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Title: Onions: Transplant Production, Varieties, and Storage Trials

Author
item SHREFLER, JAMES - OSU, LANE, OK
item GOODSON, TONY - OSU, LANE, OK
item Perkins Veazie, Penelope

Submitted to: Proceedings of Horticultural Industry Show
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/31/2007
Publication Date: 5/1/2007
Citation: Shrefler, J., Goodson, T., Perkins Veazie, P.M. 2007. Onions: Transplant production, varieties, and storage trials. In: Proceedings of the 26th Oklahoma-Arkansas Horticulture Industries Show, January 5-6, 2007, Ft. Smith, Arkansas. p. 119-121.

Interpretive Summary: Fresh market, sweet onions offer a specialty crop niche market to Oklahoma growers. Onions of 10 varieties were planted in Lane, OK using hoophuse systems to establish transplants. After harvest, bulbs were held in the shade in ambient conditions outside or stored at 35 or 60 F for 4 to 6 months. Diseased and/or sprouted onions were counted and removed every 2 to 4 weeks and weight loss determined. Onions held at 3 C had the least amount of sprouting and disease. However, as energy inputs for storing onions at this temperature are high, alternative manipulations for storage length and/or temperature change will be investigated.

Technical Abstract: Fresh market, sweet onions offer a specialty crop niche market to Oklahoma growers. Experiments were done to determine effectiveness of transplants raised in a hoophouse system on cultivar performance, and to determine methods for short term storage for market extension. Ten short or intermediate day onion cultivars were transplanted into plots at Lane, OK. After harvest, bulbs were held in the shade in ambient conditions outside or stored at 3 or 15 C for 4 to 6 months. Diseased and/or sprouted onions were counted and removed every 2 to 4 weeks and weight loss determined. Onions held at 3 C had the least amount of sprouting and disease. However, as energy inputs for storing onions at this temperature are high, alternative manipulations for storage length and/or temperature change will be investigated.