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Story and photos by Dave Alexander, Publisher
At the annual Crookham Company Onion Reveal, held Aug. 23 in Wilder, Idaho, yellow onion variety Defender was a frequent topic of conversation, as was the insufferable heat in the Treasure Valley. The day before the Reveal marked a record 21 consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures in the area. Last year was another scorcher, with record high temps in June.
Talk of heat led to talk of Defender in Wilder. Defender produced a lush canopy despite the heat. A well-developed canopy with tall, strong shoots protects the onion bulbs underneath. Representatives from Crookham and the producers that grew the variety are happy with the new 118-day yellow.
Dave Whitwood, Crookam onion breeder, says Defender has a strong root system underneath it and that it can work on older ground.
“Growers are really excited about the canopy, and they are glad they picked an onion that could handle the environmental pressure we put on them this year,” Whitwood says.
Zane Beams, western sales manager with Seedway, agrees.
“Defender has strong, waxy tops that handle heat stress. And better vigor makes onions stronger to better handle heat,” Beams says.
Defender seed production limited the number of units grown this year, but Lyndon Johnson with Crookham expects many more acres to be grown in 2023. Growers are already asking about Defender seed for 2023, and the company expects to be able to supply all orders next year.
Johnson says like all of Crookham’s options, Defender is single-centered and can grow up to 4 inches for ringing.
“We’re shooting for a 70-30 split – 70 percent jumbos and 30 percent mediums,” Johnson says. “If you look at the U.S. retail market, 66 percent of onions are sold singly, as a jumbo.”
Crookham’s other new variety released last year, Epic, has also shown good results and may convert onion growers in the Treasure Valley to pivot irrigation, according to Johnson. The Idaho-Eastern Oregon area uses drip irrigation primarily, but because Epic grows well under pivots, it gives growers in the area options. Growers using pivot-irrigated Epic will save the annual cost of drip tape and still produce a storable crop, Johnson says.
“Epic and Trident under pivot are holding their own in the Columbia Basin,” Beam adds.
Though Crookham has nothing new commercially available in 2023, the company did have new varieties on display at the Onion Reveal that are in pilot production. These varieties will be in block trials in the Columbia Basin, Wisconsin and New York next year. After the block trials and expanded future adaptability trials to determine which onions will work best in which markets, some of these new products will be named and go on sale in the next year or two, ensuring onion growers will have the right onion seed for their operations.
