The people at Crookham Company in Caldwell, Idaho, recently shared a video production featuring onion breeder Dave Whitwood and onion salesman Lyndon Johnson.
Lyndon wrote: “In late December Dave Whitwood and I were checking up on the Crookham storage of the 2020 reveal trial that was grown on the Crookham farm in Wilder, ID. The following comments and accompanying videos are some of the highlights from the day.”
On the Trident variety, the duo stated: “This variety was originally brought out as an onion for the Midwest and the Northeastern U.S. markets. With its early main season maturity and trim neck, durable scales, and ability for long term storage, it is a great fit for these two markets. Over the last couple of years, it has shown more adaptability in its use as a foodservice and processing onion in the West and Northwest with 97 percent single centers. It boasts a consistent size range, with 87 percent sizing between 3 ¼ inches to 4 inches on a recent trial in Oregon. Trident has shown great adaptability and versatility to all three markets.”
About the Caliber variety: “This late season yellow variety is suited for the Western U.S. It is known for its vigor and disease resistance, yield and long-term storage. Caliber is in the Crookham Celebrate series and has erect glossy tops that assist in providing thrip tolerance through the season. Caliber has a dark rich bronze scale that is extremely durable. Single centers are extremely high in Calber. This variety can grow and excel on older soils and has a higher bolt tolerance than others in this class.”
There was talk of the Caldwell variety as well: “This variety born in Caldwell, ID, is a main season long-day yellow that is known for its vigor and yield. It has performed very well in the Western U.S. over the past couple of years and is known for its ring separation, leading to greater efficiency at the processor. It produces a large globe onion that has a rich bronze color and demonstrates very high single-centeredness. The plant has a solid structure with a refined neck, a robust root system and a good disease package.”
Source: onionbusiness.com