Cooperative Extension Service
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
The University of Georgia

Volume 5/Number 9

September, 2001

George Boyhan, Extension Horticulturist-Vegetables
East Georgia Extension Center
Rosenwald Building, Third Floor
PO Box 8112
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, GA 30460
912-681-5639 | 912-681-0376, Fax | 912-682-3481, mobile


Vidalia Onion Variety Trials

Below are the results from the Vidalia onion trials from this past spring. There were 28 varieties in the trial at the Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center (VOVRC) and 23 varieties at the on-farm (Bland Farm) location in Tattnall County. Among the information collected included field yield, cured graded yield, number of seedstems, number of doubles, pungency, and sugar content. In addition, taste panel testing was also conducted for the first time (data not shown).

Currently we are evaluating the variety trial onions that were stored in controlled atmosphere storage. The results from these onions should be available by next month's newsletter.

2000-2001 Onion Variety Trial, Bland Farm
      Field
Yield
Cured
Yield
Jumbo Medium Seedstems Doubles Pungency Soluble
Solids
Variety Company Harvest
Date
(50 lb bags/
acre)
(50 lb bags/
acre)
(50 lb bags/
acre)
(50 lb bags/
acre)
(50 ft bed) (50 ft bed) (um/gfw) (%)
Sweet Vidalia Sunseeds 4/25/01 528 442 330 64 1.3 6.7 4.7 8.3
Sweet Success Sunseeds 5/1/01 681 524 432 42 0.8 7.2 4.2 8.7
Sweet Advantage D. Palmer Seed 4/18/01 501 477 241 211 0.0 26.5 4.5 10.3
DPS 1024 D. Palmer Seed 4/25/01 664 553 353 135 4.7 16.6 4.5 9.3
DPS 1032 D. Palmer Seed 4/25/01 663 557 431 68 0.4 22.2 5.2 8.9
DPS 1033 D. Palmer Seed 5/1/01 684 585 472 48 0.2 2.6 4.7 8.4
Southern Honey D. Palmer Seed 5/1/01 565 543 391 89 0.2 2.5 4.1 8.5
Southern Belle D. Palmer Seed 4/18/01 415 397 205 172 0.2 11.8 4.4 9.8
King Midas Sunseeds 4/18/01 465 382 215 149 0.0 0.6 3.8 9.4
Sweet Melody Sunseeds 5/1/01 576 573 395 110 0.0 1.7 3.7 8.4
Cyclops Asgrow 5/1/01 622 595 434 81 0.0 0.6 3.8 8.5
Pegasus Asgrow 5/1/01 586 490 350 95 0.2 0.6 3.9 8.7
Granex 33 Asgrow 5/1/01 537 513 344 117 0.0 1.5 4.2 8.6
2025 F1 Yellow
Granex
K&B Development
L.L.C.
4/25/01 537 496 287 167 0.0 1.5 5.1 9.1
PS 7092 Petoseed 4/25/01 551 514 368 108 0.0 10.5 5.5 10.1
Savannah Sweet Petoseed 4/25/01 580 542 423 65 1.4 1.8 3.1 8.0
Granex 107 Samen Mauser 4/25/01 554 514 349 120 2.4 2.0 4.8 9.2
WI-609 Wannamaker Seed 4/11/01 529 468 312 135 0.0 1.5 2.4 7.1
WI-3115 Wannamaker Seed 4/18/01 621 603 467 119 0.0 1.8 3.4 7.9
Sweet Melissa Sunseeds 5/1/01 600 424 320 60 0.4 3.4 3.9 8.2
Nirvana Sunseeds 4/25/01 537 506 346 134 0.2 0.9 4.4 8.6
Granex 1035 Seedway 4/25/01 445 410 191 159 0.5 16.9 4.6 9.3
PS 7292 Petoseed 5/1/01 587 378 260 64 1.2 3.7 4.1 8.8
R2     0.487 0.231     0.511 0.812 0.659 0.732
CV     32% 38%     55% 61% 20% 9%
LSD (p≤0.05)     141 222     0.1 1.2 1.1 0.9
Bonferroni adjustment for 5 comparisons

 

Onion Growers Elect New Vidalia Onion Committee Members

This past June the Vidalia onion growers reconstituted the Federal Market Order. This mail-in balloting was unanimous although the participation was low at about 20 percent of the growers.

On September 27, 2001, new members were elected to the Vidalia Onion Committee. Voting was open all afternoon at the Tattnall County Courthouse. Ninety-five ballots were cast in this election, which represents about 2/3 of the registered growers.

The elected members are:

RT Stanley
Bo Herndon
Robert Dasher
Wayne Douberly

The elected alternates are:

Mike Mckinley
Jim Cowart
Ronnie Collins
Howard Morris

These elected officers will begin serving in January 2002.

From My Desk

I thought I had sent out the onion trial results earlier in the year. While looking back through past issues I noticed I had not sent them out; so I'm sorry about the delay. I've been in Tifton most of this week working on the stored onions and the results should be available next month. Talk to you all next month.