HISTORY OF ONION BREEDING AND GENETICS BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Michael J. Havey

USDA-ARS and University of Wisconsin, Department of Horticulture, 1575 Linden Drive, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706. Phone: 608-262-1830; Fax: 608-262-4743; Email: mjhavey@wisc.edu.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has supported since 1936 research on the development of new technologies and superior onion populations and hybrids. The program was established by Dr. Henry Jones, who cooperated closely with researchers at state agricultural experiment stations such as Delance Franklin (Idaho), Clint Peterson (Michigan), Bruce Perry (Texas), and Warren Gabelman (Wisconsin). Dr. Jones and collaborators developed the technology to produce hybrid seed using cytoplasmic male sterility and successfully applied this system to onion. Jones developed the first onion hybrid ('California Hybrid #1') by clonally propagating the S-cytoplasmic male sterile plant Italian Red 13-53. The first seed-propagated hybrid ('Calred') was released in 1947. Cooperation between the USDA and the Idaho and Texas Agricultural Experiment Stations developed the first hybrids from short-day ('Crystal Hybrid' and 'Granex' in 1952) and Spanish ('El Capitan' in 1963) onions. From 1957 to 1968, Dr. Elmo Davis directed the USDA program. From 1966 to 1988, Dr. Gil McCollum worked on the crossing relationships among onion and closely related Alliums. In 1968, the USDA onion program was moved from Beltsville to Madison, Wisc, and was directed by Dr. Clint Peterson until his death in 1986. As a USDA scientist and in collaboration with the Iowa, Michigan, New York, and Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Stations, Dr. Peterson released 12 inbreds and four hybrids. Presently the USDA onion-breeding program is under the direction M.J. Havey, with goals to develop superior inbreds and populations, characterize sources of CMS, advance marker technologies useful in improvement, and expand our understand of onion genetics.

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