23 26
New Products Calendar Disease & Insect Quiz In the News From the NOA
Onion World • September / October 2020
Payments may be made by check, Visa, MasterCard or American Express. 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 2020. 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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5
Onion Smut:
Old Problem, New Solution Excellent Debut by New Seed Treatment for Onion Smut in New York Muck Onions
By Christy Hoepting, Cornell Vegetable Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension
I
n 2019, a new seed treatment for onion smut, EverGol Prime, made its debut in muck onion production in New York with thousands of acres of direct-seeded onions treated with it for the first time. EverGol Prime put on a great performance and reduced incidence of onion smut by 87 percent compared to Pro Gro.
Long-Awaited New Seed Treatment
Onion smut is a serious soil-borne disease of direct-seeded onions grown in muck soils in New York. Smut results in seedling mortality. When smut-infested seedlings survive, they often do not reach maturity, and if they do, bulbs are undersized and unmarketable due to ugly black pustules of smut spores within the scales (Fig. 1). Onion seedlings are only susceptible to smut infection from approximately the third day after seedling germination until the flag leaf is fully mature, which is about 12-15 days. (This is why transplants are immune to smut.) The longer it takes a
seedling to emerge, the greater the risk for smut infection. Therefore, fungicides applied at planting are critical for effective control of onion smut. It had been over a half century since a new fungicide for control of onion smut was registered and available for use in New York. EverGol Prime seed treatment with the active ingredient penflufen (FRAC 7) was the most effective active ingredient against onion smut that my colleagues and I had ever seen in over 20 field research trials of at least a dozen active ingredients. In Cornell studies, penflufen averaged 92 percent control (range: 82-100 percent) in seven field trials conducted in Elba, New York. So, how did it do in 2019 in commercial production?
Quick and Dirty Survey
Since I was so excited about EverGol Prime and highly recommended it, I was really hoping that its performance in largescale commercial production would live up to my hype. So, my technicians
Figure 1. Dark pustules of onion smut spores are seen inside the leaves of an onion seedling (left) and inside the scales of an immature bulb (right). Onion smut results in seedling mortality and unmarketable bulbs. It is a chronic problem in direct-seeded onions grown in muck soils.
6
Onion World • September / October 2020
and I did a “quick and dirty” survey in Elba muck in 2019. In total, we surveyed eight fields that were grown from seed treated with Pro Gro and six fields that were grown from seed treated with EverGol Prime (Table 1). We surveyed fields belonging to four growers (A, B, C and D), which included six varieties. In no situation did we have the same variety grown by the same grower in the same block with the only difference being Pro Gro versus EverGol Prime (i.e. no experimental controls). Differences in onion smut among our survey fields also could have been caused by a few other factors. First, total seed treatment packages differed. Usually, the fields grown from seed treated with Pro Gro were from seed that was left over from 2018, which was also treated with Farmore FI500 (spinosad + thiamethoxam for onion maggot, mefanoxam, fludioxonil and azoxystrobin for damping off). Since we also recommended that growers switch to Trigard for resistance management of onion maggot in 2019, seed that was treated with EverGol Prime was typically treated with Trigard. But, we did have one survey field (Grower B) who had seed treated with Pro Gro and Trigard (Table 1). Second, different growers used different planting equipment and drenches (Table 1). Third, planting dates and crop stage at time of assessment varied. Earlier planted fields that took longer to emerge could inherently have higher levels of onion smut. Finally, different blocks within the same farm and among different farms could have different inherent levels of onion smut. We conducted the survey between July 1 and July 11 when onion stage ranged from 4-5 leaf to 7-8 leaf per field (Table 1). In each field, we examined plants for onion smut: 20 samples of 20 consecutive
Table 1. Field survey of Pro Gro and EverGol Prime seed treatments for control of onion smut, Elba muck, early July 2019 % Onion Smut1
Onion Smut Seed Treatment
Other Seed Treatments Grower Code
Field Code2
Onion Variety
Fungicide FI500
21
Pro Gro
Grower A
KN-5
Bradley
(mefanoxam axoystrobin, fludioxinil) FI500
20
Pro Gro
Grower A
KN-4
Bradley
(mefanoxam axoystrobin, fludioxinil)
Insecticide
Fungicide(s)
FI500 (spinosad, thiamethoxam)
mancozeb
FI500 (spinosad, thiamethoxam)
17
Pro Gro
Grower B
30A-2
Red Wing
none
Trigard
14
Pro Gro
Grower B
BB-9
Safrane
none
Trigard
7
Pro Gro
Grower B
D-1
Safrane
none
Trigard
FI500
Crop Stage
none
100
3
Jul 1
5-6 leaf
none
100
3
Jul 1
5-6 leaf
chlorpyrifos
100
4
Jul 8
7-8 leaf, bulb swell
chlorpyrifos
100
4
Jul 8
6-leaf
chlorpyrifos
100
4
Jul 11
6-leaf, 1” bulb
mefanoxam4 mancozeb mefanoxam mancozeb mefanoxam mancozeb mefanoxam mancozeb mefanoxam
4-5 leaf
FI500 (spinosad, thiamethoxam)
mancozeb
chlorpyrifos
NA
NA
Jul 11
4-5 leaf
none
100
3
Jul 1
5-6 leaf
none
100
3
Jul 1
5-6 leaf
chlorpyrifos
100
4
Jul 8
5-leaf
chlorpyrifos
100
4
Jul 8
5-leaf
mefanoxam
chlorpyrifos
50
0.25
Jul 11
4-5 leaf
mefanoxam
chlorpyrifos
50
0.25
Jul 11
5-leaf
NA
15%
AVERAGE
2
EverGol Prime
Grower A
KN-1
Safrane
none
Trigard
2
EverGol Prime
Grower A
KN-2
Safrane
none
Trigard
2
EverGol Prime
Grower B
BB-2
Montclair
none
Trigard
3
EverGol Prime
Grower B
BB-5
Montclair
none
Trigard
2
EverGol Prime
Grower D
30A-S
Oreus
none
Trigard
1
EverGol Prime
Grower D
30A-M
Morpheus
none
Trigard
2%
AVERAGE
axoystrobin, fludioxinil)
Date
Jul 11
FE
FI500 (mefanoxam
Band width (inch)
NA
Pro Gro
axoystrobin, fludioxinil)
GPA3
NA5
13
(mefanoxam
Insecticide
chlorpyrifos
Grower C
Montclair
Survey Sample
mancozeb
Grower C
E
Drench Specs
FI500 (spinosad, thiamethoxam)
Pro Gro
12
Drench Treatments (active ingredient)
mancozeb mefanoxam mancozeb mefanoxam mancozeb mefanoxam mancozeb mefanoxam
% Onion Smut: average of 20 sub-samples of 20 consecutive plants per field (= 400 plants/field) Field Code: Fields with the same first part of field code (e.g. KN or BB, etc.) per grower are from the same block, where comparisons in side-by-side fields were made. 3 GPA: gallons per acre 4 Mefanoxam is the active ingredient in Ridomil. 5 NA: Not available Yellow highlights: Active ingredient has “some” activity on onion smut. Mancozeb is in Manzate Max, Roper, etc. Chlorpyrifos is in Lorsban, Hatchet, etc. Blue highlights: Active ingredient has “some” activity on damping off Pythium spp. 1 2
OnionWorld.net
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Onion Smut plants in a row for a total of 400 plants per field. We started with a smut-infested plant for each 20-plant sample unless it took us more than a couple minutes to find a smut-infested plant, then we started the sample with a healthy plant. Using this method, our results were skewed slightly toward higher than actual incidences of onion smut. However, they were also skewed toward lower than actual incidences of onion smut because several smut-infested plants could have died without a trace prior to early July. Since this is not a scientific experiment, we are only reporting our findings as observations, not as statistically significant results.
% Onion Smut Mean per Field % Onion Smut
20-09 Onion World-.5H page.v1.outlines.pdf
8
15
16 14
12 10 8 6
- 87%
4
Better Control
The six fields grown from seed treated with EverGol Prime (+ mancozeb in-furrow) resulted in an average of 2 percent onion smut (range: 1 to 3 percent) compared to the eight fields grown from seed treated with Pro Gro, which averaged 15 percent onion smut (range: 7 to 21 percent). EverGol Prime reduced
Mean per Field
18
2
2 0
Pro Gro EverGol Prime Figure 2. EverGol Prime seed treatment reduced incidence of onion smut by 87 percent compared to Pro Gro in a field survey in Elba, New York, in 2019 (n = 8 for EGP; n = 6 for Pro Gro).
Pro Gro
EverGol Prime
Figure 2. EverGol Prime seed treatment reduced incidence of onion smut b Pro Gro in a field survey in Elba, New York, in 2019 (n = 8 for EGP; n = 6 for 1
2020-08-14
Onion World • September / October 2020
11:49 AM
incidence of onion smut by 87 percent compared to Pro Gro (Table 1, Fig. 2). As previously discussed, the incidence of onion smut in this survey is both higher and lower than the actual amount. In 11 small-plot research field trials conducted in Elba from 2002 to 2014, Pro Gro seed treatment + mancozeb in-furrow drench averaged only 59 percent control (range: 22-89 percent), whereas incidence of onion smut in non-treated control averaged 38 percent (range: 17 to 61 percent). Thus, 59 percent control of 38 percent would result in 16 percent onion smut. Also, slow onion growth during the cold wet spring of 2019 was favorable for onion smut as its incidence increases as the time from germination to maturity of flag leaf increases. Taking all this into consideration, 15 percent onion smut does appear to be reasonable. And it’s also unfortunate that New York muck onion growers had been limping along with such poor smut control for decades.
In a 2019 field survey, Grower D did not use mancozeb with EverGol Prime seed and had as little onion smut as Growers A and B who used mancozeb with EverGol Prime (Table 1). So, mancozeb is likely not needed with EverGol Prime, unless perhaps smut pressure is expected to be high. However, mancozeb also has activity on damping off pathogens, as do the two active ingredients in Pro Gro, whereas EverGol Prime does not have any activity
on damping off. The importance of mancozeb in-furrow for damping off is unknown. Growers are encouraged to turn off the drench periodically to see for themselves whether mancozeb is necessary. For more information, see Cornell Cheat Sheet: Seed treatments and infurrow drenches for direct-seeded muckgrown onion at rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/ uploads/doc_863.pdf.
Onion World Buyers Guide_Sept2018_Layout 1 9/25/2018 9:17 AM Page 1
Widespread Use
The majority of direct-seeded muck onion acreage in New York was treated with EverGol Prime in 2020. Spring of 2020 was also very cool, delaying seedling emergence, which again created favorable conditions for onion smut. Despite this, with EverGol Prime, onion smut is hard to find. Except in fields with historically high levels, EverGol Prime does still let some onion smut through. But, when we scout onion fields grown from seed treated with Pro Gro, especially earlier planted fields where emergence was prolonged, we see onion smut is everywhere.
Need for Mancozeb?
Mancozeb applied in-furrow was crucial with Pro Gro-treated seed or else onion smut could reduce stand by 50 percent or more. Including mancozeb in-furrow has become such a habit and safety net that growers have not wanted to leave it out when they switched from Pro Gro to EverGol Prime. In a 2017 on-farm small-plot trial, the addition of mancozeb in-furrow to EverGol Prime seed treatment did not result in statistically significant or even numerically better control of onion smut than EverGol Prime seed treatment alone.
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Quality Over Quantity Story by Denise Keller, Editor
B
ryan Bachelder doesn’t like to bite off more than he can chew. As a relatively new onion grower, that means not planting more onions than he can manage well. In an age when farms are becoming larger and consolidation is the trend, Bachelder Farms in Ontario, Oregon, is scaling back production. And the grower is finding the strategy key to facing current challenges in the field and in the market.
Scaling Back
Bachelder moved to Ontario from Oregon’s Willamette Valley in 2010 to work as a field man for an onion shed. In 2012, he began farming on his own and added 10 acres of onions to the rotation in 2015. That was a really good year, he
recalls, so he started farming full-time in 2016. Through the years, he gradually increased production, maxing out last year at 120 acres of onions. But the larger scale brought bigger challenges as he began seeing lower yield and was crunched to harvest the crop in a timely manner. That, combined with his marketing strategy, prompted him to cut back on acreage. “When I first started farming, I was 22 years old and I thought I could farm the world,” Bachelder says. “Now, we take more of a quality over quantity approach. That’s my new way to look at everything. I want to have a successful future in growing onions, but I just want to manage what I have right now.” In total, Bachelder farms 400 acres of
Crews begin harvesting onions at Bachelder Farms in mid-August.
10
Onion World • September / October 2020
onions, wheat, sugar beets, bean seed, alfalfa and dry corn. This year, 70 acres are planted in red and yellow fresh market onions. Yellows, which include Joaquin, Vaquero and Sedona, make up about 75 percent of the acreage, with Red Bull accounting for the remainder. Downsizing has allowed the grower to focus on quality by lengthening crop rotations, increasing weed control and better managing thrips. “Scaling back and focusing on plant health and quality has done wonders for us. Timing on applications has been everything. We’ve been able to monitor our crops better. I can check every onion field two times a day if I want to,” Bachelder says, adding that he was also able to finish planting sooner, which
allowed the crop to mature more before warmer weather increased thrips pressure. “That’s been my solution to the pest problem that seems to be working really well this year.” Another major factor in Bachelder’s improved thrips control has been the increased use of drip irrigation on his farm. Previously growing all his onions under gravity irrigation, he began adding drip irrigation in 2018, increasing its usage each year. Currently, about 70 percent of the onions are drip irrigated. The ability to more precisely deliver water to the plants is keeping the onions from getting stressed, increasing plant health and ultimately improving quality and yield, Bachelder says. “Thrips are attracted to any plants that show stress,” the grower explains. “If we eliminate that stress, it’s as good as eliminating a thrips spray. That keeps costs down and thrips don’t have a chance to move in as fast.”
Workers man the harvester at Bachelder Farms.
Expanding the onion industry
Adapting to the Market
On top of the constant challenge of thrips, 2020 has brought the unprecedented obstacles associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Changing marketing and onion movement is making it difficult for Bachelder to know what’s ahead. “It’s a huge stress to me because I don’t think consumers use as many onions at home as when eating out. It does greatly stress me that one of the nicest crops I’ve ever grown may not have a market,” he shares. Bachelder is among the earlier growers to harvest onions in the Treasure Valley of Oregon and Idaho. He has land that is well suited for early onions as well as access to water from the Snake River early in the growing season. He began harvesting onions midAugust and will continue on and off through September. The start date is typical for his farm, but he didn’t start with the usual volume, instead letting some of the crop mature for possible storage. Normally, he would have harvested more of the intermediate varieties earlier because he can move them, but held off for a few weeks because of the market. “We’re going to put more onions in
Enza Zaden continues to lead the vegetable breeding industry in North America with the commercialization of two new varieties. Elsye (10106) is a late intermediate yellow onion targeted at the processing trade and the fresh market with large sizes and a mild flavor. Yield, earliness, size and flavor are the attributes Elsye brings to the Pacific Northwest grower. Barolo (10663) is a mid-maturing dark red long day onion with excellent foliar and root health for mid to long term storage. The release of Elsye and Barolo expands growers’ choices for well-adapted, high-performing varieties in the Pacific Northwest. Our product development teams work closely with growers and dealers, creating an informed synergy that delivers superior onion genetics for the Pacific Northwest. We look forward to growing these relationships and continuing to commercialize new, well-adapted varieties for our valued markets.
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7/28/20 12:03 PM OnionWorld.net
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Bachelder Farms storage than we’re going to sell out of the field right away,” he adds. “We’re hoping the market comes back. We’re on a wing and a prayer on that one.”
Living the Dream
Despite the inherent challenges of farming, it’s a life Bachelder long dreamed of living. “From the time I was a little kid on, I loved growing things. I loved science. I like the variety of working on the farm. I wanted to have my own business. I liked the thought of even though there are a lot of headaches involved, every day is a little different,” Bachelder says. In high school, he worked for a row crop farmer and knew some successful onion growers. “I always had the dream to be a row crop farmer,” he recalls. “I had always looked up to older successful farmers and thought that was something I wanted to do. So here I am, and so far, I still like it most days.” Bachelder is quick to credit neighbors such as Jerry Nagaki for helping him get started, from loaning equipment to sharing a piece of good advice. And he’s thankful that his dad, Dan, a retired mechanic, helps in the farm shop. The grower serves on the IdahoMalheur County Onion Growers Association board of directors and the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee. He enjoys being involved and having a voice in the industry as he continues to
Bryan Bachelder works on the planter in the spring. Red onions make their way into the bulk bed during the 2020 harvest.
Reds lie in the field at Bachelder Farms.
navigate the role of small family farms such as his. “I think everything is on efficiency,” Bachelder says. “In order to stay in the industry, not getting too big and not being too small is going to be the way to go. I still want to progress, but I’m going to have to be very efficient and conscientious of how I do things and how much I want to stretch out in growing onions.” With a desire to become a growershipper in the future, Bachelder says it will be important to take opportunities as they come, as well as to adapt to changes in the industry and to stay focused on quality.
12
Onion World • September / October 2020
New Products
Greentronics Improves In-Line Conveyor Scale
Greentronics has added several new features to its RiteWeight in-line conveyor scale product. The new features are designed to automate harvest and storage data recording. Data are uploaded via Android phone or tablet to the Greentronics cloud server for processing and reporting in near real-time. Maps and reports can be viewed, downloaded, shared or printed from anywhere via secure log-in. A range of reports detail how much crop is stored and where it was grown. 2D maps show where crop is stored by date, field and variety. By including a crop temperature sensor with the scale, maps will provide a temperature profile for each cellar. Maps allow growers to easily complete traceability reports, and harvest and storage progress can be monitored from anywhere. Reports show inventory levels, and other scales and yield monitors may be added to provide additional details about performance in the field and trash percentage. Visit www.greentronics.com.
Company Offers Ag Soap Solution
Disinfecting Services’ Personnel Antimicrobial Soap is approved for human contact by the USDA. Agriculturally marketed as Canker Guard, this product can be used as a disinfecting soap and spray. The product was formulated for food safety to prevent the spread of germs and contamination by personnel. It’s now available to the public to address growing hygiene concerns and the spread of germs that cause illness. The soap is odorless and applied as a spray, which can be worked into the hands with no need to rinse. It can be used in personnel spray stations, applied as a light disinfecting mist, and is safe for clothes and skin, according to the company. The 1-gallon concentrate makes 55 gallons. Visit www.disinfectingservices.net.
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Storage Essentials Buyers’ Guide Agri-Stor Companies • www.agri-stor.com Agri-Star Control Panel
Agri-Stor Companies helps growers take control of their onion storage with Gellert’s AgriStar Control Panel. Since 1964, Agri-Stor has designed and sold thousands of Agri-Star panels for a wide range of postharvest products. Through all these years of application experience and university-based research, Agri-Stor Companies has developed a userfriendly, advanced control panel. Features include a full-color, interactive touchscreen, easyto-understand programming and internet capabilities with an intuitive app. Fully adaptable to growers’ onion storages, the Agri-Star panel can handle everything including curing mode, burners, humidity, refrigeration, airflow, temperature, carbon dioxide levels, heat and lights. When growers match the Agri-Star panel with Gellert’s climate control equipment, their onions are wrapped in the perfect climate, extending their life and quality.
Behlen Building Systems • www.behlenbuildingsystems.com Behlen Curvet
For long life and outstanding service, the Behlen Curvet has proven itself as an excellent building system for onion, potato or farm equipment storage. Wall panels are roll-formed (4 ½ inches deep) from heavy gauge steel coils (nothing less than 20 gauge) to form arch sections of outstanding strength. Customers can choose from 51, 60 or 68 feet wide to accommodate handling equipment. Frameless supports drastically reduce interior surface area, allowing greater airflow. These buildings are easily expandable and are built to last from one generation to the next. Door frames are available for overhead and bi-fold door use. All slide doors are bottom rolling on large diameter wheels for easy opening.
Disinfecting Services, LLC • www.disinfectingservices.net Harvest 6.0
Harvest 6.0 serves as a versatile sanitizer and disinfectant for onions going into storage or already in storage. This product was released as one of the strongest disinfectants, labeled for onions, on the market. Harvest 6.0 utilizes hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid to protect against fungi, algae and bacteria. The combination of these two ingredients is both effective and environmentally friendly. Harvest 6.0 has also been proven to be an effective disinfectant on equipment and cleaning storage facilities.
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Onion World • September / October 2020
GroupAg • www.groupag.com Thermal Fogging
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Jet-Ag’s original and unique patented formulation and process superheats and produces a thermal fog, which creates a vapor that permeates throughout the storage facility. The patented technology utilizes the free radicals generated from superheated Jet-Ag into super microbial oxides which kills all microorganisms including bacteria, fungi and algae such as bacterial soft rot pathogens, Botrytis and black mold. Jet-Ag also has a desiccant effect which creates a curative effect on the onion bulb in storage to help control disease. Jet-Ag can be applied at any time, but ideally upon completed storage of onions. Jet Harvest Solutions and Industrial Ventilation (IVI) offer application of this cost-effective treatment.
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15
The Next Chapter in Onion Foliar Disease
By Mary Hausbeck, Ph.D., University Distinguished Professor and Extension Specialist, Michigan State University
O
nion leaves don’t seem to get the respect that they deserve. We know the bulbs are what we’re after, but the leaves are the workhorse of this crop because they manufacture the plant food that stokes the bulb size and yield. These leaves are so important yet susceptible to many pests. When I was a young(er) professor, I expected to find Botrytis leaf blight or purple blotch in my onion field trials and growers’ fields, depending on the time of the season. Sure, downy mildew would develop some years, surprising us with how quickly it wreaks havoc if not caught and managed with the right fungicides. Then, several years ago, anthracnose developed on onion leaves in fields across Michigan, and we worked to identify
the novel pathogen (Colletotrichum coccodes) that had not been reported to previously infect onion leaves. We worked to identify this new pathogen and make fungicide recommendations that have eased the risk posed by this pathogen. But, it wasn’t too long after that, that another leaf blight appeared in onion fields. My colleague said the onions were “dying with their boots on.” I think that meant that the entire leaf was dying before it was supposed to. At first, all kinds of reasons for the early foliar death were proposed, but it turned out to be a plant pathogen. The culprit was a bacterial pathogen, Pantoea agglomerans, that causes bacterial stalk and leaf necrosis and was a concern for many
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Onion World • September / October 2020
Michigan producers. With help from my entomology colleague at Michigan State University, Dr. Zsofia Szendrei, we learned that controlling the thrips that move this bacterium around an onion field helps to limit the bacterial disease.
Stemphylium Leaf Blight
We are now onto a new chapter and challenge to keep onion foliage healthy. Stemphylium leaf blight has become a top disease problem for many onion growers in the eastern U.S. For the last several years, Michigan onion growers have struggled to control this disease despite closely following recommended fungicide spray programs. Onion producers that experience frequent rainfall and high humidity expect to encounter various foliar diseases, but Stemphylium leaf blight used to be considered a minor disease in Michigan. However, in recent years, this pathogen has become an aggressive and yearly challenge for onion producers in several eastern U.S. growing regions. Growers are also concerned that severe foliar diseases may contribute to reduced yield and bulb rot in storage. Stemphylium leaf blight begins as small white oblong lesions that may appear sunken and purple in color with a light-colored border (Fig. 1, Fig. 2). As the blight develops, the lesions run
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Figures 1-3. Stemphylium leaf blight development on onion. Photos courtesy Christy Hoepting, Cornell Vegetable Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension
together, resulting in larger blighted areas; eventually, the leaves become brown and necrotic (Fig. 3). Leaf blighting and early death of the leaves reduces bulb yield due to the loss in healthy leaf area. Our preliminary field results from 2019 indicated that Stemphylium infection may increase bulb disease during storage, likely as a result of secondary pathogens that enter the bulb through the damaged leaves.
Fungicide Trials
Recent field trials show that strobilurin fungicides are not working well in Michigan for Stemphyium leaf blight even though they have been a cornerstone of purple blotch control programs. The strobilurin class of fungicides represents several commonly used active ingredients including azoxystrobin, picoxystrobin,
pyraclostrobin and trifloxystrobin. The finding that this important group of fungicides is not able to protect the onion foliage has meant that growers have needed to turn to other fungicides to protect against this destructive leaf blight. Our research field trials conducted with a grower cooperator showed that applications of Omega SC, Luna Tranquility SC, Miravis Prime SC, Tilt SL and Luna Experience SC protected against Stemphylium leaf blight. Examples of seven-day spray programs that reduced leaf blight in our 2019 field trial and resulted in substantial increase of large bulbs and an increase in total yield compared to the plots that were not treated included: • Miravis Prime SC alternated with Bravo WeatherStik SC alternated with Tilt SL
• Luna Tranquility SC alternated with Bravo WeatherStik SC alternated with Tilt SL + Koverall DG There are certainly other effective fungicide programs that can be developed based on disease pressure and weather. We will be testing additional fungicide programs in 2020. An important consideration with the newer fungicides that are effective against Stemphylium is that they must be scheduled carefully as the number of times they can be used per crop/season is limited and may not cover a relatively long cropping cycle, especially when fungicides are sprayed every seven to 10 days. Note that applications of Manzate ProStik DF or Bravo WeatherStik SC alone do not provide enough protection but can be used in a tank mix or in alternation with more effective products.
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Seminis Peels Back Layers of Onion Breeding Story and photos courtesy Seminis Vegetable Seeds
F
ranco Asoro didn’t have what most would consider a traditional path when it comes to becoming an onion breeder. Growing up on a rice farm in the Philippines, he shifted his career to corn breeding after earning a Ph.D. in plant breeding at Iowa State University. But it was in 2015, when Seminis Vegetable Seed breeder Rick Jones hired him, that Asoro found his passion for short-day and mid-day onion breeding. As Asoro quickly learned, corn and onion breeding are very different. The first major difference he noticed was the complexity of breeding onions. A new onion hybrid takes 18 years with many steps and considerations along the way. One of those considerations is inbreeding. Onions, unlike many other crops, can
suffer from inbreeding depression so care must be taken to not inbreed too much. So why does the breeding process take so long to complete for onions? Asoro notes one reason is that it takes two years for any genetic improvements to be seen. That requires longer research and development time and a more extensive trialing period. Asoro details the onion breeding process from start to finish: •A segregating onion population is created by pollinating two established parents together in an enclosed and protected space. This step takes two to three years to finish. •Between years four and 10, a series of selection and evaluation of the new parents occurs.
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Onion World • September / October 2020
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•In year 11, the new parents are crossed to other parents to create many new hybrids. •Between years 12 and 17, the hybrids undergo trials, selection and seed production. •In year 18, the new selected hybrid is released for commercialization.
Newest Varieties Asoro and the team at Seminis have worked closely with growers to bring many onion varieties to the market. Their most recent addition is the white onion Alba Blanca. This onion provides growers with a high quality, early maturing onion that features vigorous top development, healthy and strong roots and reliable bulb characteristics. Alba Blanca gives growers an opportunity to be the first to market and reduce water usage during production. Seminis’ newest red onion variety is Red Maiden. This variety provides growers a high quality, early maturing red. The onion features strong tops and reliable bulb characteristics and creates an opportunity for growers to be first to the market. In addition to the company’s portfolio, Seminis is currently trialing three new varieties: SVNN1069 (earliest in the short-day pipeline), SVNN1049 (earlier than Seminis variety Hornet) and SVNN1088 (earlier than Seminis variety Hornet). Trials are showing favorable uniformity, single centers and yield for that maturity class. While not all three onions will go to market, all three are showing strong trial results and fill a gap in the marketplace. Asoro and his fellow Seminis breeders continue to work closely with growers to find varieties that suit their needs in the field and meet the ever-changing demands from consumers and the supply chain needs. Though it’s challenging work, his passion comes through as he focuses on breeding onion varieties that are nutritious, taste great and provide growers with yield, uniformity and first-to-market options. For more information about the Seminis onion portfolio, visit the company’s new website at www. onionexperience.com.
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Disease & Insect 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. What is wrong with these onions?
2. What is the small brown insect on this onion leaf?
Answers on page 24 OnionWorld.net
21
COVID-19 Pushes NOA Into Virtual Convention L
ast year, the National Onion Association’s (NOA) summer meeting was a first with three main onion industry groups converging together for the first time. This summer, Aug. 11 to be exact, the NOA hit another milestone. It was the first time the group held a “convention” without physically meeting. The NOA pulled off its first virtual or web-based meeting for 47 people who registered. The original plan was to meet in Nashville, Tennessee, but COVID-19 snuck into the picture, compromising the health of the nation in a way that hadn’t been seen in decades. That convention in the Music City had to be canceled due to travel restrictions and concerns for everyone’s health. The obvious next best thing was to hold a meeting online. Knowing that summer is the peak of harvest season for many onion growers across the country, the NOA limited the meeting to two hours and packed it with speakers discussing the situation of the Canadian onions that were coming to the U.S. without inspection, the Salmonella outbreak linked to red onions from California and an update on the national Stop the Rot project from Bhabesh Dutta of the University of Georgia. Other speakers included Jennifer McEntire, senior vice president of food safety and technology for United Fresh, discussing the Salmonella outbreak and how the Food and Drug Administration handles such issues; Phil Hayes, agricultural attaché to the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, Canada, and Peter Scarabelli, a compliance and enforcement specialist with the USDA/AMS/SCP Marketing Order and Agreement Division, both discussing the renewed efforts to ensure Canadian onions are inspected at the border.
22
Top Air raised $14,200 for the NOA by donating this 2020 RL 4400 4-bed rod lifter / undercutter to the NOA auction.
Doug Bulgrin, president of the National Onion Association, sits in his Wisconsin office readying for the organization’s first virtual meeting on Aug. 11.
Onion World • September / October 2020
NOA members also were invited to get involved with the new Nature’s Ninja Trademark Promotion Program. Members will be asked to pay $250 a year to use Nature’s Ninja on their product labeling, plus $2.50 per 1,000 labels or 1 cent per bag. Members can call René Hardwick, director of public and industry relations, with questions or to sign up. The event wrapped up on Aug. 12 with the conclusion of the NOA’s first online summer auction, which raises money for the promotions program. This year, minus expenses, the auction raised just over $28,000 for that cause. This year will go down in history for everyone with the events that have taken place. Next year is a mystery, but for now, at least for the NOA, the plan is for a 2020 do-over. The 2021 summer convention is scheduled in Nashville, Tennessee. Plans for the NOA’s annual meeting in December are still undecided as of mid-August.
In the News
Stokes Seeds, Nunhems Partner in Southeast
Stokes Seeds and Nunhems have entered into an exclusive onion distribution partnership for the Southeast U.S. Stokes Seeds territory managers will provide Nunhems product recommendations and service to onion producers in the region. Warehouse locations in Moultrie, Georgia, and LaBelle, Florida, will facilitate shipping and customer service needs. Stokes Seeds and Nunhems have longstanding relationships in various regions and crops. Company managers are excited to now advance the partnership in the Southeast with onions. The Nunhems onion product line has continually demonstrated proven performance in the region, according to Stokes.
PNVA Moves Online
The Pacific Northwest Vegetable Association (PNVA) is joining the long list of organizations to move their conferences online due to COVID-19. The annual PNVA conference will be held virtually Nov. 18-19. The group’s board of directors is working on plans to provide attendees with educational sessions covering onions, organic production, pest management and general vegetable topics. Organizers are also working to put together a program that will allow attendees to obtain recertification credits through their state. They plan to make additional details available in September. For more information, visit www.pnva.org or contact Sheri Nolan at snolan@agmgt.com.
Onions Linked to Salmonella Outbreak
Red onions from California have been linked to an outbreak of Salmonella infections affecting about 400 people in the U.S. and close to 200 people in Canada. The FDA and CDC have narrowed the source of the Salmonella Newport outbreak to bulk red onions grown at Thomson International in Bakersfield, California, but have not conclusively determined this to be the source. The grower and its shipper are fully cooperating with FDA officials in communications with customers, a thorough cleaning of facilities and providing open books. Thompson International plans to recall all varieties of onions it grows that could have come in contact with potentially contaminated red onions due to concerns of cross contamination. The FDA is advising consumers, restaurants and retailers, as well as suppliers, distributors and others in the supply chain, to not eat, sell, serve or ship red, white, yellow or sweet onions from Thomson International, Inc. or products containing such onions. OnionWorld.net
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Disease & Insect Quiz Answers From page 21
1. All of these plants are infected with Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV), which is transmitted by onion thrips.
Lesions first appear as concentric patterns of yellow and green. Over time, the infected tissue becomes necrotic, leaving “green islands” in the center of lesions. Finally, all of the infected tissue dies, leaving diamond-shaped brown patches. Each lesion develops from a separate thrips infection, so good thrips management can reduce the severity of the disease. In addition to good thrips management, reducing plant stresses, such as soil compaction, over-fertilization, and over- or under-irrigation, can reduce IYSV severity. Other factors that influence the risk of problems with Iris yellow spot virus include the field history for IYSV, neighboring crops and their management including distance between onion seed and bulb crops, management of weeds that may harbor thrips and the virus, the uniformity of plant stands – as thrips are often more abundant in fields with poor stands – and cultivar.
2. The insect is, of course, an onion thrips.
The brown color and wings identify it as an adult. Adults colonize fields in the spring and spread Iris yellow spot virus from plant to plant. The creamy-colored immature (larval) stage often makes up the vast majority of thrips in the field later in the summer. They do not move from one plant to another, but they can do extensive feeding damage, as seen here, and can transmit IYSV within a plant if they are on an already infected plant.
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Onion World • September / October 2020
Trade Trends US Imports of Fresh Onions, Shallots
By Mark Wocial, Certified Global Business Professional, Wocial & Associates LLC
A
fter three years of increases in volume, U.S. imports of fresh onions and shallots declined last year to 534,000 metric tons (MT), valued at $426 million. In comparison, the U.S. exported 264,000 MT, valued at $219 million. Thus, the U.S. international trade deficit in fresh onions amounted to over $200 million. Mexico remained the dominant supplier of fresh onions and shallots to the U.S. However, after many years of increases, and a record high of 353,000 MT in 2018, imports from Mexico dropped to 305,000 MT in 2019, valued $314 million. Last year, Mexico accounted for 57 percent of U.S. imports by volume. Imports from Peru, the second largest supplier to the U.S., continued their steady
growth and increased from 115,000 MT at $1,030/MT, imports from Canada were U.S. imports of fresh onions and in 2016 to a record high of 156,000 MT valued at $662/MT and shallots imports from Peru 557 in 2019, valued at $61 million. Last year, at only $392/MT. 600 538 534 510 imports from Peru accounted for 29 After a spike to 9,000 MT in 2017, 500 426 423up percent of all U.S. fresh onion imports, imports onions and shallots from 402 of fresh412 from 22 percent in 2016. 400 the Netherlands amounted to 6,600 MT in Imports from Canada were 2019, valued at $6 million. Imports from 300fairly unchanged in volume and market share China remained fairly unchanged in the in the past three years. They200 amounted to past several years and amounted to 3,000 56,000 MT in 2019, valued at $37 million. MT last year. Other suppliers to the U.S. 100 As a result, Canada accounted for 10 included France (2,500 MT), Spain (1,800 0 percent of U.S. imports by volume. MT) and Chile (1,600 MT). In addition, 2016 2017 2018 2019 Together, Mexico, Peru and Canada 10 other countries supplied less than 1,000 accounted for 96 percent of all U.S. imports USD MTx each. million MT x 1,000 Author’s note: This information is based of fresh onions and shallots last year. However, there were significant differences on the author’s analysis of the international in the value of imports per metric ton. trade data collected by the U.S. Census While imports from Mexico were valued Bureau Foreign Trade Division.
U.S. imports of fresh onions and shallots 600 500
U.S. imports of fresh onions and shallots from Mexico
U.S. imports of fresh onions and shallots
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510 423
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U.S. imports of fresh onions and shallots from Mexico
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U.S. imports of fresh onions and shallots from Mexico 353
360 340
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For More Details Ask For 2016
2017 USD x million
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2019
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25
From the NOA
A New NOA Era
The National Onion Association Embarks on Next Journey with New Foundations By René Hardwick, National Onion Association Director of Public and Industry Relations
T
he continuing journey for the National Onion Association took a turn this summer with a new home and a new way of making history. For more than 30 years, the National Onion Association (NOA) has been in one location, leasing space in a downtown Greeley, Colorado, office building. But today, the NOA has embarked on a new journey – ownership. On May 11, the NOA closed on a building in Eaton, Colorado, about nine miles north of Greeley in northern Colorado. The new building, a 101-yearold house with roughly the same square
footage of the leased offices, will be the seventh location for the NOA since its inception in 1913. “The executive board voted unanimously to purchase the property,” said NOA president Doug Bulgrin of Wisconsin. “Now, the association will be building equity in a property rather than throwing it away on rent.” The board agreed to look into purchasing a building at last winter’s annual meeting. Executive vice president Greg Yielding and treasurer Lynn Fagerberg looked earnestly throughout Greeley to find a suitable location, but prices in this growing area are heavily inflated. Many options to buy never hit a bottom of less than $1 million. The NOA was able to buy this new
building for about one-tenth of that. The building was built in 1919 as a house for management at the local sugar beet factory. The NOA is working with graduate students from Colorado State University to document and prepare a national register historic designation for the building. The building went through extensive renovation to not only bring it up to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, but also make it functional to house NOA offices. One memorable change to the building is in the front yard, through which the NOA sold commemorative bricks to members to line the front walking path to the door. That way, NOA members will share in this historic venture and literally set their names in stone as solid backers of the NOA. We’re calling it the New Foundations Fundraiser. Bricks (sizes
The NOA had a ramp built to the back parking lot to make its new building ADA compliant.
26
Onion World • September / October 2020
The entirety of the front of the building was torn down and refurbished. A notable feature not shown here is the planned walking path leading to the front porch, which will be lined with NOA members’ names and messages in brick. Bricks are for sale to NOA members by calling Sharla Johnston at (970) 353-5895.
4x8 or 8x8) are still for sale to members. Members can call Sharla Johnston at the office at (970) 353-5895 to order a brick. One thing to note is our address. Mail has been forwarded from our old address so far, but that will end soon. Our new address is 218 Oak Ave., Eaton, CO. 80615. Our phone number remains the same at (970) 353-5895.
This building in Eaton, Colo., was built in 1919. The NOA closed on it on May 11, and immediately began remodeling it.
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The building was formerly a restaurant, so an extensive remodel was undertaken to create offices. Here, a crew installs drywall.
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