Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Carrington Research Extension Center * North Dakota State University
P.O. Box 531, Oakes, ND 58474-0531, Voice: (701) 742-2189, FAX: (701) 742-2700, email: rgreenla@ndsuext.nodak.edu

ONION HYBRID PERFORMANCE TRIAL

Richard Greenland, Leonard Besemann and Heidi Eslinger

Table 46. Early vigor, maturity, and quality of onions

Table 47. Yield and total onions

Onions grow well in North Dakota. Growers are producing mostly yellow sweet Spanish onions and some storage onions. This study evaluated 30 onion hybrids.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Soil:	Embden loam; pH=6.6; 2.4% organic matter; soil-P and soil-K were very high; soil-S was medium.
Previous crops:	2002 - soybean; 2001 - sweetcorn and tomato; 2000 - carrot.
Seedbed preparation:	Disked April 11. Multiweeded twice (field cultivated) on April 11 and April 25 to incorporate fertilizer and smooth the seedbed.
Planting:	Direct seeded onions (175,000 seeds/acre) and a barley cover crop (0.45 bu/acre) on April 23 with a Monosem precision planter. Planted onions in paired rows (2.5 inches apart), with the paired rows on 18 inch centers. A row of barley was planted between and parallel to the onion rows. Onion sets (80,000 bulbs/acre) were hand planted on May 19. Planted sets in single rows on 18 inch centers, 4⅓ inches apart, in a furrow, and covered with ½ inch of soil. Sprayed Poast + Dash (1.5 pt/acre + 1 pt/acre) on May 31 to kill the barley cover crop.
Plots:	Plots were 3 ft (two paired rows) wide by 17 ft long. The study had 4 reps.
Fertilizer:	On April 9, broadcast 11 lbs N/acre and 52 lbs P₂0₅ as 11-52-0, 30 lbs K₂O as 0-0-60 and 18 lbs N/acre and 20 lbs S/acre as 21-0-0-24. Sprayed 50 lbs N/acre on Apr 23 and 60 lbs N/acre on May 27 as 32-0-0. Fertigated 50 lbs N/acre as 28-0-0 on June 26. Applied 50 lbs N/acre as 28-0-0 on June 30.
Irrigation:	Overhead sprinkler irrigation as needed
Pest control:	Weeds were controlled with: Prowl (1.5 pt/acre on May 13 and June 9); Buctril and Goal 1.6EC (1.5 and 0.6 pt/acre on June 5); Buctril and Goal (1.5 and 0.6 pt/acre on June 30 (except onion sets)); and hand weeding. Sprayed Manzate (3 lb/acre on July 17 and August 12), Kocide 2000 (1 lb/acre on July 22), Ridomil (2.5 lb/acre on July 30), and Rovral (1.5 pt/acre on August 22) to control diseases. No insect control needed.
Harvest:	Pulled onions from Sept 8 to Sept 17 (approximately 2 weeks after half-down date). Onions were allowed to dry in the field for about two weeks, then were bagged and moved to a shed. The onions were graded Oct 28 to Oct 31.

RESULTS

Very few onion hybrids produced greater than 4 inch diameter bulbs this year. Ranchero, and Mesquite produced the highest yields of 3-4 inch onions as well as the highest yields. SX 7002, Ranchero, and SR 7000 had the highest percentage of single centers. All of the onion sets had low yields and poor quality. Yields were much below average and there was a lot of rotten onions in most varieties, possibly due to high winds in July which broke the tops off many onions.

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Table 46. Early stand, maturity, and quality of onions in the Oakes Irrigation Research Site 2003 onion performance trial.

Hybrid	Seed producer¹	Early stand	Days to half-down²	Single centers	Uniformity	Overall score
		1000s plt/acre		%	1 to 5	1 to 10

BGS174	BE	67 fg³	126 cde	40 d-h	3.5 cd	6.6 a-d
Corona	BE	69 d-g	126 cd	30 e-i	3.6 bcd	5.9 d-g
Cortland	BE	51 ijk	129 d-h	15 hij	3.6 bcd	4.8 fgh
DPSX 1170	DP	69 d-g	130 e-i	10 ij	3.9 bc	2.9 i
DPSX 1171	DP	84 abc	135 k-n	46 b-g	3.2 de	7.2 a-d
DPSX 1172	DP	86 a	137 n	30 e-i	3.0 e	6.6 a-d
EX15192	SM⁴	72 c-g	132 h-k	60 a-d	3.4 de	7.3 abc
Festival	BE	67 efg	133 i-m	30 e-i	3.4 de	6.6 a-d
Granero	SS	81 a-d	133 i-n	40 c-i	3.5 b-e	7.4 abc
Gunnison	BE	71 d-g	127 c-f	55 b-e	3.5 cd	7.3 abc
Kodiak	DP	51 ijk	136 lmn	15 hij	3.3 de	5.1 e-h
Mercury	SC⁴	71 c-g	127 c-f	55 b-e	3.4 de	6.6 a-d
Mesquite	DP	66 fg	144 o	50 b-f	3.6 bcd	7.9 a
NiZ 3732	VL	84 ab	127 cde	20 g-j	3.9 bc	5.9 d-g
NiZ 3746	VL	68 d-g	135 k-n	50 b-f	3.4 de	6.5 bcd
Pinnacle	SC⁴	63 gh	132 h-k	20 g-j	3.3 de	6.0 c-f
Prince	BE	61 ghi	134 j-n	0 j	3.3 de	6.0 c-f
PX63997	SM⁴	77 a-f	131 f-j	33 d-i	3.2 de	7.2 a-d
Ranchero	SS	79 a-e	136 mn	75 ab	3.5 cd	7.5 ab
Red eye	DP	45 jk	125 c	50 b-f	4.0 ab	1.3 j
Sabroso	SS	77 a-f	132 h-l	50 b-f	3.5 cd	6.3 b-e
Sharon	BE	40 k	132 g-k	30 e-i	4.0 ab	4.6 gh
SR 7000	SS	87 a	128 c-f	70 abc	3.6 bcd	6.9 a-d
SX 7002	SS	61 ghi	130 e-i	85 a	3.3 de	4.5 h
Tequila	DP	54 hij	142 o	55 b-e	3.3 de	6.6 a-d
Teton	SM	73 b-g	128 c-g	35 d-i	3.4 de	6.9 a-d
Vaquero	SS	84 ab	133 i-n	55 b-e	3.3 de	6.9 a-d
Mercury (sets)	DVG	71 c-g	121 b	10 ij	4.0 ab	2.9 i
Sabroso (sets)	DVG	78 a-f	116 a	25 f-j	4.4 a	1.0 j
Vaquero (sets)	DVG	78 a-f	121 b	35 d-i	4.0 ab	1.9 ij

Probability		<.0001	<.0001	<.0001	<.0001	<.0001
C. V. (%)		12	2	52	10	17

¹See Appendix A for a list of seed sources.

²Number of days from planting to when half the onion tops had fallen over. This is an indication of maturity.

³Values in the same column followed by the same letter are not significantly different at the 0.05 level.

⁴This seed was furnished by Norman Haak.

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Table 47. Yield and total onions in the Oakes Irrigation Research Site 2003 onion hybrid performance trial.

Hybrid	Seed producer¹	Onion yield (by bulb size)						Cull weight	Total bulbs
Hybrid	Seed producer¹	> 4	3½ to 4"	3 to 3½	2¼ to 3”	<2¼”	Total	Cull weight	Total bulbs
		---------------------------------- cwt/acre ----------------------------------						%	1000s/A

BGS174	BE	0 b²	5 fgh	19 f-k	69 bcd	13 c-g	153 ghi	29 abc	60 g-j
Corona	BE	0 b	0 h	3 jk	32 ghi	22 b	121 i-l	47 d-h	66 e-i
Cortland	BE	0 b	0 h	6 ijk	22 h-k	22 b	84 lm	39 a-e	49 j-m
DPSX 1170	DP	3 b	0 h	2 jk	13 ijk	16 b-e	93 j-m	58 hij	61 f-j
DPSX 1171	DP	0 b	41 bc	57 cd	51 c-g	12 c-h	312 b	41 a-g	82 a-d
DPSX 1172	DP	2 b	16 def	42 def	65 b-e	11 d-h	287 bc	48 e-h	82 abc
EX15192	SM³	0 b	5 fgh	29 e-i	94 a	19 bc	209 def	28 ab	73 b-f
Festival	BE	0 b	12 e-h	32 d-h	73 a-d	20 bc	204 def	34 a-e	69 d-h
Granero	SS	4 b	12 d-h	81 bc	98 a	7 f-j	328 b	33 a-e	82 a-d
Gunnison	BE	0 b	5 fgh	31 e-h	83 ab	17 bcd	207 def	34 a-e	75 a-e
Kodiak	DP	0 b	7 e-h	16 h-k	38 fgh	8 f-j	171 f-i	47 d-h	50 jkl
Mercury	SC³	0 b	2 gh	28 e-i	64 b-e	10 d-h	184 e-h	43 c-g	69 d-h
Mesquite	DP	3 b	48 b	129 a	53 c-g	2 ij	385 a	30 abc	70 c-g
NiZ 3732	VL	0 b	0 h	2 jk	43 e-h	38 a	137 h-k	39 a-e	83 ab
NiZ 3746	VL	0 b	0 h	10 h-k	60 b-f	22 b	138 hij	33 a-d	65 e-i
Pinnacle	SC³	0 b	13 d-g	40 d-g	66 b-e	9 e-j	224 de	41 b-e	65 e-i
Prince	BE	0 b	3 fgh	19 f-k	59 c-f	15 b-f	165 f-i	41 b-f	66 e-h
PX63997	SM³	0 b	27 cd	91 b	60 b-f	7 f-j	318 b	36 a-e	77 a-e
Ranchero	SS	20 a	83 a	79 bc	49 d-g	5 g-j	424 a	42 b-g	80 a-d
Red eye	DP	0 b	0 h	0 k	7 jk	5 hij	52 mn	76 k	37 m
Sabroso	SS	0 b	2 gh	25 e-j	77 abc	17 b-e	194 efg	37 a-e	74 b-e
Sharon	BE	0 b	0 h	3 jk	32 ghi	16 b-e	89 klm	35 a-e	50 jkl
SR 7000	SS	0 b	1 gh	9 h-k	84 ab	32 a	171 f-i	26 a	79 a-d
SX 7002	SS	0 b	5 fgh	18 g-k	20 h-k	5 g-j	162 f-i	70 ijk	53 i-l
Tequila	DP	4 b	32 c	76 bc	29 g-j	2 j	309 b	46 d-h	58 h-k
Teton	SM	0 b	10 e-h	46 de	76 abc	11 d-h	249 cd	40 a-e	75 a-e
Vaquero	SS	2 b	18 de	70 bc	68 bcd	10 d-i	335 b	47 e-h	86 a
Mercury (sets)	DVG	0 b	0 h	1 k	13 ijk	6 g-j	59 mn	56 ghi	47 klm
Sabroso (sets)	DVG	0 b	0 h	0 k	0 k	13 c-g	31 n	56 f-i	44 lm
Vaquero (sets)	DVG	0 b	0 h	0 k	5 jk	7 f-j	57 mn	72 jk	49 j-m

Probability		<.0001	<.0001	<.0001	<.0001	<.0001	<.0001	<.0001	<.0001
C. V. (%)		285	84	53	35	43	18	23	14

¹See Appendix A for a list of seed sources.

²Values in the same column followed by the same letter are not significantly different at the 0.05 level.

³This seed was furnished by Norman Haak.

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