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Title: Cultivar evaluation for hoop house grown onions

Author
item SHREFLER, JAMES - OSU, LANE, OK
item ROBERTS, B - OSU, LANE, OK
item TAYLOR, MERRITT - OSU, LANE, OK
item Webber Iii, Charles

Submitted to: National Allium Research Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/5/2008
Publication Date: 12/23/2008
Citation: Shrefler, J.W., Roberts, B.W., Taylor, M.J., Webber III, C.L. 2008. Cultivar evaluation for hoop house grown onions [abstract]. 2008 National Allium Research Conference. p. 38-39.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Oklahoma onions are produced for the fresh market using a combination of short and intermediate day cultivars. Recently developed hoop house transplant production techniques enable local production of cultivars not available as transplants elsewhere. Several new intermediate cultivars have production potential in Oklahoma and need to be evaluated for hoop house transplant production. Twelve onion cultivars were evaluated using hoop house grown transplants. Trials were initiated in hoop houses in November 2007 with the seeding of transplant beds. In March 2008, transplants were dug and replanted outdoors. At harvest, onion yields and bulb size were determined. The incidence of bolting was also measured. Marketable yields (bulb diameters of 2 inches or greater) ranged from 60 to 166 hundred weight per acre (CWTA). Eight cultivars produced marketable yields of 100 CWTA or greater and there were no statistical differences among cultivars in this group for marketable yield. Onion cultivars influenced percentage of bulbs in the 3 to 4 inch diameter category. Up to 50% of bulbs were in the 3 to 4 inch diameter category. Bolting incidence reached as high as 18%, but 8 cultivars had 5% or less bolting. Results of this trial suggest that several of the tested cultivars would be useful for fresh market onion production using hoop house grown transplants.