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

Volume 8/Number 5
May 2004

George Boyhan, Extension Horticulturist-Vegetables
East Georgia Extension Center
Nessmith-Lane Building, 2nd Floor
PO Box 8112
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, GA 30460
912-681-5639 | 912-681-0376, Fax | 912-682-3481, mobile

Onions Out; Pumpkins, Watermelons and Cantaloupes In

We completed the onion harvest earlier this month. We had a greater amount of seedstems (flowering) this year compared to past years. Part of this was due to earlier planting in the fall as well as cooler than normal spring weather. Many of the experiments at the Vidalia Farm used the variety Sweet Vidalia that had a greater propensity to seedstem under these conditions. My research this year included variety trials, transplanting date and size, onion fertility, direct seeded onions, and organic onion production.

This month, we also put in summer experiments. I have a watermelon variety trial with 36 entries, a cantaloupe variety trial, and a pumpkin variety trial. The pumpkin trial is to compare new pumpkin germplasm to commercial pumpkin varieties. This potential new pumpkin material has higher disease resistance than standard pumpkins, particularly to virus diseases. We are also continuing the selection process of this material for high quality pumpkins suitable for Halloween sales.

Vidalia Onion Variety Trial Results

Below are the results of this year's variety trial. I do not have the pungency numbers from Bill Randle yet, but I expect to have them in about a week. I will forward the pungency numbers with the next newsletter.

The trial went very well this year; however, we did have an inordinate number of seedstems, as mentioned previously. The trial was a randomized complete block design with four replications. Each plot was 35 feet long and consisted of four rows planted on a bed with 6 feet center to center. The seedstem and double counts were based on the entire 35-foot plot, while the yield data were based on harvesting 25 feet of each plot. Early harvests through April 12, 2004, were heat cured for 48 hours. Harvests after this date were not heat cured to minimize bacterial disease problems. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and Fisher's Protected Least Significant Difference (LSD) at the 5 percent level. In addition, Bonferonni adjustment was used to allow a maximum of five comparisons while maintaining the 5 percent probability level.

The top five performers for field yield in descending order were XON-303Y, Exp. Yellow Granex 15082, SRO 1001, Century, and WI-3115. The top five performers for jumbos in descending order were WI-3115, XON-303Y, XON-204Y, SSC 1535, and SSC 33076.

The percent marketable onions (jumbos and mediums divided by the field yield) ranged from more than 95 percent for 72766DY to less than 35 percent for Pegasus. Generally, earlier harvested onions had greater percent marketable due to fewer seedstems and bacterial disease problems. Not all early onions had good packouts; of the varieties harvested from April 5-19, 2004, all had marketable yields above 75 percent, with the exception of WI-609, which had a marketable yield of 60 percent. The percent marketable yields of the last 15 varieties harvested on May 10, 2004, ranged from 34-65 percent. The lower percentage marketable yields among later harvested varieties included high numbers of seedstems and higher incidence of bacterial diseases.

Vidalia Onion Variety Trial 2004
    Evaluated 4/2/04 Harvest Field Weights Jumbos Mediums
Entry Company Doubles Seedstems Date 50-lb bags/A 50-lb bags/A 50 -lb bags/A
WI-129 Wannamaker 39 12 4/5/04 908 704 39
WI-3115 Wannamaker 20 3 4/12/04 1174 1005 8
WI-609 Wannamaker 19 9 4/19/04 1149 677 8
Savannah Sweet Seminis 12 38 5/3/04 699 391 21
Granex 33 Seminis 3 35 5/3/04 734 371 12
Pegasus Seminis 1 12 5/10/04 979 329 6
Century Seminis 1 4 5/10/04 1198 638 4
Cyclops Seminis 4 18 5/3/04 801 443 14
Granex Yellow PRR Seminis 5 38 5/3/04 678 419 19
SRO 1001 Sunseeds 1 11 5/10/04 1206 758 8
XON-202Y (99C 5092) Sakata 3 11 5/10/04 976 426 10
XON-203Y (01ZG 5034 Sakata 5 60 4/26/04 929 683 10
XON-204Y Sakata 9 21 5/3/04 1164 785 10
XON-303Y Sakata 4 0 5/10/04 1235 787 10
Exp. Yellow Granex 34140 Dessert Seed 2 55 5/10/04 702 391 19
Exp. Yellow Granex 15085 Dessert Seed 2 109 5/10/04 917 356 8
Exp. Yellow Granex 15094 Dessert Seed 1 21 5/10/04 1101 485 8
Exp. Yellow Granex 15082 Dessert Seed 4 10 5/10/04 1229 623 7
72766DY Shaddy 20 5 4/5/04 804 742 27
606DY Shaddy 4 4 4/5/04 878 683 21
Ohoopee Sweet D. Palmer Seed 91 90 5/10/04 1043 426 26
Southern Honey D. Palmer Seed 112 121 5/10/04 981 417 31
DPSX 1290 D. Palmer Seed 55 108 5/10/04 810 342 15
Georgia Boy D. Palmer Seed 99 91 5/3/04 754 339 42
Sapelo Sweet D. Palmer Seed 58 45 5/3/04 857 566 21
Mr Buck D. Palmer Seed 19 52 5/3/04 800 391 19
Granex EM90 Clifton Seed 2 61 5/10/04 918 414 5
SSC 6372 F1 Shamrock 12 97 5/3/04 564 313 8
SSC-1600 Shamrock 8 9 4/12/04 916 767 16
SSC 6371 F1 (Sugar Belle) Shamrock 5 4 4/19/04 631 463 18
SSC 1535 Shamrock 8 7 4/12/04 899 781 26
Rosali (Red) Bejo 44 29 5/10/04 923 374 22
Sweet Vidalia Sunseeds 24 123 5/3/04 433 199 22
SSC 33076 Shamrock 3 3 4/5/04 858 778 22
DPS 1318 D. Palmer Seed 35 48 5/10/04 1060 536 16
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  CV 32% 28%   15% 26% 53%
 Fisher's Protected LSD (p=0.05)* 5 8   252 259 16
--
Observational            
O-1 Tsubame Yae Nogei Co., Ltd. 7 58 4/19/04 1096 747 6
O-1 Nozomi Yae Nogei Co., Ltd. 3 5 4/19/04 1185 978 11
*Bonferonni adjustment for 5 comparisons.

 

As I mentioned last month, Tina Wheeler was dismissed as Executive Director for the Vidalia Onion Committee. On May 24, 2004, she turned herself in to the Vidalia Police Department to be booked on 95 counts of theft, 251 counts of forgery and 3 counts of false documents. In light of this, the Vidalia Onion Committee continues to undergo changes under the temporary leadership of Susan Hiller. The Committee will be announcing their new Executive Director shortly.

Talk to you next month.