Onion Cultivars Released by La Consulta Experiment Station, INTA, Argentina.

GALMARINI, C.R.

HORTSCIENCE

Año: 2000 p. 1360 - 1362

0018-5345

At La Consulta, the onion-breeding program was initiated by José Crnko in 1948.  Crnko used local ‘Valenciana’ populations and selected for improved bolting resistance and keeping quality to produce synthetic varieties.  In 1958, ‘Valenciana Synthetics 1 and 2’ were released (Cavia and Crnko, 1958).  ‘Valenciana Synthetic 14’ was released in 1966 and ‘Valenciana Synthetic 15’ in 1970 by Crnko and Lona (Crnko, 1998).  From these releases, only ‘Valenciana Synthetics 1 and 14’ were used for further breeding.  After Crnko, Jorge Lona directed the onion breeding program until 1976 and developed several male-sterile and maintainer lines.  Lona released the F1 hybrid ‘Híbrido Industria INTA’.  From 1976 to 1988, the program was continued by Rubén Oliva, who emphasized seed production.  Since 1988, Claudio Galmarini has been in charge of the program.  In the 1990s, the fresh market cultivars, ‘Cobriza INTA’, ‘Navideña INTA’ and ‘Antártica INTA’ were released (Galmarini et al., 1995).  A special agreement was established between a dehydration industry and INTA La Consulta Experimental Station to develop open pollinated populations and hybrids with high solids content.  In 1997, the cultivar ‘Refinta 20’ was released (Galmarini, 1998).  The cultivars released by La Consulta Experiment Station INTA onion breeding program represent more than 80% of the onions cultivated in Argentina.