OUTSTANDING QUALITIES

• UNIQUE SOWING AND MARKETING PERIOD
• MID-MATURING INTERMEDIATE DAY BROWN ONION
• HIGH HEAT TOLERANCE – ADAPTED TO HIGH TEMPERATURE    CONDITIONS DURING SUMMER PRODUCTION
• EXCELLENT QUALITY – ATTRACTIVE, MEDIUM TO LARGE, GLOBE SHAPED BULBS
• HIGH YIELDER 

Capricornis a mid-maturing, intermediate day, brown onion variety with a distinctive sowing period.  The latter characteristic makes Capricornhighly sought after as it enables producers to penetrate a unique onion marketing period with high quality bulbs.  Capricorn’s bulbs are uniform, firm and globe shaped with an attractive brown skin.  In addition, Capricorn has a good storage potential, enabling producers to market the bulbs over an extended period.  Capricornhas a vigorous root system with intermediate resistance against Pink root/Pt (Phoma terrestrissyn. Pyrenochaeta terrestris).

SPECIAL VARIETAL REQUIREMENTS

• Recommended for production around the 23.5° latitude line, Tropic of Capricorn.
• Suggested sowing period is from week 45 to week 50 (November and December) in the areas of Limpopo province, Botswana and Namibia near this latitude line

DESCRIPTION

CHARACTERISTIC*: CAPRICORN
KIND AND TYPE: F1 hybrid, mid season, intermediate day brown onion (Allium cepaL.)
MATURITY: Medium, 21 to 26 weeks after direct seeding. Maturity depends on sowing date, production location and seasonal variations (photoperiod and temperature)
BULB SHAPE: Globe to high globe
BULB SIZE: Medium to large (50 – 90 mm) – bulb size is influenced by the plant population
BULB UNIFORMITY (SHAPE AND SIZE): Very good
BULB NECK SIZE AND QUALITIES: Medium to fine (thin) and tight
BULB FIRMNESS: Very good
BULB TUNIC (SKIN/SCALE LEAF) COLOUR: Excellent colour: brown
TUNIC RETENTION AND QUALITY: Very good and tough
STORABILITY/SHELF LIFE: Good (3½ to 4 months) – enables producers to market bulbs over an extended period. 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 upright
LEAF/FOLIAGE COLOUR: Green
BOLTING REACTION: Slow – high tolerance (depends on/related to the sowing date)
DISEASE RESISTANCE (SCIENTIFIC): Intermediate resistance: Phoma terrestris (Pt)
GROWING AREA: Grown between 22.5 – 24.5° latitude. However, the optimum production area is near the 23.5° latitude line, Tropic of Capricorn. Suggested sowing period is from week 45 to week 50 (November and December) in the areas of Limpopo province, Botswana and Namibia close to this latitude line.
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
MARKET USES: Bunched, fresh market, pre-pack and processing
SPECIAL FEATURES, BENEFITS AND REMARKS: Excellent yield potential. Unique summer sowing period during November and December (week 45 to week 50) in areas of Limpopo province, Botswana and Namibia around the Tropic of Capricorn latitude line.