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Abstract
Vidalia onions are very susceptible to storage diseases. BNR caused by Botrytis allii is most destructive. Controlled atmosphere storage (CAS) can be effective in controlling the disease. Curing before storage can also be helpful in reducing the risk of BNR. Postharvest chemical treatments can also be helpful in controlling diseases, which in turn can increase marketability. In these experiments, curing onions either in the field or with heated air helped increase marketability. Storing onions in CAS, or using Sulfur dioxide improved storability in both years of the study. Ozone improved storability in only one year. In general longer storage time decreased marketability as did increased post-storage shelf-life. Postharvest drench treatments with fungicides, Luna, Pristine, or Scholar improved storability. This was particularly evident when heat curing was not used. Use of copper based compounds Kocide or Clearblue 104 as postharvest drenches also improves storability of onions.