Articles
THE WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY ONION CULTIVAR TRIAL: AN IMPORTANT RESOURCE FOR WASHINGTON ONION GROWERS
Article number
969_32
Pages
241 – 246
Language
English
Abstract
Washington State University (WSU) personnel conduct an annual onion (Allium cepa) cultivar trial and storage evaluation in the Columbia Basin of central Washington, USA, to provide stakeholders with information on the suitability of onion cultivars for production in this region.
The trial is a collaborative effort of university personnel, local onion growers, and onion seed companies.
Each year, 45-55 onion cultivars and experimental lines are evaluated in the trial.
Seeds of the cultivars are planted in March-April in replicated plots in a growers commercial onion crop.
The bulbs are harvested in September, and the size profile and yield are recorded for each plot.
The bulbs are then cured and stored in a commercial storage facility until February, when 50 bulbs from each replicate plot are evaluated for quality and storage rots.
Results from the trial are made available in reports sent to stakeholders.
The trial has been expanded in some years to study cultivar responses to diseases and pests in the region.
In 2004, the cultivars in the trial were evaluated for resistance to iris yellow spot, a disease caused by Iris yellow spot virus that was first reported in Washington in 2002. In 2005, onion cultivars were evaluated for responses to thrips injury.
In 2007-2009, bulbs harvested from each trial were used to evaluate cultivars for resistance to Enterobacter cloacae, a bacterium that causes Enterobacter bulb decay.
In 2009-2011, additional bacterial storage rot pathogens, Burkholderia cepacia, causal agent of sour skin, and Burkholderia gladioli, causal agent of slippery skin, were included in the evaluations.
Information about the responses of cultivars to diseases and pests may be used by onion growers to select more resistant cultivars, and may be of assistance in programs breeding onion cultivars for resistance to pathogens and pests.
The trial is a collaborative effort of university personnel, local onion growers, and onion seed companies.
Each year, 45-55 onion cultivars and experimental lines are evaluated in the trial.
Seeds of the cultivars are planted in March-April in replicated plots in a growers commercial onion crop.
The bulbs are harvested in September, and the size profile and yield are recorded for each plot.
The bulbs are then cured and stored in a commercial storage facility until February, when 50 bulbs from each replicate plot are evaluated for quality and storage rots.
Results from the trial are made available in reports sent to stakeholders.
The trial has been expanded in some years to study cultivar responses to diseases and pests in the region.
In 2004, the cultivars in the trial were evaluated for resistance to iris yellow spot, a disease caused by Iris yellow spot virus that was first reported in Washington in 2002. In 2005, onion cultivars were evaluated for responses to thrips injury.
In 2007-2009, bulbs harvested from each trial were used to evaluate cultivars for resistance to Enterobacter cloacae, a bacterium that causes Enterobacter bulb decay.
In 2009-2011, additional bacterial storage rot pathogens, Burkholderia cepacia, causal agent of sour skin, and Burkholderia gladioli, causal agent of slippery skin, were included in the evaluations.
Information about the responses of cultivars to diseases and pests may be used by onion growers to select more resistant cultivars, and may be of assistance in programs breeding onion cultivars for resistance to pathogens and pests.
Publication
Authors
C.H. Wohleb, T.D. Waters, L.J. du Toit, B.K. Schroeder
Keywords
Allium cepa, onion quality, storage evaluation, Iris yellow spot virus, bacterial storage rot, Enterobacter cloacae, Burkholderia cepacia, Burkholderia gladioli
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