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New Mexico State University
Agricultural Experiment Station
Las Cruces, NM 88003
The New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station announces the naming and release of 'NuMex Crimson', an open-pollinated, single-centered, bolting-resistant, short-day, red onion cultivar for fall seeding in southern New Mexico.
ORIGIN
'NuMex Crimson' was developed by Chris Cramer and Joe Corgan of the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture. 'NuMex Crimson' is an open-pollinated, single-centered, high yielding, bolting resistant, red flat globe onion for fall seeding in southern New Mexico. 'NuMex Crimson' originates from an intercross between ‘Kurenai’, ‘Rojo’, ‘Red Grano’, selections from a bolting resistant selection of ‘Texas Early Grano 502 PRR’, selections from ‘Peckham Yellow Sweet Spanish’, and selections from ‘Henry’s Special’ crossed with ‘Peckham Yellow Sweet Spanish’ in 1989. Seed was collected from the ‘Kurenai’ parent and planted. The following year, bulbs with excellent red color were selected. The selected bulbs were intercrossed and the resulting seed was planted in 1991. In 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, and 2000, selections were made using phenotypic recurrent selection, and each year’s selections were intercrossed to form the next generation. For each selection, red bulbs that possessed early bulb maturity, uniform maturity, pink root resistance, bolting resistance, round bulb shape, uniform shape, hard bulb firmness, and excellent red scale color were selected. For the last two selections, bulbs were selected that possessed a single growing point when cut transversely at the vertical center of the bulb.
DESCRIPTION
'NuMex Crimson' is a short-day, flat globe onion that matures from May 24 to May 29 when fall seeded in Las Cruces, NM. Suggested planting dates at Las Cruces are September 15 to October 1. 'NuMex Crimson' has excellent external and internal red scale color, excellent bolting resistance, high percentage of single centered bulbs, a flat globe shape, and a higher bulb yield than other red cultivars.
Replicated field trials were conducted in 1997-1998 (NMSU 97-7), 1998-1999 (NMSU 97-7), 1999-2000 (NMSU 99-29-1), and 2000-2001 (NMSU 99-29-1) comparing ‘NuMex Crimson’ to ‘Cardinal’, an F1 hybrid (Tables 1 and 2). ‘NuMex Crimson’ produced a similar maturity date and bolting resistance as compared to ‘Cardinal’ (Table 1). In half of the years tested, ‘NuMex Crimson’ had a lower pink root severity and incidence than ‘Cardinal’ (Table 1). In each year, ‘NuMex Crimson’ had a lower Fusarium basal rot severity and incidence than ‘Cardinal’ (Table 1). The percentage marketable bulb yield and average bulb size of ‘NuMex Crimson’ and ‘Cardinal’ was similar (Table 2). In two years, the marketable yield of ‘NuMex Crimson’ was greater than the yield of ‘Cardinal’ (Table 2). ‘NuMex Crimson’ produced a higher percentage of single centered bulbs than ‘Cardinal’ for each year (Table 2).
AVAILABILITY
Currently, 'NuMex Crimson' is being offered for exclusive release to an interested party. Interested parties should contact the New Mexico Crop Improvement Association, MSC 3CI, Las Cruces, NM 88003. Application for Plant Variety Protection will be filed.
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LeRoy A. Daugherty, Associate Dean and Director Date
New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station
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James T. Fisher, Head Date
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
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Charles R. Glover, Administrative Officer Date
New Mexico Crop Improvement Association
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Joe N. Corgan, Professor Emeritus Date
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
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Christopher S. Cramer, Assistant Professor Date
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
Table 1. Maturity date, percentage of seedstalks, pink root severity rating, percentage of bulbs
infected with pink root, Fusarium basal root severity rating, and percentage of bulbs infected
with Fusarium basal rot of ‘Cardinal’ as compared to ‘NuMex Crimson’ when tested at the Fabian
Garcia Agricultural Science Center, Las Cruces, NM during the 1997-1998, 1998-1999, 1999-2000,
and 2000-2001 growing seasons.
Maturity Seedstalks Pink Pink Fusarium Fusarium
Cultivar date (%) rootz root (%)y basal rotx basal rot (%)w
1997-1998
Cardinal May 26 0.7 5.0 ------
NuMex Crimson May 25 2.2 4.1 ------
NS NS NS ------
1998-1999
Cardinal June 1 0.0 7.4 ------
NuMex Crimson May 24 0.0 4.5 ------
NS NS * ------
1999-2000
Cardinal May 30 0.0 4.2 100 5.7 99
NuMex Crimson May 29 0.0 3.1 99 3.4 66
NS NS NS NS * *
2000-2001
Cardinal May 30 0.0 3.6 99 5.0 91
NuMex Crimson May 27 0.0 1.8 65 2.4 58
NS NS + ** * *
NS, +, *, **Nonsignificant, significant at P = 0.10, P = 0.05, P = 0.01, respectively.
zTwenty-five randomly-selected bulbs per plot were rated for pink root incidence on their roots
using a subjective rating of 1 (no pink roots) to 9 (all roots infested).
yPercentage of bulbs with pink root.
xFusarium basal plate rot rating. Cut basal plates were rated based on a scale of 1 (no disease
tissue) to 9 (70% or more of basal plate decayed).
wPercentage of bulbs with Fusarium basal plate rot (FBR). Each bulb’s basal plate was cut
transversely to reveal the presence or absence of FBR.
Table 2. Percentage marketable yield, number of 50 lb. sacks per acre, average bulb
weight, and percentage of single centers of ‘Cardinal’ as compared to ‘NuMex Crimson’
when tested at the Fabian Garcia Agricultural Science Center, Las Cruces, NM during
the 1997-1998, 1998-1999, 1999-2000, and 2000-2001 growing seasons.
Marketable Sacks/acre Average bulb Single
Cultivar yield (%) (number) weight (oz) centers (%)
1997-1998
Cardinal 88 852 7.2 ------
NuMex Crimson 90 904 7.1 ------
NS NS NS ------
1998-1999
Cardinal 85 764 10.2 27.2
NuMex Crimson 87 1060 10.5 62.3
NS + NS *
1999-2000
Cardinal 90 616 8.8 41.3
NuMex Crimson 93 884 10.5 88.2
NS + NS **
2000-2001
Cardinal 96 950 10.0 19.5
NuMex Crimson 99 1123 10.9 54.7
NS NS NS **
NS, +, *, **Nonsignificant, significant at P = 0.10, P = 0.05, P = 0.01, respectively.
MEMORANDUM
DATE: December 5, 2001
TO: Leroy A. Daugherty, Director, New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station
FROM: Chris Cramer and Joe Corgan, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
RE: Release of two new onion cultivars
We would like to release two new onion cultivars, ‘NuuMex Crimson’ and ‘NuMex Solano’. 'NuMex Crimson' is a single-centered, bolting-resistant, short-day, red onion cultivar for fall seeding in southern New Mexico. 'NuMex Solano' is a single-centered, bolting-resistant, pink-root-resistant, late maturing, intermediate-day, white onion cultivar for fall seeding in southern New Mexico. Both cultivars show great promise for production in New Mexico. We would like to consider both cultivars for exclusive release.