Soil:

Egeland loam and Maddock sandy loam; pH=7.6; 2.2% organic matter; soil-P was very high, soil-K was high; soil-S was medium.

Previous crops:

2003 - carrot; 2002 - potato; 2001 - cabbage, carrot, edible bean, field corn, onion and sweetcorn.

Seedbed

preparation:

Disked April 14. Multiweeded (field cultivated) on April 15 to incorporate fertilizer and smooth the seedbed.

Planting:

Direct seeded onions (187,000 seeds/acre) and a barley cover crop (0.45 bu/acre, between and parallel to the onion rows) on April 16 with a Monosem precision planter. Planted onions with 2 lines per row, 2.5 inches between lines, with the rows on 18-inch centers.

Plots:

Plots were 3 ft (two rows) wide by 17 ft long. The study had 4 reps.

Fertilizer:

On April 15, broadcast 20 lbs N/acre and 24 lbs S/acre as 20-0-0-24. Applied 50 lbs N/acre on Apr 15 as 28-0-0.

Irrigation:

Overhead sprinkler irrigation as needed

Pest

control:

Weeds were controlled with: Prowl (1.5 pt/acre on May 17); Buctril + Goal 1.6EC (1.5 + 0.6 pt/acre on June 14); Buctril (1 pt/acre on May 4); Poast + Dash (1.5 pt + 1 pt/acre on June 2), Fusilade + NIS (12 oz/acre + 0.5% v/v on July 9), and hand weeding. No insect control needed.