The objective of this trial was to evaluate varieties of yellow, white, and red onions for bulb yield and quality. Onions were evaluated in January 2001 after storage. Yellow bulb varieties were also evaluated for single centers.

The 2000 trial was conducted on an Owyhee silt loam with 1.6 percent organic matter and a pH of 7.3. The field had previously been planted to wheat. In the fall of 1999, the wheat stubble was shredded, and the field was disked, irrigated, moldboard-plowed, roller-harrowed, fumigated with Telone C-17 at 20 gal/acre, and bedded. Before plowing, 20 lb N/acre, 100 lb P₂O₅/acre, 10 lb Zn/acre, and 30 lb Mg/acre were broadcast.

Beds were knocked down March 23, 2000. Onion seed of 45 varieties from 9 companies was planted on March 24 in plots 4 rows wide and 27 ft long. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with five replicates. The onion seed was planted at 12 seeds/ft of row in single rows on beds spaced 22-inch apart using 4 Almaco cone seeders mounted on a John Deere Model 71 Flexi Planter equipped with disc openers. The onion rows received 3.7 oz of Lorsban 15G/1000 ft of row (0.82 lb ai/acre), and the soil surface was rolled on March 25. On May 7, alleys 4 ft wide were cut between plots, leaving plots 23 ft long. From May 8 through 11, the seedlings were hand thinned to a plant population of four plants/ft of row (3-inch spacing between individual onion plants, or 95,000 plants/acre). The field was sidedressed with urea at 100 lb N/acre on May 19 and 100 lb N/acre on June 16.

The trial was managed to avoid yield reductions from weeds, pests, and diseases. Weeds were controlled with cultivations on May 17 and June 17, and with low-rate herbicide applications as needed until lay-by (Table 1). After lay-by the field was hand weeded as necessary. Thrips were controlled with three aerial applications of Warrior and Lannate (June 9, June 21, and August 3) and one aerial application of Warrior on July 10. Warrior was applied at 0.03 lb ai/acre and Lannate was applied at 0.26 lb ai/acre. Microthiol Special at 8 lb ai/acre was broadcast aerially on August 31 for mite control.

Table 1. Herbicides used for weed control in the onion variety trial, Malheur Experiment Station, Oregon State University, Ontario, OR, 2000.

The trial was furrow-irrigated to maintain soil water potential at 8-inch depth above -20 kPa. Soil water potential was monitored by six granular matrix sensors (GMS, Watermark Soil Moisture Sensors Model 200SS, Irrometer Co., Riverside, CA) installed on June 7 below the onion row at 8-inch depth. Sensors were read daily at 8:00 a.m. from Monday to Friday. Irrigations were terminated on August 24.

The onions were lifted on September 12 to field dry. Onions from the middle two rows of every plot were topped and bagged by hand on September 13. The onions were placed into storage on September 27. The storage shed was managed to maintain an air temperature of approximately 34°F.

In early September bulbs from one of the border rows in each plot of yellow onions were rated for multiple centers. Twenty five consecutive onions ranging in diameter from 3.5 to 4.25 inches were rated. The onions were cut equatorially through the bulb middle and, if multiple centered, the long axis of the inside diameter of the first single ring was measured. These multiple-centered onions were ranked according to the diameter of the first single ring: "small double" had diameters <1½ inch, "intermediate double" had diameters from 1½ to 2¼ inch, and "blowout" had diameters >2 ¼ inch. Single-centered onions were classed as a "bullet". Onions were considered functionally single-centered for processing if they were a "bullet" or "small double."

Onions were graded out of storage from January 9 to January 11, 2001. Bulbs were separated according to quality: bulbs without blemishes (No. 1), double bulbs (No. 2), neck rot (bulbs infected with the fungus Botrytisallii in the neck or side), plate rot (bulbs infected with the fungus Fusarium oxysporum), and black mold (bulbs infected with the fungus Aspergillus niger). The No. 1 bulbs were graded according to diameter: small (< 2¼ inch), medium (2¼ to 3 inch), jumbo (3 to 4 inch), colossal (4 to 4¼ inch), and supercolossal (>4¼ inch). Bulb counts per 50 lb of supercolossal onions were determined for each plot of every variety by weighing and counting all supercolossal bulbs during grading. Varietal differences were compared using ANOVA and least significant differences at the 5 percent probability level, LSD (0.05).

Varieties are listed by company in alphabetical order (Table 2 and 3). The LSD (0.05) values at the bottom of each table should be considered when comparisons are made between varieties for significant differences in performance characteristics. Differences between varieties equal to or greater than the LSD (0.05) value for a characteristic should exist before any variety is considered different from any other variety in that characteristic.

The percentage of "bullet" single centers averaged 21.4 percent and ranged from 1.3 percent for 'Eagle' to 56.7 percent for 'Vaquero'(Table 2). 'Vaquero' and 'Granero' had the highest percentage of "bullet" single centers. The percentage of onions that were functionally single centered averaged 50.5 percent and ranged from 18 percent for 'Delgado' to 88 percent for 'Vaquero'. 'Vaquero', 'Granero', 'Ranchero', and 'Sabroso' were the highest varieties in percentage of functionally single-centered bulbs.

Total yield out of storage in January 2001 averaged 977 cwt/acre and ranged from 555 cwt/acre for 'Flamenco' to 1,293 cwt/acre for 'T-433'(Table 3). 'T-433', 'Ranchero', 'T-434', 'Quest', 'Mesquite', 'Ringstar', 'Cannon Ball', 'Torero', 'Vision', and 'Golden Security' were the highest varieties in total yield. Supercolossal-size onion yield averaged 214 cwt/acre and ranged from 1.4 cwt/acre for 'Tango' to 711.4 cwt/acre for 'Quest'. 'Quest' and 'Ranchero' were the highest yielding varieties of supercolossal bulbs. The number of bulbs per 50 lb of supercolossal onions averaged 31 and ranged from 27 for 'T-434' and 'Ranchero' to 48 for 'Red October'. All yellow bulb varieties had supercolossal counts within the acceptable range for marketing (28-36/50 lb). Colossal size onion yield averaged 308 cwt/acre and ranged from 29 cwt/acre for 'Flamenco' to 490 cwt/acre for 'T-439'. 'T-439', 'Torero', 'Vaquero', 'Mesquite', 'Granero', 'XP15113', 'Cannon Ball', 'Ringstar', and 'Vision' were the highest yielding varieties in colossal bulbs.

Decomposition in storage averaged 10.2 percent and ranged from 0.9 percent for 'Gunnison' to 35.5 percent for 'Tequila'. Decomposition of white onions due to black mold ranged from 17.1 to 24.6 percent. No. 2 bulbs averaged 44.3 cwt/acre and ranged from 0 cwt/acre for 'Granero' to 303.4 cwt/acre for 'T-434'. Bolting averaged 3.3 bolted onions out of approximately 368 onions in each four-row plot. Bolting ranged from zero bolted onions per plot for 'Mercury' to 18 bolted onions per plot for 'Cannon Ball'.

During the year, various experimental lines became named varieties: American Takii Eagle was named 'Eagle', Asgrow XP15225 and XP15234 were named 'Santa Fe' and 'Cannon Ball', respectively; Bejo BGS 157 was named 'Gunnison', Petoseed PS663395 was named 'Tioga', and Sunseeds SXO1428 and SXO1430 were named 'Granero' and 'Ranchero', respectively.

Table 2. Yellow onion multiple center rating, Malheur Experiment Station, Oregon State University, Ontario, OR, 2000.

Seed company	Variety	"Blowout"	"Intermediate double"	"Small double"	"Bullet"	Functionally single centered  "bullet + small double"
		------------------------------- % ---------------------------------
American Takii	Eagle	28.0	42.0	28.7	1.3	30.0
	T-433	41.3	30.7	19.3	8.7	28.0
	T-434	49.3	20.7	18.7	11.3	30.0
	T-439	40.2	36.2	20.4	3.3	23.7
	T-441	9.3	23.3	56.0	11.3	67.3
Asgrow	Tradewind	7.3	22.6	50.3	19.8	70.1
	XP15113	30.0	30.0	28.0	12.0	40.0
	XP15120	21.3	33.3	24.7	20.7	45.3
	Santa Fe	14.0	22.1	30.0	33.9	63.9
	Cannon Ball	27.1	31.2	17.8	23.8	41.7
Bejo	Legend	35.3	36.0	26.0	2.7	28.7
	Daytona	42.2	33.3	21.8	2.6	24.4
	Delgado	56.7	25.3	14.7	3.3	18.0
	Gunnison	8.8	18.4	41.0	31.8	72.9
Crookham	Zorro	24.7	22.7	26.0	26.7	52.7
	XPH97H33	34.0	24.7	22.7	18.7	41.3
	XPH97H36	25.8	27.3	27.7	19.2	46.9
D. Palmer	Mesquite	22.0	31.3	27.3	19.3	46.7
	Tequila	17.9	23.3	25.8	33.0	58.8
	Kodiak	44.3	22.1	20.3	13.4	33.6
Dorsing	Harvest Moon	24.0	18.4	32.8	24.8	57.6
Petoseed	Pinnacle	23.8	31.9	33.1	11.2	44.3
	Vision	13.3	21.3	29.3	36.0	65.3
	Vantage	8.7	23.6	40.0	27.8	67.8
	Quest	18.0	31.3	33.3	17.3	50.7
	Tioga	22.0	33.3	30.7	14.0	44.7
Rispens	Golden Security	33.3	31.3	17.3	18.0	35.3
	Superstar	12.7	30.0	25.3	32.0	57.3
	Ringstar	19.3	23.3	22.7	34.7	57.3
Sunseeds	Sabroso	4.0	20.7	42.7	32.7	75.3
	Torero	10.0	38.0	37.3	14.7	52.0
	Vaquero	2.0	10.0	31.3	56.7	88.0
	Tesoro	22.7	28.0	34.0	15.3	49.3
	Granero	1.3	19.2	23.8	55.7	79.5
	Ranchero	4.0	18.7	36.0	41.3	77.3
Mean		22.8	26.7	29.1	21.4	50.5
LSD (0.05)		12.4	11.4	11.7	10.1	13.4

Table 3. 2000 performance data for experimental varieties and commercial onion varieties graded out of storage, January, 2001, Malheur Experiment Station, Oregon State University, Ontario, OR.
Seed company	Variety	Bulb color	Total yield	Marketable yield by grade							Nonmarketable yield							Maturity			Bolters
				Total	>4¼ in	>4¼ in	4-4¼ in	3-4 in	2¼-3 in		No. 2s	Small	Total rot	Neck rot	Plate rot	Black mold		Aug. 8	Aug. 29		Aug. 29
			-- cwt/acre --		#/50 lb	------------ cwt/acre -----------------							-- % of total yield --					--- % ---			#/plot
American Takii	Eagle	Y	931.4	878.5	32	90.6	396.3	347.0	44.6		11.0	13.1	3.1	1.1	0.9	1.1		10.5	63.0		0.0
	T-433	Y	1292.9	991.0	28	563.2	343.8	74.7	9.4		65.5	2.8	17.9	8.8	2.8	6.3		1.0	40.0		0.8
	T-434	Y	1264.5	682.6	27	333.9	227.6	99.9	21.2		303.4	8.1	21.0	12.0	1.7	7.3		2.7	50.0		1.3
	T-439	Y	997.7	943.3	30	198.3	489.7	235.9	19.4		15.9	6.4	3.3	2.3	1.0	0.0		31.0	78.0		1.4
	T-441	Y	703.6	662.0	35	1.5	125.0	445.4	90.2		4.0	17.4	2.9	0.8	1.4	0.7		51.0	88.5		0.0
Asgrow	Tradewind	Y	775.0	736.3	32	39.5	244.0	383.9	68.8		4.0	10.9	3.1	2.1	0.8	0.3		52.5	80.5		3.0
	XP15113	Y	1098.7	973.3	30	237.4	433.1	262.9	39.9		37.9	8.4	6.7	1.9	1.5	3.2		15.5	65.0		1.5
	XP15120	Y	978.9	863.8	30	146.7	382.9	302.9	31.4		29.0	8.8	7.6	1.5	1.6	4.6		13.5	67.0		1.2
	Santa Fe	Y	1061.3	891.7	28	299.9	373.4	185.6	32.8		37.8	8.2	11.2	5.7	2.5	3.1		15.5	63.0		4.2
	Cannon Ball	Y	1202.1	942.2	28	333.9	429.3	163.0	16.1		62.1	5.0	16.2	5.9	3.0	7.3		2.5	46.0		17.8
Bejo	Gladstone	W	892.7	557.6	32	64.3	210.7	246.6	36.1		37.9	10.5	32.5	5.8	2.0	24.6		5.0	53.8		3.5
	Legend	Y	891.7	643.7	31	59.6	311.1	253.6	19.4		47.4	10.7	21.6	9.1	1.0	11.6		6.7	59.0		1.0
	Redwing	R	687.7	621.8	33	9.8	219.4	326.8	65.7		6.6	18.5	6.5	2.4	0.6	3.5		9.0	63.5		0.6
	Daytona	Y	848.7	741.9	33	64.2	358.0	290.1	29.6		64.2	11.6	3.4	2.1	1.0	0.4		6.5	52.0		0.6
	Delgado	Y	928.2	766.1	32	57.3	319.2	345.8	43.9		67.8	6.5	9.2	6.2	0.8	2.2		4.0	64.5		0.2
	Gunnison	Y	731.0	713.0	35	15.4	182.9	462.1	52.6		3.3	8.5	0.9	0.4	0.4	0.1		48.0	86.5		0.8
Crookham	Zorro	Y	1112.0	793.2	30	364.7	287.1	122.3	19.0		83.0	3.2	20.0	14.7	1.2	4.1		6.5	51.9		12.8
	XPH97H33	Y	1094.9	885.3	29	294.1	381.8	189.9	19.6		67.2	5.3	12.3	6.4	1.6	4.3		7.0	52.0		7.0
	XPH97H36	Y	1049.5	823.2	28	257.0	328.2	205.9	32.1		106.2	9.7	10.2	3.4	0.3	6.4		7.0	58.0		6.4
D. Palmer	Mesquite	Y	1252.7	1002.6	29	335.3	459.8	179.5	28.0		73.4	9.6	13.0	6.7	0.9	5.5		2.0	43.8		11.5
	Tequila	Y	1082.8	643.4	29	221.7	253.6	149.5	18.7		50.0	5.6	35.5	17.7	1.5	16.3		3.0	47.0		6.6
	Frosty	W	882.0	604.3	33	56.3	253.0	264.7	30.4		52.6	13.8	23.8	4.2	2.6	17.1		10.0	60.0		2.2
	Kodiak	Y	876.5	746.6	30	95.3	307.5	279.2	64.6		93.0	11.6	2.9	2.0	0.7	0.2		13.0	63.0		6.6
Dorsing	Red October	R	580.0	486.9	48	6.0	78.2	311.0	91.7		43.2	29.6	3.6	0.8	1.4	1.4		53.0	92.0		0.0
	Harvest Moon	Y	956.7	832.4	28	393.3	216.8	180.7	41.6		53.5	9.3	6.1	4.5	0.8	0.7		15.0	58.5		2.6
Petoseed	Pinnacle	Y	999.9	902.2	32	93.0	410.1	352.7	46.4		22.0	9.9	6.4	3.6	1.6	1.3		15.5	71.5		0.2
	Vision	Y	1196.4	1027.5	28	428.9	404.2	162.3	32.1		13.7	8.2	12.3	7.5	3.2	1.5		8.0	53.0		2.6
	Vantage	Y	857.4	798.8	32	102.6	339.8	323.4	33.0		15.0	12.1	3.5	1.3	2.0	0.2		38.5	74.0		0.4
	Ember	R	744.4	614.6	31	19.2	151.3	337.0	107.1		70.8	28.4	4.1	1.4	1.6	1.1		29.0	72.5		0.2
	Quest	Y	1263.6	1071.6	28	711.4	259.1	86.8	14.2		20.4	5.5	12.7	7.4	0.6	4.7		2.5	43.0		9.6
	Mercury	R	735.6	660.3	40	5.1	147.5	424.6	83.1		48.7	18.9	1.0	0.1	0.5	0.5		53.0	87.0		0.0
	Tioga	Y	952.5	913.2	30	157.9	400.8	320.5	33.9		5.9	6.3	2.8	0.1	1.2	1.5		24.5	66.5		1.8
	PX901494	W	1075.9	678.1	30	169.2	306.9	178.5	23.5		15.8	7.5	35.1	11.2	4.1	19.7		2.5	48.0		2.4
Rispens	Golden Security	Y	1194.9	927.2	30	366.0	372.9	173.6	14.6		84.3	9.1	14.4	9.4	1.3	3.7		4.5	47.5		14.0
	Superstar	Y	1161.0	877.5	28	372.7	336.9	150.2	17.7		73.3	6.4	16.7	9.0	1.3	6.4		2.0	46.0		5.4
	Ringstar	Y	1234.1	1027.4	28	432.9	410.9	172.6	11.2		59.7	4.8	12.1	6.6	1.7	3.8		6.5	52.5		11.0
Sunseeds	Flamenco	R	554.9	486.1	34	1.5	29.2	307.2	148.2		28.0	30.5	1.8	0.4	0.6	0.7		45.0	87.0		0.0
	Sabroso	Y	805.5	779.4	33	23.2	314.3	397.9	44.0		2.7	6.2	2.1	1.0	1.0	0.2		10.5	72.0		0.0
	Mambo	R	702.9	620.0	36	5.8	118.7	402.8	92.7		40.7	19.0	3.1	1.8	0.7	0.7		19.0	78.1		0.0
	Torero	Y	1202.0	1095.7	28	438.8	482.2	160.7	14.1		11.1	5.8	7.5	3.8	1.6	2.0		2.0	53.0		0.6
	Vaquero	Y	1144.1	1020.9	29	368.8	465.3	168.3	18.5		3.9	6.6	9.7	6.4	1.1	2.2		6.5	60.0		1.4
	Tango	R	598.5	527.8	38	1.4	70.2	364.7	91.6		18.8	16.7	5.9	2.0	2.2	1.7		45.0	87.5		0.0
	Tesoro	Y	950.0	887.8	30	201.6	391.3	276.8	18.1		24.6	6.8	3.3	2.1	0.5	0.6		34.0	65.0		3.3
	Granero	Y	1127.9	1055.5	29	488.9	452.2	103.6	10.8		0.0	8.6	5.8	2.9	0.7	2.2		3.5	53.8		3.3
	Ranchero	Y	1266.7	1196.4	27	682.0	372.3	126.3	15.8		14.2	1.9	4.2	2.3	1.3	0.6		5.5	61.5		0.6
Mean			976.5	813.2	31.1	213.6	307.7	251.1	40.8		44.3	10.5	10.2	4.6	1.4	4.2		17	63		3.3
LSD (0.05)			116.2	148.4	3.5	100.7	86.1	85.1	27.2		30.2	9.1	11.7	7.0	1.7	8.3		8	8		3.5

 

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Malheur Agricultural Experiment Station

Last updated  Friday August 13, 2004 .