STatesboro, Georgia
December 29, 2008
Growers in southeastern Georgia
have the perfect combination of climate and soil to produce some
of the world's best onions: the famous Vidalia sweet onions.
Prized for their mild taste and sweetness, Vidalia onions are
shipped throughout North America for use in recipes and
relishes.
Onion producers in the Vidalia region have traditionally used
transplants to produce dry bulb onions. Transplants are grown on
farms in high-density plantings, then pulled and transplanted to
their final spacing. The delicate nature of Vidalia onions
requires that they be transplanted and harvested by hand. In
fact, the entire Vidalia onion crop of 12,000 to 14,000 acres is
hand-transplanted over an 8- to 9-week period.
This practice of hand transplanting relies heavily on a migrant
labor force and is significantly more expensive than machine
transplanting. Although field workers have historically been
available during the onion season, producers in the area are
concerned about the possibility of a dwindling labor force in
the future.
George E. Boyhan, an Extension Horticulturist at the University
of Georgia's Southeast Georgia Extension Center, and colleagues
Juan Carlos Diaz-Perez, Chris Hopkins, Reid L. Torrance, and C.
Randy Hill, published a study in the July 2008 issue of
HortTechnology that evaluated direct-seeded onions as an
alternative production method. This study evaluated variety,
sowing date, and fertility on direct seeding short-day onions in
southeastern Georgia. Boyhan explained the impetus behind his
research; "Because of the higher cost of transplanting compared
with direct seeding, this study was undertaken to evaluate
effects of sowing date, variety, and fertility on direct seeding
short-day onions in southeastern Georgia." Boyhan added that the
research was also aimed at finding ways to lower production
costs for growers.
The study results showed that sowing dates in early or
mid-October did not affect total, jumbo or medium yields, and
sowing onions in late October did not produce sufficient stand
or yield to warrant harvesting. Variety also had no affect on
yield of direct-seeded onions. Flowering, or seedstems,
considered an undesirable characteristic, was significantly
greater when the onions were sown in early October, compared to
later sowing dates. Neither variety nor sowing date
significantly affected plant stand or plant spacing.
"We recommend that growers direct-seed onions in southeastern
Georgia in mid-October, plus or minus one week depending on
field accessibility. In addition, current fertilizer
recommendations for dry bulb onions should be followed. This
eliminates all of the cost and resources required for transplant
production", stated Boyhan. He noted that onions from
transplants will likely predominate in the Vidalia region for
the forseeable future. But direct seeding as an alternative
method can save growers money. If the labor force necessary for
hand harvesting becomes scarce, direct seeding can be a viable
and cost-effective alternative.
The complete study and abstract are available on the ASHS
HortScience electronic journal web site:
http://horttech.ashspublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/18/3/349
Founded in 1903, the American
Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) is the largest
organization dedicated to advancing all facets of horticultural
research, education, and application. |
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