In the variety research for seed onions by UIKC it is shown that the quality characteristics of the different varieties are stable. An onion variety with a high mark for skin resistance will, in principle, define itself year and year again due to good skin quality.
"Quality characteristics are generally quite stable," says cultivation advisor Luc Remijn of DLV Plant in an interview with Dutch newspaper Nieuwe Oogst. "This goes for the skin quality, but also certainly for the hardness of the onions and dormancy."
"Quality characteristics are generally quite stable," says cultivation advisor Luc Remijn of DLV Plant in an interview with Dutch newspaper Nieuwe Oogst. "This goes for the skin quality, but also certainly for the hardness of the onions and dormancy."
Remijn is an account manager at the UIKC (Onion Innovation and Kennis Centre) for DVL Plant at testing farm Rusthoeve. Two weeks ago, during the meeting for onion processors at seed company Hazera in RIlland he gave an introduction into the importance of good quality for onions and the influence growers can have on it.
According to Remijn onion growers no longer automatically choose the onion variety that yields the most kilos. "This trend is clearly decreasing, there is more awareness regarding influence of the right variety on the quality of the onions. "A variety with good characteristics for skin resistance, hardness and such, but with a low yield won't be wanted by a grower. In the end it's about the turnover."
The grower does have a lot of influence on the quality of his onions, says Remijn. He says it is distinctive that in practice a lot of the same growers are supplying the best onions at the end of the season. "Onions are vulnerable in the cultivation. Besides the right variety on the right type of soul, quality also has to do with the soil structure, dewatering, supply of nutritional elements, planting depth, gradual growth, disease, and of course storage. It is also important for the quality that the onions are in the shed before the 15th of September, as the difference between daytime and night time temperature is smaller then and higher, which makes trying easier."
Because varieties play an important role in the quality of the onions, Remijn is asking seed companies to give more cultivation information about their varieties. "The choice of variety is soil type bound," says the cultivation advisor. "I expect from seed companies that in their seed brochures for growers they indicate better what variety is suitable for, for instance, cultivation on light ground and what variety is better for heavy ground, as well as earliness and length of storage, besides the quality aspects. Besides this, growers need more handles to realise optimal cultivation results."
Source: Haijo Dodde, Nieuwe Oogst
The grower does have a lot of influence on the quality of his onions, says Remijn. He says it is distinctive that in practice a lot of the same growers are supplying the best onions at the end of the season. "Onions are vulnerable in the cultivation. Besides the right variety on the right type of soul, quality also has to do with the soil structure, dewatering, supply of nutritional elements, planting depth, gradual growth, disease, and of course storage. It is also important for the quality that the onions are in the shed before the 15th of September, as the difference between daytime and night time temperature is smaller then and higher, which makes trying easier."
Because varieties play an important role in the quality of the onions, Remijn is asking seed companies to give more cultivation information about their varieties. "The choice of variety is soil type bound," says the cultivation advisor. "I expect from seed companies that in their seed brochures for growers they indicate better what variety is suitable for, for instance, cultivation on light ground and what variety is better for heavy ground, as well as earliness and length of storage, besides the quality aspects. Besides this, growers need more handles to realise optimal cultivation results."
Source: Haijo Dodde, Nieuwe Oogst