The performance of sixteen onion cultivars grown in the organic and conventional systems was evaluated in Viçosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, from April to December 2003. The following onion cultivars were evaluated: 'Texas Early Grano', 'Baia Periforme', 'Alfa Tropical', 'Texas Yellow Grano', 'Jubileu', 'Crioula do Alto Vale', 'Encino', 'Régia', 'Tropical Valley', 'Serrana', 'Bella Crioula', 'Ipa-6', 'Bola Precoce' and the hybrids 'Granex', 'Mercedes' and 'Baia Dura'. Two experiments were carried out, one in an area of conventional cultivation and another in an organic area, in a randomized block design with four replicates (20 plants per plot). The following characteristics were evaluated: yield, bulbing, bulb weight, bulb weight loss and soluble solids. Four cultivars ('Texas Early Grano', 'Régia', 'Mercedes' and 'Encino') showed highest bulb weight loss, ranging from 5.58% to 6.81% after 30 days of harvest; other cultivars showed bulb weight loss ranging from 1,99% (cv. Serrana) to 4,71% (cv. Granex). Nine cultivars had higher yield in the conventional system (cvs. Alfa Tropical, Serrana, Bola Precoce, Baia Dura, Baia Periforme, Bella Crioula, Tropical Valley, Jubileu and Crioula do Alto Vale) compared to the organic system. Cvs. 'Baia Dura', 'Bola Precoce' and 'Tropical Valley' grown in the conventional system had higher yields and showed potential for industrialization, mainly because of bulb quality, higher bulb average weight and soluble solids content.
Allium cepa L.; alternative agriculture
