Evaluation of onions under sprinkler irrigation

Sidney, MT

 jerald Bergman, Joyce Eckhoff

 

 Soil type is Savage silty clay. Previous crops were safflower in 2001, onions in 2000, and safflower in 1999.

 

200 lb/a of 18-46-0 fertilizer was applied in the fall prior to planting and 20 lb N as liquid 28-0-0 through the sprinkler on June 20, 2002.

 

Onions were direct-seeded or hand-planted as onion sets in 24” rows on May 21.  Direct-seeded onions were hand-thinned to 4” spacing on July 2.  Prowl was applied on May 22 at a rate of 1.5 pt/a for weed control.   Sevin was applied on June 28 and July 29 at a rate of 1 qt/a for flea beetle control.  Plots were sprinkle irrigated on May 22, June 20, July 12, July 23, July 31, August 7, August 14, August 27, and September 4. Plots were harvested by hand on September 24. Stands were counted and diameter, number of growing points within centers, and solids were measured on a representative set of onions from each plot.

 

  

Onion sets under sprinkler irrigation sidney, mt

 

Variety

 

Stand
Onion/A

Single centers
%

Avg
weight

ounces

Avg diameter
inches

Avg
solids

%

Yield
CWT/a

Setton

60,240

61

7.7

2.9

19.8

284

Sturon

55,130

40

6.7

2.8

16.9

229

Red Baron

60,580

70

5.2

2.5

18.3

197

Vaquero

34,030

75

2.9

2.1

16.8

61

Flintstone

54,790

100

1.7

1.7

18.7

58

LSD 5%

15,500

38.5

1.2

0.2

 

33.2

Planted May 21                   Harvested September 24

 

  

Direct-seeded onions under sprinkler irrigation – Sidney, mt

 

Variety

Stand

Onion/A

Single centers

%

Avg weight

ounces

Avg diameter

inches

Avg solids

%

Yield

CWT/a

RCX4111

76,570

35

7.6

3.1

19.1

338

Infinity

95,290

70

5.4

2.7

18.6

322

Ranchero

65,340

75

7.7

3.1

19.4

315

SR70020N

76,570

75

6.3

2.9

17.0

304

Tesoro

94,270

50

5.2

2.8

21.6

297

Brahma

76,910

50

5.9

2.7

16.2

278

Granero

69,760

45

6.5

2.9

16.3

272

SWO7761

94,270

70

4.4

2.5

17.0

264

Tequila

71,130

40

6.0

2.7

19.4

263

Mesquite

75,210

46

5.3

2.7

17.7

250

SWO7391

66,700

30

5.3

2.9

18.5

250

Super Chief

61,940

35

6.5

2.9

17.1

245

DPSX1171

81,680

55

4.9

2.6

20.9

240

Lorenzos

70,440

0

5.5

2.9

17.0

238

Vaquero

60,240

35

6.8

3.0

17.6

236

T439

65,000

25

6.1

2.9

20.4

236

Frosty

76,230

45

5.2

2.8

20.0

234

Kodial

60,580

25

6.1

2.8

18.7

229

Teton

61,260

60

6.3

2.8

20.0

224

6876

62,280

45

5.7

2.8

18.0

223

RCX4391

75,210

45

4.6

2.6

19.3

220

Varsity

60,920

60

5.7

2.8

18.1

210

Condor

69,760

45

4.8

2.5

19.3

208

T441

75,890

65

4.5

2.7

19.9

207

RCX4101-L

69,420

75

4.8

2.6

18.2

206

Tioga

70,100

60

5.0

2.6

17.7

205

SWO7074

57,850

65

5.6

2.6

16.6

202

DPSX1172

72,830

25

4.4

2.6

18.5

200

NiZ37-32

94,270

45

3.5

2.4

19.8

198

Seahawk

88,140

50

3.6

2.6

17.0

191

RCX4129-L

62,620

35

4.5

2.5

19.2

172

Sabroso

67,040

60

4.2

2.6

21.5

172

RCX60539

42,540

35

6.4

2.7

18.6

164

SR7000ON

65,680

75

4.0

2.5

18.0

162

Ricochet

71,130

75

3.6

2.4

20.6

158

DPSX1170

72,830

40

3.4

2.3

19.2

155

RCX4156

63,980

65

3.9

2.3

17.7

150

Caballero

66,700

75

3.5

2.3

17.9

142

Staccato

69,760

45

3.1

2.3