ABSTRACT
Onion seed is produced for various purposes and under many conditions. It may be produced for breeders seed, basic seed, or commercial seed; in cages or in open fields; from seed to seed or from bulb to seed; from fall planting or from spring planting; under high input and low input conditions; for hybrid or open-pollinated cultivars. During the growth of the mother bulb crop, diseases which affect commercial onions are also important in other bulb production and are controlled in the same fashion. Rots caused by Botrytis spp, are a particular problem for storage onions in general and mother bulbs in particular. The methods used for harvesting mother bulbs are generally those used for storage onions, since even fresh-market cultivars must be stored for a period before planting. Since the first hybrid onion was introduced on the market in the early 1950s, more and more onions have been produced from hybrid cultivars.
