Nutrient content and yield in relation to top breakover in onion developed from greenhouse-grown transplants
2009
Russo, Vincent M.
BACKGROUND: Onions (Allium cepa L.) generally are harvested based on percentage of tops broken over. Since plant metabolism changes over time, percentage of tops broken over may be used to determine a harvest time to deliver marketable bulbs with the best nutrient content.RESULTS: The cultivars Candy and Texas Grano 1015 Y were harvested at 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% breakover in 2006 and 2007. Larger and heavier bulbs were produced by Candy and in 2006, the year with near-normal precipitation. There was little difference in bulb size and weight due to percent breakover. Contents of chemical moieties in bulbs were affected by year, with the majority of values being higher in 2006, and there were either no differences due to cultivar, or where differences were found nitrate-N, phosphate and sulfate contents were lower in Candy. Soluble solids content was lower in 2006 and higher in Candy. Content of nitrogen and phosphorous in a Kjeldahl digest, nitrate-N, phosphate, potassium and sulfate were either linearly or quadratically distributed over percent breakover. Nitrite-N, calcium, magnesium, sodium and soluble solids were randomly distributed over percent breakover. Bulb size and weight did not change from the 20% breakover point, and most of the chemical moieties analyzed, with the exception of nitrate- and nitrite-N values, were highest below the 30% breakover.CONCLUSION: Harvest occurring soon after breakover begins could be beneficial in terms of nutrient content without loss of bulb size or weight.
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