The launch of the Starke Ayres proprietary onion range in South Africa has been long-awaited and justifiably so. Although some varieties have been commercially available in recent years, Starke Ayres is formally launching a comprehensive range of new short- and early-intermediate-day-length hybrid onion varieties from its breeding programme. These will complement the current product range on offer in all the onion producing regions of South Africa, as well as other Southern African countries.
With two local breeding stations, numerous off-station trial localities, a dedicated team of breeders and a product management team, the new additions to the range have been selected in conditions typical to each region. The selection process aims to provide improved yield, adaptability, quality, and disease resistance, adding value to the entire production chain, from the grower to the end-user.
In addition to the characteristics listed above, the focus is also given to improved seed quality to ensure uniformity of germination, plant-growth uniformity and ultimately uniform bulb size and quality. This all gives the grower added benefits and increases the pack-out percentage.
Through our onion breeding programme, Starke Ayres will continue to introduce new varieties. For more details on the varieties, sowing dates best suited to your area and the development of a sowing programme, contact your local sales representative.
