Onion Variety by Date of Planting Trial, Safford Agricultural Center, 1987

Twenty onion varieties were planted on two different dates in March at the Safford Agricultural Center. Yields up to 780 50-pound sacks per acre were harvested, with the early planting generally yielding slightly more than the later planting. The earlier planting generally had more jumbo and large onions and fewer medium and small onions than the later planting. The highest yielding onions were yellow varieties compared to the two white and one red varieties, but premiums for the non-yellow onions at harvest compensated for the lower yields. Three intermediate-day onions were included in the test; they were out-yielded by many of the long-day varieties at both planting dates. Spring - planted, long-day onions can be successfully grown in the Safford valley with yields that are economically feasible