seminis onion guide€¦ · in 1988, with phd in hand, i got a job with asgrow, an onion breeder,...
TRANSCRIPT
www.seminis.com.au
2016/2017
Seminis® Onion Guide
Every day for 150 years, Seminis has worked to empower our growers by improving the vegetables they grow and providing solutions to their toughest challenges.
Today we are the world’s largest developer and marketer of vegetable seeds. But reaching this milestone hasn’t been an easy journey. It’s a painstaking process that requires patience and the belief that every generation can be better than the last.
At Seminis, we’re constantly thinking of the next generation. Not just the next generation of seeds, but the next generation of growers and families all over the world.
Monsanto has opened a new onion breeding centre in Pukokohe to service growers in New Zealand and Australia. The centre develops hybrid onion varieties specifically suited to Australian and New Zealand growing conditions, supplied to growers under the Seminis brand.
Plugged into Monsanto’s worldwide breeding program, the centre allows local staff to collaborate with global experts and share germplasm to develop the next generation of plant varieties that can resist diseases and increase productivity.
This ambitious role for the centre reflects the company’s desire to lead the world in the development of plants that help growers run a more profitable business according to, Monsanto Vegetable Seeds ANZ Commercial Lead, Rachel Palumbo.
“Monsanto’s breeders and technology development staff at the breeding centre work to understand what plant attributes are required to respond to environmental challenges and diseases, and how these attributes can be incorporated into a commercial crop.”
Ms Palumbo said, “local staff also work closely with Australian and New Zealand growers who understand
year-on-year growing conditions and can provide the most valuable source of feedback on all varieties under trial.
“By tapping into this local knowledge, we can breed onion varieties that will tackle a problem that may not even be occurring now, but will occur over the next 15 to 20 years.
“This forward thinking reinforces our role as a partner to the industry and a contributor to a sustainable farming future”, Ms Palumbo said.
Eventually, the breeding centre will be set up to display and showcase the many different vegetables that grow in Australia and New Zealand and highlight the work we do in creating plant varieties that are high yielding, good quality and that require minimal inputs so that they have the least impact on our environment.
Local knowledge connects to a world of experience
Cover & inside images: Clint Griffith and family from Willow Produce, Walker Flat, South Australia.
Rick Jones, based in College Station, Texas, heads up Seminis’ global onion breeding program. Rick knows his onions. His work and experience spans nearly three decades, making him one of the world’s experts in onion breeding. By travelling across the globe and talking with growers and researchers, Rick and his team develop hybrids that meet the challenges growers face today and into the future.
Tell us about your role with Seminis
I lead Seminis’ global onion breeding program to develop hybrids that will flourish across the many areas where onions are grown. My role is to build a team and a knowledge library which can share information and expertise across Monsanto’s global operations so that growers have a sustainable future.
Tell us a little about your background and how you became involved in Seminis’s onion program
In 1988, with PhD in hand, I got a job with Asgrow, an onion breeder, that was later acquired by Monsanto (Seminis’ parent company). Over the 28 years since, I have travelled extensively so that I can understand the issues and requirements of growers in markets like the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand and North America.
I look 20 years down the road to anticipate what problems growers may face or what packers, buyers and consumers
will expect from their onions, and develop hybrids that will address those problems and expectations.
How important is your interaction with growers in the breeding process?
Growers are Seminis’ key customer group. We have a team of technology development representatives that live and work in areas where onions are grown. This network is vital for the company to work in partnership with growers to understand what they need from our onions and to develop hybrids that are adapted to local growing conditions.
Australian and New Zealand growers have different requirements. If we didn’t have a team of people on the ground, we wouldn’t be able to service the industry.
What sort of onion types are you breeding for?
There are three main categories of onions, short-day, mid-day and long-day that grow and develop at different times in the year.
Within these three categories, there are white, brown, yellow and red hybrids. Regardless of the category the qualities must be consistent. This ensures a person buying a red onion at the supermarket will get the same quality and flavour year round.
All Seminis onions are developed to be high yielding, high quality, and require minimal inputs such as fertiliser and pesticides. On top of this we have to consider the various requirements growers, packers, shippers, exporters and consumers demand. This can often be a balancing act, but we have to ensure hybrids hit these requirements.
What are Australian and New Zealand growers looking for in new onion hybrids?
Australian and New Zealand growers have very different requirements. In New Zealand, the bulk of onions produced are destined for export markets like Japan and Europe.
Export demands an onion that is firm, has a consistent and appealing shape and colour, with a tough outer scale and can be stored a long time. We are also seeing more and more of Pink Root rot, so we have developed hybrids that are resistant to this soil born fungus.
Hear from our breeder: Rick Jones
4 · ROOT & BULB
Pink Root has been detected in soils in most onion growing regions of Australia and New Zealand. It impacts crop productivity.
The fungus does not kill the plant, but its root system is halved, severely limiting the uptake of water and nutrients. The fungus will live in the soil for years, feeding off the available organic matter, increasing in number with each new onion crop.
Onions are fussy about the soil they like to grow in and the fungus is becoming more prevalent globally.
Climate change is also having an impact as soils warm creating the perfect environment for the fungus.
Monsanto has developed hybrid onion varieties that are resistant to Pink Root.
Monsanto’s hybrid onions can grow in infected soils without the need for soil fumigants that can kill beneficial biota or contaminate waterways.
Pink Root will still appear in the plant, however its ability to uptake water and nutrients will not be affected.
Pink Root resistance should allow growers to be more flexible with planting schedules, as there is no need to avoid planting when the fungus is at its worse.
Icon indicates onion variety is Pink Root resistant.
What is Pink Root?
In Australia, many of the onions produced are domestically consumed with a much lower percentage exported. Australian growers are less concerned with the long storage and export ability, but instead desire an easy growing, high yielding onion that has exceptional quality, a good shape and colour.
How does Seminis ensure growers can stay ahead of new strains of diseases?
It can take 18 years to develop a new hybrid, because one onion generation takes two years to develop. Due to this time lag, we have to look ahead and work out what diseases may impact the health of a crop in order to develop hybrids that will be resistant to the disease.
You can see this at work with the opening of a research centre in New Zealand that is working on hybrids that are resistant to Pink Root and perfectly suited to Australian and New Zealand growing conditions.
By taking this approach, we can tackle a disease or other issues before it has a significant impact on the industry, and because it’s based on local stock we can be confident it will grow successfully.
What is your favourite vegetable to eat, and why?
Artichoke, simply cause I think it’s fun to eat a thistle.
Healthy roots Pink Root
ROOT & BULB · 5
Seminis onion varieties
Korimako (SV5905NH) This onion has an impressive golden brown colour, consistent globe shape and long storage quality. The hybrid is ideal for growers who want an onion that has a wide planting window, and that saves time and money due to a reduced cost per kilograms of onions packed and high rate of pack out when compared to other hybrids. Growers who have used Ayoba in the past may like to try Korimako.
FEATURES
Segment Early long keeper
Season Main
Colour Brown
Shape Globe
Storage êêê
Resistance Fusarium Basal Rot
Akamaru This onion has a moderate tolerance to bolting and is an extra early short day hybrid with consistent golden brown skin and a globe to flattened shape. The onions are high yielding and store well making them a marketable and profitable crop suited to Australian conditions.
FEATURES
Segment Short Day
Season Extra early
Colour Brown
Shape Globe
Storage ê
Resistance Pink Root (Intermediate)
Storage: ê very short storage; êê short storage; êêê medium storage; êêêê long storage; êêêêê very long storage
ROOT & BULB · 7
Cassowarie (SV4764NH) This hybrid is perfect for the export market. Its high yield, consistent globe shape, appealing brown colour and quality will help generate profits. It was developed especially for the New Zealand grower and has a late planting window. The hybrid stores well and has a good pack out rate that saves time and money. Growers who have used Waikato in the past may like to try Cassowarie.
FEATURES
Segment Regular Pukokohe Longkeeper
Season Main to late
Colour Brown
Shape Globe
Storage êêêêê
Resistance Pink Root (Intermediate)
Shrike (SV9463NH) This hybrid has an appealing brown colour and consistent globe shape. The onion is a main to late planting variety that grows vigorously and has a high bolting tolerance. It is ideal for growers who want to save time and money as the hybrid stores and packs well.
FEATURES
Segment Mid day yellow storage
Season Main to late
Colour Brown
Shape Globe
Storage êêêê
Resistance Pink Root (Intermediate)
AyobaThis hybrid yellow onion has flat globe-shaped bulbs and dark skin. It’s suitable for mechanical harvest and has intermediate resistance to Fusarium basal rot.
FEATURES
Segment Early long keeper
Season Extra early
Colour Brown
Shape Flat globe
Storage êê
Resistance Pink Root (Intermediate), Fusarium Basal Rot
8 · ROOT & BULB
SV7030NSThis hybrid’s excellent globe shape and attractive red shiny skin make it a supermarket favourite. It a high yielding onion that grows uniformly and delivers on quality to meet the demands of the Australian market. The hybrid has a medium storage capacity and good pack out attributes that help make it a profitably crop.
FEATURES
Segment Short day red
Season Early to main
Colour Red
Shape Globe
Storage êêê
Resistance Pink Root (Intermediate)
PerezEarly season, golden brown export onion with excellent storage potential, vigorous tops, high yield of large round bulbs with excellent uniformity.
FEATURES
Segment Regular Pukokohe Long Keeper
Season Early to main
Colour Brown
Shape High globe
Storage êêêêê
Resistance –
Ranguru (SV7077NG)This hybrid was developed with storage in mind. The onion’s hardiness and long storage qualities means it holds up well to packing and transportation. The hybrid has high yield, and good quality attributes along with high bolting tolerance and resistance to Pink Root. The onion is a commercially appealing hybrid with dark brown skin and uniform bulb shape making it a profitable choice for growers. Producers who have grown Perez in the past may like to try Ranguru.
FEATURES
Segment Mid day yellow storage
Season Main
Colour Brown
Shape Globe
Storage êêêêê
Resistance Pink Root (Intermediate)
ROOT & BULB · 9
Waikato Creamgold hybrid for mid to late season. Good storage export type with shorter growing time. Resistant to Fusarium Basal Rot.
FEATURES
Segment Mid Day yellow storage
Season Late
Colour Brown
Shape Globe
Storage êêêê
Resistance Fusarium Basal Rot
EX07714593 EX07714593’s high yield puts it high on the popularity list. It’s a main season, long-day red onion with an erect plant. Bulbs are round in shape with dark red skin and excellent internal colour. It has excellent storage ability.
FEATURES
Segment Long day red onion
Season Main to late
Colour Dark red
Shape Globe
Storage êêêê
Resistance Pink Root (Intermediate), Fusarium Basal Rot
10 · ROOT & BULB
Open pollinated
Red KeepRed Keep is a mid season, open-pollinated Spanish-style onion. It has excellent bolting resistance and the ability to store for six months. Red Keep is suitable for export and has resistance to Fusarium Basal Rot.
FEATURES
Segment Long day red onion
Season Main
Colour Red
Shape Flat globe
Storage êêêê
Resistance Fusarium Basal Rot
Seminis EPLKSeminis EPLK offers excellent storage and pack out, with proven performance in transport and export.
FEATURES
Segment Pukekohe Long Keeper
Season Early
Colour Brown
Shape Globe
Storage êêêêê
Resistance –
ROOT & BULB · 11
Onion Growing Calendar
PRODUCT APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
SOUTH AUSTRALIA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, NEW SOUTH WALES & VICTORIA
AKAMARU
AYOBA
EX07714593
PEREZ
RANGURU
SEMINIS EPLK
SHRIKE
SV7030NS
WAIKATO
QUEENSLAND & NORTHERN TERRITORY
AKAMARU
SV7030NS
TASMANIA
EX07714593
PEREZ
SEMINIS EPLK
SHRIKE
WAIKATO
12 · ROOT & BULB
PRODUCT APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
NEW ZEALAND – NORTH ISLAND
AYOBA
CASSOWARIE
KORIMAKO
PEREZ
RED KEEP
SEMINIS EPLK
WAIKATO
NEW ZEALAND – SOUTH ISLAND
AYOBA
CASSOWARIE
KORIMAKO
PEREZ
RED KEEP
SEMINIS EPLK
WAIKATO
Sowing Harvesting
ROOT & BULB · 13
Contacts
For more information visit www.seminis.com.au or contact your local representative
REGIONAL BUSINESS MANAGERS
DARREN WOODAustralian Seminis Sales Manager and Regional Business Manager, North Queensland +61 428 673 802 [email protected]
MARK DUNNINGRegional Business Manager New Zealand +64 2165 1444 [email protected]
JOSIP BALINT Regional Business Manager Onions South Australia +61 400 377 333 [email protected]
SANDRA VERLAATRegional Business Manager Western Australia +61 408 875 917 [email protected]
LINDA FERRARESE Regional Business Manager NSW +61 429 120 305 [email protected]
CARLOS RAMIREZRegional Business Manager Victoria & Tasmania +61 437 821 581 [email protected]
Monsanto Customer Service Australia
Ph: 1800 364 846 Fax: 1800 892 066 Email: [email protected]
Monsanto Customer Service New Zealand
Ph: 09 239 0666Fax: 09 239 0667Email: [email protected]
TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
JULIO DUCATTITechnology Development Specialist +61 408 357 605 [email protected]
ROOT & BULB · 15
Monsanto Australia, Head Office: 12/600 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004 Post: PO Box 6051, St. Kilda Road Central, VIC 8008. Phone: 1800 069 569 Fax: 03 9522 6122 Email: [email protected]
Monsanto New Zealand Limited: R.D.2 Pukekohe 2677 Phone: 09 239 0666 Fax: 09 239 0667 Email: [email protected]
www.seminis.com.au