Namibia is a vast country, and onions are produced from North to South. The wide range of latitudes, soils and climatic conditions means that it is unlikely that any single variety will give optimal results everywhere and at all times. This means an extensive and ongoing trial programme is needed to identify the best grower options.
The latest variety to emerge from this programme is Tacana. It has given best results in the sandy soils of the Stampriet area in Southern Namibia. Seedlings were transplanted in the middle of May, and harvest as in the middle of October. The final plant population was 750,000 plants per hectare and this produced a yield of 85 tons. A very noticeable feature of Tacana was the excellent root development through all growing stages. This, in turn, gave strong, healthy leaf growth, and the bulbs showed very good colour, firmness and uniformity after curing.
These yields are good for the area, and Tacana will be a sound choice for growers in the future.
