Which onion variety suits your business? You will learn this from a demo field.
Breed selection starts with practice
No single onion variety is the best under all circumstances. A variety that performs well on one plot does not necessarily yield the same results under other conditions. Therefore, it is important to look beyond just the characteristics listed in a variety catalogue when choosing varieties. Consider, for example, the soil type, the timing of sowing, available irrigation, and how you intend to market the onions. The cultivation goal also plays an important role: a variety for long-term storage has different requirements than a variety from which you want to deliver many tonnes directly to the market.
What do you see on a demo field?
On a demonstration field, different onion varieties are grown under the same conditions. This allows you to observe how varieties develop in practice throughout the season and what differences stand out. Consider emergence, crop development, earliness, and ultimately size, quality, and yield. Viewing varieties side by side creates a different picture than looking only at the variety description. The conditions of a single season can provide interesting insights in this regard. For instance, the varieties on the PPA Demonstration Field in 2026 showed, among other things, how drought and heat can influence the development of both early and late varieties. Despite multiple irrigations, the batches remained relatively light.
Every breed has its own strengths
The value of a demo field therefore lies not in designating a single ‘best’ variety, but in comparing different options. For instance, the choice of an early or late variety can depend on soil type and sowing time. Storage and marketing also determine which variety might be of interest. For instance, varieties from various seed suppliers are examined at the PPA Demo Field, allowing growers to compare multiple options side by side. In 2026, yellow and red seed onions from De Groot en Slot, Hazera, and Syngenta, among others, were present on the field.
