ISHS Acta Horticulturae 433: I International Symposium on Edible Alliaceae
SWEET ONIONS: BREEDING, MARKET AND FUTURE |
| Author: | L. M. Pike |
| Keywords: | Allium cepa, Pungency, flavor |
| Abstract:
Onions with low levels of pungency and exhibiting a slightly sweet flavor are becoming popular with consumers on an international level. The trend for greater demands in the international market will continue as the sweet onions are introduced and promoted as a specialty item. An extensive mild, sweet onion breeding program was initiated at Texas A&M University in 1972 with funding support provided by Texas onion growers and shippers. A ten year grant of $500,000 was committed to create disease tolerant 'supersweet' onions adapted to Texas growing conditions. After eight years of intensive breeding, 'Texas Grano 1015Y' was developed and released for commercial production. A promotional program for the '1015' sweet onion began and sales quickly reached approximately $30,000,000 per year in Texas alone. To date, the Texas growers and shippers have contributed approximately $2,000,000 to the onion breeding research program and eight cultivars have been developed. Present research is being conducted in the Texas A&M University Vegetable Improvement Center to investigate development of mild, sweet cultivars with enhanced health benefits against certain human diseases. | |
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