DEVELOPMENT OF DAMAGE IN THE BUDS DURING STORAGE OF IRRADIATED ONIONS

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Abstract
Darkening of onion buds due to irradiation was investigated during three seasons on three cultivars of onion, Riverside, Egyptian, and Grano. The effects of radiation dose (0.7–80 krads), delay in irradiation after harvest, and storage temperature were studied. No darkening occurred during storage of up to 8 months at 0 C, though slight darkening sometimes appeared during subsequent shelf life. At ambient temperatures (10–30 C) three types of radiation damage were found. The onset of darkening occurred not earlier than 2 months after irradiation. With all doses above 1.0 krad there was 100% incidence of darkening after about 5 months storage at ambient temperature. The intensity of darkening increased with length of storage. Very low doses (0.7–1.0 krad) did not prevent sprouting but caused slight darkening. Doses between 2 and 80 krads completely inhibited external sprouting; however, if delayed till 3 months postharvest, these doses failed to prevent sprouting, but did cause severe darkening, which was not dependent on the dose. There was no correlation between the delay in irradiation after harvest and the intensity or incidence of darkening. The length of the dormancy period varied in different years, apparently as a result of different conditions prevailing during crop growth. Differences in the intensity of darkening in different years seem to be connected with this phenomenon.

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