What Enterprise is Sustainable for Me?
Onion
To evaluate how well this enterprise aligns with your farm's agronomic, marketing, financial and management resources, answer these five questions. Then, calculate your score.
Using a scale from 0 to 100, scores indicate your farm's likely success with an enterprise.
The icons link to resources you can use to answer these questions.
QUESTIONS
HELP ME ANSWER THIS
1. Onions prefer growing locations that drain well, lack soil compaction, are rich in organic matter, supply good water infiltration and moisture-holding capacity, provide air drainage and offer full sun. Also, the soil pH level should range from 6.2 to 6.8. Do you have a suitable site with these characteristics?
Yes
No
No
2. Onions lack well-developed root systems, so irrigation is important, particularly after transplanting and when bulbs are expanding. Do you have access to irrigation water, and are you willing to invest in the infrastructure and management required for irrigating onions?
Yes
No
No
3. Weed management is a priority when growing onions because the plants lack well-developed root systems and don’t grow tops capable of shading the soil and reducing weed competition. To control weeds, are you willing to invest in practices such as plasticulture, applying herbicides, using mechanical cultivation and/or removing weeds by hand?
Yes
No
No
4. Post-harvest, onions must cure. Preferably, the curing site will provide temperatures between 75°F and 80°F, good air circulation and relative humidity levels that range from 70 percent to 80 percent. Do you have a suitable location for curing onions?
Yes
No
No
5. Onions that have a pungent flavor can be stored for later sales and will require proper storage conditions. Sweet onions, in contrast, have a relatively short shelf life — less than one month — and should be sold before they lose their quality. Do you have ready access to proper storage if growing pungent onions or access to a market that will purchase onions before they lose their quality?
Yes
No
No
Your ResultsX
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Respond to the questions for an enterprise. Each question touches on a key factor that affects an enterprise's sustainability on your farm.2 of 3
Icons to the side of questions direct to other decision tools that share detailed information about a question's topic.3 of 3
After completing all questions for an enterprise, calculate your score. A pop-up page will share your results. Scores closer to 100 suggest the enterprise would align well with your farm. Scores closer to 0 suggest the enterprise would not fit as well, based on your responses to the questions.