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Onion
World May/June 2004
›› Onions:
More than Meets the Eye
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Onions: More than Meets the Eye
Researchers seek to know the health benefits of onions.
Onion World
May/June 2004
By Carrie Kennington
Editor
Scientists have studied the nuts and bolts of onions.
They have sought to know everything about their chemistry and genes and
have made some amazing discoveries. But after all the years of research
and testing, there is still a lot of mystery surrounding the effects this
vegetable has on human health. Some questions still unanswered: Do onions
really help control diabetes? Would eating more onions help prevent cancer?
Do onions have blood-thinning properties, and if so, would one have to
eat them raw to get the benefits?
These mysteries, if solved and found to be correct, could potentially
make onions a more valuable part of the public's diet.
Speaking at the Idaho/Malheur County Onion Growers 44th Annual Meeting,
held Feb. 3 in Ontario, Ore., onion breeder Dr. Irwin Goldman of the University
of Wisconsin-Madison discussed the potential for onions to enhance human
health.
"Do onions carry additional health values?" Goldman asked the
group of growers and other onion industry representatives gathered for
the meeting. Onions offer fiber, potassium and vitamin C. But, according
to Goldman, there is more to this vegetable than meets the eye.
"It's up to us to determine the value and promote that to consumers,"
he added. Goldman and his team have been working on a project that looks
at whether onions have the potential to increase cardiovascular health.
"Most public efforts are directed toward promoting increased consumption
… rather than studying specific relationships between phytochemicals
and human health," the project summary states.
The team, composed of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison's
horticulture, food science and medicine departments, have focused on determining
whether health claims that onions are good for cardiovascular health are
valid. If onions do offer such health benefits, it may be possible for
producers to market this commodity as 'value-added' for cardiovascular
health, according to the project summary.
The Research
Onions contain a sulfur compound, which turns into thiosulfinate, which
gives it its flavor and smell and helps to fight off pests.
"The interesting thing about the combination of thiosulfinates,"
Goldman explained, "is you have to crush the tissue first. You don't
get pest resistance until the insect starts chewing or the microbes degrade
the tissue. Then you get the formation of thiosulfinates, and then you
get pest resistance."
Researchers have also determined that these properties may be valuable
for more than just flavor and hoarding off pests.
"This interesting relationship for ecological purposes and for pest
resistance is something that turns out to have tremendous potential for
human health," he said.
Potential is the key word. Goldman told growers gathered for the meeting
that folklore suggests that onions provide health benefits-they were originally
domesticated for medicinal purposes, and onions have been thought to be
blood thinners since the time of Pharoahs. But it remains to be seen whether
consumers' current consumption of this vegetable helps deliver these benefits,
or if we need to alter our diets to receive the full potential of onions.
Goldman has been working for 10 years to determine health benefits of
onions.
"We started out looking at onions and trying to find if they differed
in their abilities to inhibit platelets," he said. "Then, we
went to trying to learn about the horticulture environment, how sulfur
fertility and onion storage and all of those things affect that trait.
Why not just put more sulfate in the plant? We tried that, and all the
sulfur accumulated in the root."
"Different locations were variable. On muck soils, it had more medicinal
value than non-muck. We aren't sure why, but onions grown on highly organic
soils have the potential for producing onions with health value, possibly
because they are higher in sulfate," he said.
The most recent project his team of researchers conducted looked at the
impact of feeding raw onions to animals. What they found is that raw onions
work well to inhibit platelet irrigation in canines, though the research
is not conclusive enough to make a health claim. Goldman says further
research could determine if the same thing would happen in humans, and
if so, how many onions a person would have to eat in order to receive
this benefit.
"Human platelets may behave differently. I would say it will probably
work, and folklore tells us it does, but we really haven't studied it
in a systematic way. It's something we hope we can study," he said.
Their research also shows that cooking the onion destroys that benefit,
but Goldman questions whether there could be other benefits derived from
cooked onions we don't know about yet.
That's just one area of study, he explained. Researchers could spend a
lifetime studying just one health aspect of onions.
Goldman and other researchers hope to continue studying these areas to
get a better understanding of onions and help the vegetable to reach its
potential in the market place.
"I'm really interested in vegetables and human health," he explained.
"I believe the staple commodities like onion are incredibly valuable
beyond their food value. I'm interested in learning more about the potential
impact of these vegetables on human health and then trying to figure out
ways to enhance them and then communicate that to the general public."
"Food is a huge part of human health, and I think, an under-appreciated
part-especially vegetables. I'm concerned that people are looking for
short cuts. Simple whole foods have so much to offer," he said.
© 2004 Columbia Publishing
Alligator River Growers: North Carolina
Grower Comes Together With NetSuite
Onion World
May/June 2004
By Carrie Kennington
Editor
ENGELHARD, N.C. - Wilson and Debbie Daughtery knew there had to be a better
way to manage their business. Using one computer program to handle accounting,
another program to track customers and yet another program to deal with
the up and coming retail end of their business, it was a little overwhelming.
Keeping up with costs of program updates was an expensive hassle, and
the programs seemed to be geared toward bigger businesses-not their North
Carolina onion, bean and corn operation.
Now, Alligator River Growers is fully integrated through NetSuite, a multi-faceted
Web-based system. With the new system, paying for program updates is a
thing of the past, the Daughterys' and their employees can operate the
business anywhere the Web reaches, and managing retail growth is as simple
as uploading information to their new Web site.
"Without it, we would not be able to grow like we do now-or as quickly,"
says Wilson.
In the North Carolina county of Hyde-population 5,500-there is no DSL
for miles around. But paying for high speed satellite Internet was worth
it once the company made the switch to a Web-based system. The program
can be tailored to agriculture businesses' needs, including features such
as inventory, payroll, marketing, sales, Web site management and customer
relationship automation.
These aspects of the business are even more crucial as it garners new
retail customers big and small. Retail interest has really blossomed the
last few years.
"We had a lot of walk-in customers that bought a bag here and there.
We saw real potential for selling more widely. But we needed some sort
of ordering system," he says. With their new system, they are able
to add or take away products from their Web site easily. The offer jumbo
and medium-sized Mattamuskeet onions in 10 and 40 pound cartons.
"It's an easy way for someone like us to have a big impact out there
on the marketplace," he says.
At Alligator River Growers, they plant in the fall and harvest in the
spring, making their onions available from June to July. They aren't storage
onions, he explains, but they have storage characteristics and will keep
for a few months. They grow in organic blackland soil, with moderate temperatures
between Lake Mattamuskeet and the Pamlico Sound.
"We don't have extreme high or extreme lows," Wilson says. "I
think that's what helps the onions grow well."
For more information, visit www.netsuite.com or www.alligatorrivergrowers.com.
© 2004 Columbia Publishing
Controlling Thrips in Red Onions Using Alternative Methods
Onion World
May/June 2004
By Lynn Jensen
Malheur County Extension Service
Oregon State University
Red onions have been grown in the Treasure Valley production
region for many years. The quality of red onions coming out of the valley
is generally very high, but the past three years have seen small quality
problems related to thrips damage in storage. Thrips damage on red onions
has been reported from most production areas of the world and is a relatively
new problem, having developed over the past 6-10 years. Many ideas have
circulated about why this problem has recently arisen.
One theory is that widespread used of synthetic pyrethriod insecticides,
which are toxic to predatory insects , has reduced the availability of
late season predators to clean up thrips. Over the past three years, an
alternative approach to controlling onion thrips has been developed at
the Malheur Experiment Station. This program consists of a straw mulch
for predator habitat plus the use of soft insecticides to suppress thrips
while leaving predators to feed on the residual thrips population. This
program has been successful in controlling thrips and increasing size
and yield. In 2003, a trial was established to investigate the effects
of an alternative program on two red onion varieties of red onions in
storage.
Materials and Methods
A 1.5 acre field was planted to the onion varieties Flamenco and Redwing
in a split plot design on March 14, 2003. The onions were planted astwo
double rows on a 44-inch bed. The double inch rows were spaced two inches
apart. The seeding rate was 154,000 seeds per acre. Lorsban 15G was applied
in a 6-inch band over each row at planting at a rate of 3.7 oz./1,000
feet of row onion maggot control. Water was applied by furrow irrigation.
The field was divided into plots 36.7 foot wide by 100 foot long. There
were three treatments with six replications.
The three treatments included a grower-standard treatment, an untreated
check, and the alternative treatment. The grower standard treatment included
Warroior, MSR and Lannate. The untreated check did not receive any treatments
for thrips control. The alternative treatment included straw mulch applied
to the center of the bed plus Success, and Aza Direct.
The three treatments were applied as needed during the growing season.
All insecticides were applied in water at 30.9 gal/acre. Straw was applied
only between the irrigation furrows on top of the beds to avoid confounding
irrigation effects with thrips effects. The straw was applied on May,
2003 at rate 1,080 lb/acre.
The onion were harvested on Sept. 23. The onions were placed in burlap
bags and left at ambient temperatures for 30 days. This time period was
to allow any thrips on the bulbs to actively feed on the bulbs, so that
relative injury coule evaluate. After 30 days, the onions were placed
into a cooled storage and the tempture kept as close to 38 degree F as
possible. The onions were peeled and the top fleshy layers evaluated for
thrips injury. Fifteen bulbs from each plot were evaluated and the results
are show in Table 1.
There was a trend toward lower injury in both varieties with the alternative
thrips control program compared to either the standard spray program or
the untreated check. Redwing also had significantly less thrips injury
than Flamenco. Redwing had tighter wrapper skins than Flamenso, which
probably accounts for the varietal differences. This data is illustrated
in figures 1-3.
Conclusion
Redwing has less thrips injury than Flamenco, probably due to tighter
wrapper skins. Varietal characteristics such as more wrapper skins and
tighter wrapper skins will help reduce thrips injury. The alternative
approach to controlling thrips also reduced thrips injury.
© 2004 Columbia Publishing
Onion World
May/June 2004
By Robert A. Larose
BioSafe Systems recently introduced a piece of equipment
that makes sanitizing packinghouses and processing lines a little more
fun and effective.
The BioFoamer increases the efficacy of bactericides such as StorOx by
generating a thick volume of chemigated foam. The foam clings to packing
lines, wooden bins, floors, vertical surfaces and even ceilings, extending
contact time and increasing surface penetration of the chemical.
Along with increased contact time, the BioFoamer shows the user exactly
where the chemical is being applied. This visibility enables complete
coverage and minimizes waste from overspraying.
Users can adjust the consistency of the foam to yield a drier texture
for extreme contact time or wetter foam for better penetration of porous
surfaces. Testing by BioSafe Systems has shown the foam application to
be twice as effective as the traditional spray in eliminating decay organisms.
The specially formulated foaming solution is safe for all equipment applications
and will not corrode equipment.
StorOx Broad Spectrum Bactericide/ Fungicide works especially well when
applied as a foam. StorOx operates through a powerful oxidation reaction,
killing bacterial and fungal diseases, their spores, and slime-forming
algae on contact. StorOx's ability to break the disease cycle and instantly
eliminate pathogens makes it an essential tool for increasing the BioSecurity
of your operation.
In addition to sanitation applications, StorOx can be applied directly
to fruits and vegetables, reducing spoilage and extending the shelf life
of produce. StorOx is non-residual, organic allowed by OMRI, has no mutational
resistance, and the reduced risk chemistry makes it convenient to apply.
StorOx is highly regarded by the citrus industry, and is one of the chemicals
approved by the Florida Department of Agriculture for the Citrus Canker
Eradication Program.
The self-contained, portable BioFoamer that makes the innovative StorOx
foam possible holds 26 gallons of spray solution, which is enough to cover
approximately 2500 square feet. The BioFoamer can generate 10 times the
solution volume in foam and its 15-foot throw allows surfaces to be covered
quickly. The cart is corrosion resistant, and easy to maneuver through
narrow walkways or doorways. The unit includes 100' of double air/water
hose and a hose reel for accessing remote areas.
Since 1998, BioSafe Systems has been providing products, equipment and
methods that enable farmers and packers to grow, process, and store their
goods in a BioSecure environment. For more information, please contact
BioSafe Systems toll-free at (888) 273-3088.
© 2004 Columbia Publishing
New Mexico Onion Conference Focuses on Production, Marketing
Onion World
May/June 2004
By Stephanie Walker
New Mexico State University
Extension Vegetable Specialist
The 2004 New Mexico Onion Conference took place in Las
Cruces, New Mexico on March 3. The event brings onion growers, processors,
researchers and vendors together to share in recent developments in the
onion industry. Participants gain knowledge of the latest varieties, horticultural
practices, and recommended production techniques.
The event was kicked off with a welcome from the new Associate Dean of
Cooperative Extension at New Mexico State University, Dr. Paul H. Gutierrez.
During the morning session, the focus was production issues, while marketing
strategies were highlighted in the afternoon segment of the conference.
With ideal growing conditions, and availability of locally adapted varieties,
onions have become one of the most important crops in the state. Approximately
8,000 to 9,000 acres of onions are grown in New Mexico each year. During
June and July, New Mexico provides most of the onions consumed in the
United States.
Salinity Management
Dr. Michael Bartolo, Vegetable Crop Specialist for Colorado State University's
Arkansas Valley Research Center, was the featured morning speaker. He
presented research highlighting salinity management in onions. His research
has shown that different varieties of onions react differently to salinity
stress, and that additional screening of onion varieties for salt tolerance
would be beneficial.
Bartolo feels that a procedure for salinity screening in the laboratory
needs to be developed. This would lessen the need for difficult field
screenings and speed up evaluation of varieties. Bartolo also presented
results from his research that compared movement of salts in the soil
under drip irrigation versus furrow irrigation watering regimes. While
drip irrigation uses substantially less water than furrow irrigation,
care must be taken when positioning the drip lines. Salts will accumulate
at the wetting front, so drip tape must be placed to move salts away from
the root zone of the onion crop.
Compared to drip irrigation, the abundant application of water to a furrow
irrigated field serves to leach salts down in the soil, below the root
zone of the onions. Unfortunately, soil nutrients may be simultaneously
pushed down, out of reach of the onion root system. Bartolo emphasized
that with the ongoing drought in the southwest, there will continue to
be a heightened awareness of water usage by the public. Efforts must be
intensified to incorporate effective strategies, like drip irrigation,
that make the most efficient use of our water resources.
Onion Breeding
Dr. Christopher Cramer, Associate Professor and resident onion breeder,
provided an overview of onion breeding activities at New Mexico State
University. Three recent onion cultivar releases, 'NuMex Camino,' 'NuMex
Solano' and 'NuMex Crimson' were highlighted. Troy Larsen, one of Dr.
Cramer's graduate students, discussed ongoing efforts to develop an analytical
method to measure bulb firmness. Stephanie Walker, Extension Vegetable
Specialist, gave a quick overview of the procedure used by the New Mexico
State University's sweet onion breeding program to measure pyruvate content
in onions. The procedure is used to obtain laboratory analysis of onion
pungency level.
Dr. Natalie Goldberg, Extension Plant Pathologist, summarized pathogens
of local importance, including pink root and fusarium basal rot. Brad
Lewis, Research Entomology Specialist, presented strategies for thrip
control. Thrips are the most challenging insect pest to New Mexico onion
production. Lewis discussed how to successfully rotate chemical controls,
depending on the time of the season, to minimize development of resistant
thrip populations. Dr. Mark Renz, Extension Weed Specialist, discussed
weed control strategies. Because of their shallow root system and upright
canopy, onions are not a strong competitor for weeds. Renz reviewed herbicides
currently labeled for use in onion fields in New Mexico. He also stressed
the importance of maintaining clean fields for long-term reductions in
weed pressure.
The featured afternoon speaker, Tanya Fell, the Director of Public and
Industry Relations for the National Onion Association, gave an overview
of promotional activities from the previous year. Fell encouraged members
of the onion industry to join the National Onion Association and shared
their success in promoting onion usage and consumption at relatively low
expense to the association. Mr. David Lucero, Marketing Specialist with
the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, spoke after Fell, and focused
on specific efforts to promote New Mexico onions.
Farmer's Market
Another afternoon presenter was Esther Kovari, who represented the New
Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association. She presented strategies for selling
onions to New Mexico's Farmer's markets. Joan Quinn, Assistant Director
of the New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission, discussed requirements
for organic onion production. The final afternoon speaker was Mrs. Sarah
DeGondea, Sales Account Executive with The Packer. DeGondea presented
benefits and strategies for effectively promoting onions, as well as other
agricultural products.
If you have any questions regarding the New Mexico Onion Conference, please
contact Stephanie Walker, extension vegetable specialist at New Mexico
State University, by e-mail swalker@nmsu.edu or by telephone at (505)
646-5280. We hope to see you at the 2006 conference.
© 2004 Columbia Publishing
Onion World
May/June 2004
HAELEN, The Netherlands - An extensive phase of a branding initiative
that further strengthens a global leader in the vegetable seed business
was launched. Sunseeds, known throughout the Americas for high quality
hybrid vegetable seed varieties, will change its company name to Nunhems
and will market Sunseeds brand seeds under the globally recognized Nunhems
brand (pronounced Newn-ems) starting this summer.
"It allows us to focus our energies into one brand, which can bring
more value," said Pat Clifford, vice president of sales and marketing.
"Although the Sunseeds name is going away, the quality that people
have grown to expect from Sunseeds will still be evident within all of
Nunhems products."
Sunseeds is a Parma, Idaho-based company that was purchased by Nunhems
in 1997. Sunseeds products in North America, Central America and South
America yielded millions of pounds of produce for fresh food lovers in
2003.
The name change demonstrates a commitment to further consolidate Sunseeds
and Nunhems as one integrated company with a shared dedication to research
and development, innovation, profitability, and global solutions intended
for local application in support of growers and business partners in the
fresh produce, processing, fresh-cut and food service industries.
"We have the luxury of being able to apply the local needs to those
global solutions, so it is really a very broad opportunity that we bring
to the marketplace right now," he said. "As we go forward with
our varieties, we are going to pick more globabl names, so that we can
use them in all markets in the world and eliminate having an American
spin on one and a European spin on another. But will have the same varieties
that we have always had."
Beginning July 2004, vegetable seed developed in the Research and Development
centers of Sunseeds and Nunhems will be marketed under the Nunhems brand.
"We're confident that Nunhems, a global brand known for innovation,
quality and profitability, will soon become instrumental to growers in
the Americas," said Nunhems CEO Pieter van Kesteren. "We will
work hard to demonstrate to our customers in the Americas that the brand
equities that make Sunseeds their trusted choice to deliver value added
products are integrated into every Nunhems seed variety."
"This branding initiative enables us to demonstrate to growers worldwide
that the priority for innovation that has characterized product developments
by both Sunseeds and Nunhems are part of a singular focus by companies
that have been together now for many growing seasons," van Kesteren
said. "The same commitment and discipline that makes Sunseeds the
choice of growers in the Americas will be apparent in the Nunhems branded
products from day one.
About Nunhems
Nunhems is among the worlds leading vegetable seed companies. The company,
founded in the Netherlands in 1916, has become a major global player through
acquisitions in North America, Europe and Asia. Nunhems is active worldwide
in research, plant breeding, production, processing and marketing and
sales of vegetable varieties for the professional vegetable production
business.
Nunhems' principal products are commercial vegetable varieties for open
field, greenhouse growers, and the processing industry. Nunhems develops
varieties with a significant contribution to the vegetable value chain,
satisfying directly or indirectly, the consumer's need for quality and
nutrition. The company's focus is to develop hybrids with novel traits
and specialized seed forms that meet the present and future demands of
the vegetable supply chain. Nunhems employs more than 900 people in more
than 20 countries and is part of the Bayer Group.
For more information, visit www.nunhems.com and www.sunseeds.com.
© 2004 Columbia Publishing
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