Tampico onion growers began shipping in January this year, marking one of the earliest seasons on record. In this region where earliness pays and margins are tight, growers pay close attention to innovations, from cultural practices to new seed varieties. This year, even more so.

Located in the state of Tamaulipas, this fertile region of Mexico's northeast coast fills an important late-winter market window between the last western storage onions and the first fresh market types harvested in the Rio Grande Valley. To hit this window, plantings usually start about
September 20, when conditions are about as tough as it gets to germinate onions.

"One of the things that happens down here is that they [growers] are trying to get onions up in some of the most difficult conditions for onions - hot, wet conditions," explained Asgrow plant breeder Rick Jones PhD., during a field day sponsored by Baxter Seed Company and Asgrow. "Onions will germinate down to 32 degrees (0° C), it just slows them down," he noted. "But you get under these hot-wet conditions and you get either some kind of dormancy or mortality; researchers just don't know much about it." 

Despite such environmental challenges, the Tampico onion industry is thriving. Acreage is up nearly 30% this season from the average. According to Asgrow sales representative Mike McLarty, about 9,000 acres were planted with white onions, destined for Mexico's national market and other areas. About 7,200 acres of yellows and 1,800 acres of reds were dedicated for export to the United States. Unfortunately, this year's near-perfect conditions were marred by low market prices, reported growers.

WORDS OF WISDOM

Colorful, opinionated and articulate, grower Lynn Jones is considered an industry icon by most. Now 79 years old, he helped establish the Tampico onion deal in the 1950s, when local farmers were looking for an alternative to cotton. He strongly believes that growers must continue to innovate, whether its new cultural practices like drip irrigation or new seed varieties. Throughout his long career, he has aggressively trialed new hybrids, always looking for improvements.

Jones emphasizes the importance of earliness. While growers down here can manipulate maturity by changing the planting date (more than they can further north in the U.S.), competition among growers often pushes up the harvest date. "We can't wait until the darn tops go down and turn brown before we harvest them, you know. Because your neighbor is over there harvesting his. You try to wait, and by then the price has dropped two, three dollars a bag." For its earliness and good shipping ability he favors Texas Early White, one of the most widely planted open-pollinated varieties. But like most of the growers, he's ready for improvement.

"Stand establishment is really a problem in Texas Early White in Tampico," agreed Asgrow's Rick Jones. "It's a beautiful product once you finally get it made, but it costs you more money [on labor] because the early performance is poor." This is especially a problem in Tampico since growers overplant and hand thin to get a final stand.

"One of the complaints that growers have about Texas Early White is that you plant it, it comes up, and then you thin it. Then it comes up some more, and you thin it again, and so on," described Baxter's general manager Michael Key. While labor is relatively inexpensive, tighter profit margins and low prices this year are making it necessary for growers to look for savings. He's confident that new hybrids from Asgrow Vegetable Seeds, which combine early vigor and uniformity with high quality bulbs, may be the answer they are looking for.

TRIAL RESULTS

Placed in commercial production fields and subjected to the same conditions as the field variety, a number of new and upcoming Asgrow varieties were showcased at field days this season - the largest event was held on the La Palamo Farm of Fred Nadolph, one of Tampico's most respected growers. 

According to reports, Asgrow's Marquesa has been one of the top yielding white varieties, typically developing a strong root system and vigorous tops. "Marquesa will jump out of the ground," said Mike McLarty, Asgrow sales rep. "It's more uniform, and more reliable than many commercial open-pollinated varieties." 

"It's a little bit later than Diamante, but it has better disease resistance," observed Jesse Tomás, of George Thomas Farms. He planted several large blocks of Marquesa this year. It has a good globe shape, few splits and junks, and good bolt tolerance during cold weather, he reported.

Asgrow has also advanced two white hybrids, XP 6798 and XP 6800, and will be conducting final performance trials next season. 

"I like this size!" Lynn Jones observed, walking down a trial row of XP 6798. "We got to have large-mediums, and when they [buyers] are talking about large-mediums, they are talking about onions 2 1/2 to 3 1/4 inches in diameter." He noted that twenty to thirty years ago a medium was 2 to 3 inches, and a jumbo was anything over 3 inches. "Now they want them larger," he said.

"We're getting super-colassals. Five years ago I never heard of a super colossal," echoed Lee Schill from Baxter's, referring to advances made in yellow onion varieties in particular. "With the new hybrids available now a thousand bags to the acre, or better, is now possible."

"The 6800 puts the size on," Dr. Rick Jones pointed out. "It's a little deeper in shape than XP 6798. And as a hybrid it's got much bigger tops than Texas Early White." Its shape is just about round at that large-medium size, which growers like because it fills the bag quicker. According to
Jones, XP 6800 can get a little on the big side for the Mexican market (it was designed more for the Rio Grande Valley), however its size potential gives growers more size options. "Growers like something that they can be flexible with," he said. 

Both hybrids also have good white color, and good disease resistance to support new cultural practices. "Traditionally Tampico farmers grow on a 40-inch bed and then they furrow irrigate," explained McLarty. "But that's all been changing and they're moving to four rows on wider beds with drip irrigation." 

This means more disease pressure. "We have lots of pink root," said Lynn Jones. "If I plant anything with pink root susceptibility, it's about this big around," he said, making a walnut-sized circle with his thumb and index finger. 

"We've got disease resistance on both parental lines, so we have good pink root resistance," reported Dr. Jones. "From what we've seen so far, they are very good for seedling vigor and stand establishment, and they have good strong tops as well."

Asgrow Vegetable Seeds, a Seminis Inc. business, develops and markets over 1000 vegetable variety choices in 108 countries. Worldwide headquarters are based in Saticoy, California.

Company news release
N2566