RECENT EXPERIENCE WITH FRESH BULB-ONION PRODUCTION FOR OKLAHOMA
Jim Shrefler, Merritt Taylor, Warren Roberts
Wes Watkins Agricultural Research and Extension Center and Charles Webber -
USDA-ARS South Central Agricultural Research Laboratory
Onions are a traditional home/market garden crop in Oklahoma. Recently, there
has been interest in onions as a commercial crop. Producer information needs
were found to include cultivar selection, weed control and transplant sources.
Cultivar trials were conducted in 2002 and 2003 to determine if there were new
varieties would be useful commercially. Cultivars used included short and intermediate
day length types. Intermediate varieties tended to produce greater yields than
short day types. To address weed control needs, field trials were conducted
over 3 years with preemergence herbicides to identify effective options. Weed
species included Physalis angulata, Euphorbia dentata, Amaranthus species, Cyperus
esculentus, and annual grasses. Based on visual evaluations of weed control
efficacy, mixtures of pendimethalin and oxyfluorfen provided better control
than either herbicide applied alone. Dimethenamid-p provided comparable control
to mixtures of pendimethalin and oxyfluorfen and provided control of Cyperus
esculentus. Most onion production in Oklahoma begins with out-of-state purchased
of transplants. Occasionally these plants are of questionable quality and few
cultivars are available as transplants. Trials were conducted in 2002 to 2003
to assess the potential to produce plants in unheated plastic houses. Onion
cultivars Candy and 1015-Y were seeded in the plastic house in October, transplanted
to the open field in early March and harvested when tops began to fall. Three
seeding dates, 15, 21 and 29 Oct., were used. Candy had 11% bolting with the
earliest planting and 1015-Y had only a trace of bolting with all plantings.
Candy matured later than 1015-Y.
to the 2004 National Allium Research Conference Home Page