Growing Onions in Texas - Essay Example

Onions, white or yellow, have exceptional growth in Texas. Texas A&M University has ranked onion as the “number one vegetable crop, contributing around $350 million annually to the state’s economy” (Hill, 2010). The climate of Texas is conducive to voluminous cultivation of all sorts of onion varieties that include but are not limited to the short-day, intermediate, and long-day onion varieties. Three cultivars that are the speciality of Texas among all varieties of onions cultivated in Texas are Granex onions, Texas Super-Sweet onions, and the Texas Grano 502 onions.

One of the most popular short-day varieties of onions that are grown in Texas is Granex. This onion is generally known by the name Vidalia. This species of onion is derived from Texas Grano 502. It reaches maturity early. Granex is normally available in yellow, red and white colours. Among all varieties of onions, the yellow onion matures the earliest, but it can not be stored for long. The white Granex onion is generally known as Miss Society and resembles the yellow onion in characteristics. Immature Granex onions, generate green onions upon harvesting. It is possible to thin the onion plantings by over-planting them from their seeds.

Like Granex onions, Texas Super-Sweet onions are also derived from Texas Grano 502. Also, they are a short-day onion variety. As the name implies, Texas Super-Sweet onions are mildly sweet. Large bulbous yellow onions having the shape of a globe can be seen in this variety. Unlike the Granex onions, Texas Super-Sweet onions have a large period of storage. Although it is derived from the Texas Grano 502, its disease resistance is marvelous unlike many other varieties of onions that are derived from the same specie. They are far less likely than other varieties of onions to be bruised while being transported. Also, they generally do not acquire the disease of pink root or the disease in which the onions mature early.

Texas Grano 502 onions were introduced first in 1933. Owing to their sweetest taste among all potatoes, the Texas A&M University Extension Service entitled them as the “mother of all sweet potatoes” (Hill, 2010). This particular specie of onions was cultivated to make onions adapted to the climate generally prevalent in the region of Southern Texas. It is one of the short-day species of onions in Texas, which is a characteristic consistent with the habits of indigenous people in Southern Texas.