2018 ASHS Annual Conference

Disease and insect are one of the limiting factors for short day onion in Texas. The objective of the study was to evaluate Texas A&M onion germplasm for disease and insect prevalent in southern Texas. A total of 25 elite onion lines were evaluated at Uvalde and Weslaco, TX in 2016-17 and 2017-18 field season. Data were collected on yield and its components, disease and insect and quality traits. Association among traits was tested using correlation and path coefficient. Genotype, GenotypeXEnvironment (GGE) biplot was used to analyze multi-environment data. Results indicated that bulb height had the highest positive direct effect on bulb weight. A positive and high correlation was observed between foliar disease and root disease. Germplasm showed variation for diseases and insect. Texas A&M experimental lines 34154 and 34114 had higher yield and also tolerant to diseases in the first year. Second year field data are being collected in the field to validate first year data.