New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts
Effects of cultural practices at harvest on onion bulb quality
and incidence of rots in storage
P. J. WRIGHT
D. G. GRANT
New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food
Research Limited
Cronin Road, RD1
Pukekohe, New Zealand
Abstract A field study was carried out over two seasons to
investigate the effects of maturity of onions (Allium cepa L.) at
harvest and different curing conditions on bulb quality and the incidence of
storage rots. Onion plants were lifted at one of three stages of maturity: 10,
70, or 90% leaf collapse (top-down). Foliage was removed (topped) either before
or after curing, and bulbs were subjected to one of three curing treatments:
field curing with additional water, field curing without additional water, or
heated forced air curing. Additional water applied during field curing
increased the proportion of onions with stained skins and rots. Forced-air
curing of onions reduced the incidence of rots regardless of harvest method.
Forced air drying also reduced skin staining in most harvest method
treatments.
Keywords onion; Allium cepa L.; harvest; curing;
agronomic methods; husbandry practices; bulb quality; onion soft rot
New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 1997, Vol. 25:
353-358
0114-0671/97/2504-0353 $7.00/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand
1997
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (484K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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