More than one-third of the certified organic farms that produce dry bulb onions in the USA are in the Great Lakes region, while onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman, and bulb-rot causing bacteria are important onion production constraints. Onion cultivars with semi-glossy foliage have been reported to support fewer thrips and suffer less thrips damage and therefore may provide a non-chemical option for thrips management. However, inconsistent results regarding efficacy of semi-glossy onions to reduce thrips densities have been reported in field studies. Bacteria causing bulb rot can infect onion plants through wounds in leaves, but the relationship between thrips damage and bacterial bulb rot disease needs further investigation. In this study, the performance of a semi-glossy onion hybrid, ‘USDA Maia’, was compared with the commonly grown waxy, thrips-susceptible cultivar ‘Bradley’ on certified organic farms in New York and Wisconsin from 2019 to 2021. Results indicated that thrips abundance was not different between ‘USDA Maia’ and ‘Bradley’. Bacterial bulb rot incidence in ‘USDA Maia’ was either similar or lower than the incidence in ‘Bradley’ in four of six trials, but higher in the other two. Marketable bulb yield in ‘USDA Maia’ was similar to yield in ‘Bradley’ in four of seven trials, but lower in the other three. Positive relationships between thrips density and bacterial bulb rot incidence occurred in one of three trials for both onion cultivars. Similarly, negative relationships between thrips density and marketable bulb yield only occurred in one of three trials, regardless of onion cultivar. ‘USDA Maia’ did not reduce thrips infestations as anticipated, but it was similar in susceptibility to bacterial bulb rot disease and produced similar large bulb yields as ‘Bradley’. While high thrips abundance can potentially increase incidence of bacterial bulb rot disease, wet growing conditions during bulbing was more important.

在美国生产干球洋葱的有机认证农场中，超过三分之一位于五大湖地区，而洋葱蓟马、烟粉虱Lindeman 和引起球茎腐烂的细菌是重要的洋葱生产限制因素。据报道，具有半光泽叶子的洋葱品种支持较少的蓟马并受到较少的蓟马损害，因此可能为蓟马管理提供非化学选择。然而，在实地研究中报告了关于半光泽洋葱降低蓟马密度的功效的不一致结果。引起球茎腐烂的细菌可以通过叶片伤口感染洋葱植物，但蓟马损害与细菌性球茎腐病之间的关系需要进一步研究。在这项研究中，将 2019 年至 2021 年在纽约和威斯康星州经过认证的有机农场种植的蜡质、易感染蓟马的品种“Bradley”与半光泽洋葱杂交品种“USDA Maia”的表现进行了比较。结果表明，'USDA Maia'和'Bradley'之间的蓟马丰度没有差异。在六项试验中的四项中，“USDA Maia”的细菌球茎腐烂发生率与“Bradley”的发生率相似或更低，但其他两项试验的发生率更高。在 7 次试验中的 4 次中，“USDA Maia”的可销售鳞茎产量与“Bradley”的产量相似，但在其他三个试验中较低。蓟马密度和细菌球茎腐烂发生率之间的正相关关系发生在两个洋葱品种的三个试验之一中。同样，蓟马密度与可销售鳞茎产量之间的负相关关系仅发生在三个试验之一中，而与洋葱品种无关。'USDA Maia' 并没有像预期的那样减少蓟马的侵扰，但它对细菌性鳞茎腐烂病的易感性相似，并且产生了与'Bradley'相似的大鳞茎产量。