Onion Problem

[vron]

Can anyone help with a problem we are having with our onions, they were planted out in May and have been growing along nicely until about 7days ago.

Then we noticed 3 plants, their leaves had started to curl, like a pigs tail, that was last Wednesday, by Friday more had started to curl and the leaves then flop and go soft, this has affected both shop bought sets (stuttgarter) and home grown seed (Unwins exhibition and Ailsa Craig).

The other strange thing is even when the leaves are first emerging, instead of growing straight as normal, some are already curled as they emerge.
I am unable to show any pics as I don't yet have the softwhere to allow me to download them from my phone camera.

There are quite a few allotmenteers on our site with the same problem but know one knows what it is.

Please can you help.

[Two_Sheds]

I have a couple doing it too.
It could be Onion Thrips ... they are worse in dry weather (we didn't have any rain for about 6 weeks)
Onion thrips

Or Onion Eelworm?

[zazen999]

I suspect Allium Leaf Miner - as you are in the Birmingham Area.

[sarraceniac]

Hi Vron. It could be Botrytis leaf blight. Rather than try to explain it I will quote from the Ontario Agriculture Department's advice (which is good for here too).

'Monitoring and Management:This fungus disease usually develops after mid-June when temperatures and leaf wetness are favorable for infection. In some areas of Ontario a forecasting system known as BOTCAST is available to help growers predict the activity of the disease. Warm, (16-28 °C) wet weather is most favorable for disease development. Regular field scouting is still the best method to assess disease levels (see the publication IPM for Onions, Carrots, Celery and Lettuce in Ontario for monitoring guidelines). Once the level of Botrytis is determined, appropriate control measures can be implemented. Plant spacings that permit better air movement and irrigation schedules that do not extend leaf wetness periods may be helpful. To reduce the incidence and severity of Botrytis, remove cull piles and cull onions from field areas, rogue out volunteer onions and rotate crops.'

[sarraceniac]

We all posted at the same time.

Difficult without photos isn't it?

[Two_Sheds]

I'm not in Birmingham, so mine isn't Leaf Miner.

The leaves aren't rotting, so it's not Botrytis (though I do have a bit on my congested strawberries).

[zazen999]

I'm not in Birmingham, so mine isn't Leaf Miner.

The leaves aren't rotting, so it's not Botrytis (though I do have a bit on my congested strawberries).

Have you visited Birmingham lately.

It was the twisted leaves, I thought that was Allium Leaf Miner to a tee.....

[sarraceniac]

Have you visited Birmingham lately.

Or Mexico?

[vron]

There are no silver streaks on the leaves and no rotting, they just curl and flop over, as I said some are even emerging curled.
One plotholder who took several affected plants to Webbs of Wychbold Garden Centre said it could be herbicide. We did have a quarter load of manure 20 months ago, last years onions we absolutely fine. We really haven't had that much rain.
Will look up leaf miner.

[vron]

Onion Problem

Hopefully here are the pics, as you can see the plant is a bit wilted now, but the roots are very healthy, the outer casing of the bulb was very soft and spongy, so I split open the bulb and under the 3rd layer it appears to look healthy but strange

[vron]

onion Problem

Here are 2 more pics.

[Two_Sheds]

I'll take pix of mine tomorrow. I am growing 100s of onions, about 12 different varieties, and only one or two of them have the twisting & distortion.

[zazen999]

I get odd onions 1 in about every 50 or so that look odd - I just pull them up and bin them. I'm guessing that if there was nothing thrip/mite like in the roots it could just be a genetic peculiarity???

[vron]

onion problem

Grew the same varieties last year with no problems, just has happened this year.

[simmo 66]

This looks very much like Stem & Bulb Eeelworm, it`s a microscopic soil living pest so you wont be able to see it..! Best to lift and burn infected plants and not grow onions,peas or beans on that bit of ground for several years..!