2005 Alliance Onion Workshop
The first crop workshop of 2005 was held from the 25th to 28th April in Georgia, USA and attracted the usual cosmopolitan mix of visitors from all Alliance partners, including Dan Gordon and James Craske from Phosyn. Meeting in Atlanta, the group headed out across Georgia on Sunday with Dublin our destination for an overnight stay.
Monday was the workshop field day with a number of large onion operations visited. The day proved extremely informative as we witnessed the production process from harvest through to packing out in the shed.
In this part of the US, a specific type of sweet onion called a Vidalia is produced. Quality and storage potential are key issues for the local growers so they can hit the market at the right time for maximum profits. The production and marketing aspects of Georgia Vidalia onions were discussed at length on Monday evening as a local growers family laid on a "pig-picking" for the group.
The results of the evening were new friends made, cold beers drunk and a quiet bus journey onwards to Tifton where the Georgia State University was the venue for the presentational workshop days.
Tuesday was devoted to the agronomy and nutrition of the onion crop with the NPK´s, secondaries and mibcronutrients all represented. The total product portfolia was very well discussed by the whole team. Wednesday´s session was dedicated, in usual workshop style, to country presentations covering the various nations represented and local onion production and nutritional input practice.
As the group broke up for departure on Thursday it was clear the week had been a great success both through sharing information, and sometimes highlighting gaps in knowledge, and forging relationships throughout the Alliance. Thanks goes to Barry Bull and the Yara team.
Author: James Craske, USA
Published: May 2005