Colorado State University Extension Tri River Area 2002 Western Colorado onin variety trials yield and cull report

2002 Western Colorado Onion Variety Trials

Yield Report

Dr. Curtis E. Swift, Area Extension Agent (Horticulture), and A. Wayne Cooley, Extension Agent (Soil and Crop Science) (deceased)

Purpose:

Colorado is 5^th in the United States in storage onion production, with 84,000 hundred weight harvested in 2001 having a value of 43 million dollars. Yield and bulb size are key to the income received by the grower. Consequently research that generates such data is critical to the grower's success as an onion producer.

The 2003 Western Colorado onion variety trials provide the grower the following:

1. Which varieties are best suited for Western Colorado conditions,

2. which varieties produce the highest yield, and

3. which produce the bulb size for the market the grower is targeting.

Seed companies participating in these trials likewise benefit from data produced. These replicated trials were conducted in commercial onion fields under two different growing situations.

Materials and Methods:

Plots were in commercial onion fields planted and maintained by Jerry Hines (Delta County) and Duane Homewood (Montrose County). Seed dealers participating in this trial (Table 1) specified where each variety would be planted (Delta or Montrose site). The growing season at the Montrose site was 95 - 110 days; the growing season at the Delta county field varied from 110 - 120 days. Varieties examined but not listed in Table 1 were included at the cooperator's request.

Table 1: Varieties included in this trial

Variety	Seed Company	Length of growing Season	Type of Onion
Eagle T‑406	American Takii	117	Spanish Storage
Frontier T‑400	American Takii	97	Export
T‑441	American Takii	107	Hard Globe
T‑439	American Takii	107	Full Spanish
T‑418	American Takii	97	Export
Husky X302	Palmer	90	Hard Globe
DPS1169	Palmer	92	Hard Globe
DPSX 1170	Palmer	112	Spanish storage x hard globe
Kodiak X400	Palmer	112	Spanish storage x hard globe
DPSX1171	Palmer	116	Full Spanish
DPSX1172	Palmer	116	Full Spanish
Expression	Bejo	98	Intermediate
BGS‑142	Bejo	105	Export
Prince	Bejo	105	Export
Delgado	Bejo	125	Spanish Storage
Legend	Bejo	125	Spanish Storage
Daytona	Bejo	120	Spanish Storage
Seahawk EX‑15232	Seminis	115	Spanish Storage
Kingfisher EX‑15120	Seminis	117	Spanish Storage
Super Chief EX‑77031	Seminis	115	Full Spanish
Tioga	Seminis	115	Spanish Storage
Varsity	Seedworks	105	Spanish Storage
Raptor	Seedworks	118	Full Spanish
Xph95345	Crookham	115	Spanish Storage

A randomized complete block design with each variety replicated four times was utilized in this study. Plots were 35 feet in length with two lines of the same variety of onion planted per bed. Bed spacing was 30 and 34 inches for the Montrose and Delta sites, respectively.

Planting was done at the Delta County and Montrose County sites on March 29 and April 1, respectively. Coated seed was planted with cooperator's equipment; uncoated seed (provided by D. Palmer Seed Co., Inc.) was planted by hand. The Montrose plots were harvested on September 16; the Delta plots on September 19.

Data were collected from two ten-foot lines of onions between 5 feet and 15 feet from the head of each plot. The number of bulbs and total bulb weight in kilograms was recorded for Colossal-, Jumbo-, Medium-, and Prepack/Boiler-size onion bulbs. A grading table provided by Dr. Howard Schwartz, Professor, Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, was used to delineate bulb size. For analysis purposes, data from both lines of onion were averaged for each plot and converted to hundredweight per acre (CWT/A).

Results:

The statistical differences among varieties are indicated in Tables 2 & 3 by the letter(s) which follow each yield. Percentages followed by the same letter are statistically identical in regard to yield or bulb weight. In this trial, "a" indicates the highest yield (CWT/A) or greatest weight per bulb (kgs). The percentage of the total for each bulb size is also provided.

There were no significant differences among the varieties for the Colossal size onion bulbs harvested at the Hines site. Significant differences in yield were noted at the 0.01 level of probability in all other comparisons at both sites with the exception of Prepack/Boiler size onion bulbs at the Hines site (P=0.10).

Discussion:

This trial examined 27 onion varieties at two sites in the onion producing area in Western Colorado. The comparisons made provide data with which onion growers can determine the variety(ies) best suited to their market niche. This data is also valuable to seed companies in the development of markets for those varieties examined. Further studies of this nature will assist area growers and seed company personnel in their onion variety selection process.

Acknowledgments:

These trials would not have been possible without seed and the financial support provided by American Takii, Inc., D. Palmer Seed CO., Inc., Bejo Seeds, Inc., Seminis Vegetable Seeds, SeedWorks, and Crookham Company. The Colorado Onion Association also provided financial support and encouragement. Jerry Hines (Delta County) and Duane Homewood (Montrose County) and their staff were responsible for planting and general maintenance. Tri River Area Master Gardeners assisted in the planting, harvesting and data collecting process.

Table 2: Yield at the Hines Site (Delta County, Colorado)

Variety	Total cwt/A	Colossal cwt/A (% of total)	Jumbo cwt/A (% of total)	Medium cwt/A (% of total)	Prepack/boiler cwt/A (% of total)	Weight per bulb kgs
Seahawk	321.8 fg	16.1 hi (5)	235.5 cde (73)	60.2 bcd (19)	10.0 ab (3)	0.29 ef
Kingfisher	503.2 de	174.0 def (35)	271.3 bcde (54)	55.0 bcde (11)	2.9 c (<1)	0.39 cd
Super Chief	652.1 abc	284.8 bc (44)	356.7 ab (55)	9.7 f (1)	1.0 c (<1)	0.51 a
Tioga	631.6 bc	215.7 cde (34)	391.9 a (62)	22.4 ef (4)	1.5 c (<1)	0.49 a
Kodiak	326.7 f	101.2 fgh (31)	179.8 efg (55)	43.4 cdef (13)	2.3 c (<1)	0.39 cd
DPSX 1171	558.9 cd	209.3 cde (37)	295.8 abcd (53)	49.8 cde (9)	4.1 c (<1)	0.41 bcd
DPSX 1172	432.3 e	133.1 efg (31)	258.0 bcde (60)	36.5 cdef (8)	4.7 bc (<1)	0.41 bcd
Delgado	450.5 e	5.8 hi (1)	368.5 ab (82)	72.4 abc (16)	3.9 c (<1)	0.30 ef
Legend	256.4 fg	39.8 ghi (16)	167.3 efg (65)	44.2 cdef (17)	5.2 bc (2)	0.34 de
Daytona	282.1 fg	40.6 ghi (14)	197.7 def (70)	39.2 cdef (14)	4.7 bc (2)	0.36 de
Varsity	225.8 gh	7.4 hi (3)	116.4 fg (52)	91.3 ab (40)	10.8 a (5)	0.23 fg
Raptor	600.9 bcd	235.6 cd (39)	333.1 abc (55)	28.7 def (5)	3.6 c (<1)	0.44 abc
XPh95345	560.4 cd	249.1 bcd (44)	282.5 abcde (50)	25.5 def (5)	3.3 c (<1)	0.48 ab
Eagle	311.6 fg	0.0 i (0)	198.0 def (64)	108.5 a (35)	5.1 bc (2)	0.27 fg
T-441	128.2 h	0.0 i (0)	67.0 g (52)	50.0 cde (39)	11.1 a (9)	0.21 g
Ranchero	738.4 a	403.9 a (55)	310.5 abcd (42)	22.3 ef (3)	1.8 c (<1)	0.52 a
Granero	663.2 ab	341.0 ab (51)	311.9 abcd (47)	9.8 f (1)	0.6 c (<1)	0.52 a
LSD	100.3 ^0.01	100.5 ^0.01	115.3 ^0.01	36.6 ^0.01	5.3 ^0.01	0.07 ^0.01

Table 3: Yield at the Homewood Site (Montrose County, Colorado)

Variety	Total cwt/A	Colossal cwt/A (% of total)	Jumbo cwt/A (% of total)	Medium cwt/A (% of total)	Prepack/boiler cwt/A(% of total)	Weight per bulb kgs
Husky	283.6 c	5.8 (2)	189.2 cde (67)	80.8 de (28)	7.8 b (3)	0.25 cdef
DPS 1169	308.5 c	19.6 (6)	206.1 cd (67)	76.7 de (25)	6.1 b (2)	0.26 bcde
DPSX 1170	333.3 c	0.0 (0)	187.4 cde (56)	115.2 cd (35)	30.7 a (9)	0.19 fg
Expression	510.2 b	34.9 (7)	382.8 b (75)	82.3 de (16)	10.2 b (2)	0.31 abc
BGS-142	132.5 d	10.1 (8)	74.6 e (56)	43.1 e (33)	4.7 b (4)	0.28 bcd
Prince	385.0 c	0.0 (0)	221.5 c (58)	150.6 bc (39)	12.9 b (3)	0.22 defg
Varsity	568.9 ab	33.4 (6)	421.7 ab (74)	105.8 cde (19)	8.1 b (1)	0.29 bc
Frontier (T-400)	336.4 c	5.0 (1)	86.3 de (26)	219.7 a (65)	25.4 a (8)	0.17 g
T-418	374.7 c	0.0 (0)	184.5 cde (49)	180.5 ab (48)	9.7 b (3)	0.21 efg
T-439	630.6 a	28.1 (4)	528.0 a (84)	67.0 de (11)	7.5 b (1)	0.35 a
Teton	557.3 ab	0.0 (0)	471.2 ab (85)	78.6 de (14)	7.5 b (1)	0.31 ab
LSD	118.2 ^0.01	NS	129.4 ^0.01	65.22 ^0.01	9.87 ^0.10	0.061 ^0.01