OUTSTANDING QUALITIES
- Medium maturing short day hybrid
- Quality, firm and uniform bulbs with a golden brown outer scale leaf
- Good storage potential for a short day onion
- Vigorous root system with high disease resistance against pink root and basal plate rot
Akamaru is a medium maturing short day brown onion hybrid. Akamaru produces firm, uniform, slightly flattened globe shaped bulbs with a golden brown skin/scale leaf. Akamaru’s bulbs have medium sized necks and small root plates. Akamaru is slow to bolt (high bolting tolerance) and is suitable for production in the Free State, Northern Cape and certain areas of the Western Cape. Akamaru has a strong root system which contributes to a high resistance against Pink root (Phoma terrestris syn. Pyrenochaeta terrestris) and Fusarium basal plate rot (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae). Akamaru is suitable for direct seeding as well as seedling transplants.
SPECIAL VARIETAL REQUIREMENTS
- Contact a Sakata area representative for a local onion sowing guide.
|
CHARACTERISTIC* |
AKAMARU |
|
KIND AND TYPE |
F1 hybrid, mid season, short day brown onion (Allium cepa L.) |
|
MATURITY |
Medium, 21 to 24 weeks after direct seeding. Maturity depends on sowing date, production location and seasonal variations (photoperiod and temperature). |
|
BULB SHAPE |
Slightly flattened globe |
|
BULB SIZE |
Medium to large (50 – 90 mm) – bulb size is influenced by the plant population |
|
BULB UNIFORMITY (SHAPE AND SIZE) |
Good |
|
BULB NECK SIZE AND QUALITIES |
Medium, neat and tight |
|
BULB FIRMNESS |
Average |
|
BULB TUNIC (SKIN/SCALE LEAF) COLOUR |
Good colour: golden brown |
|
TUNIC RETENTION AND QUALITY |
Good and strong |
|
STORABILITY/SHELF LIFE |
Short to moderate (2 to 3 months). Storage potential depends on the storage conditions (temperature and relative humidity). |
|
FLESH COLOUR |
White |
|
TASTE |
Mildly pungent |
|
LEAF/FOLIAGE HEALTH AND GROWTH HABIT |
Good and flagging |
|
LEAF/FOLIAGE COLOUR |
Green |
|
BOLTING REACTION |
Slow – High tolerance (depends on/related to the sowing date) |
|
DISEASE RESISTANCE (SCIENTIFIC) |
High resistance: Phoma terrestris (Pt) and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp cepae (Foc) |
|
GROWING AREA |
Grown between 26 – 33° latitude. Suitable for the Free State, Northern Cape and certain areas of the Western Cape. Refer to the sowing guide for the recommended sowing period in different production areas. |
|
AVERAGE SEED COUNT |
220 – 320 seeds per gram or 220 000 – 320 000 seeds per kilogram |
|
SUGGESTED SOWING DENSITY |
Density depends on the size requirement of the bulbs and the target market/uses of the final product, however we suggest: Final population of 750 000 – 950 000 plants per hectare |
|
SEED REQUIREMENT PER HECTARE |
Direct sowing: 900 000 to 1 200 000 seeds per hectare / 3.5 – 4.0 kg seed per hectare Transplant: 5.0 – 5.5 kg seed per hectare |
|
MARKET USES |
Bunched, fresh market, pre-pack and processing |
|
SPECIAL FEATURES, BENEFITS AND REMARKS |
Mid maturing, slow to bolt, good storage potential for a short day onion. Well developed root system with an excellent disease package. |