“Aurora Tropical”: a model of Ecological Horticulture, Case studies of 11 Onion and Shallot cultivars

Summary

A proposal is presented for a model programme of ecological horticulture which could contribute to improved vegetable crop production and biodiversity in tropical agroecosystems. Each step of the model “Aurora Tropical” was successfully applied for producing pesticide-free onions and shallots in semiarid conditions of Venezuela and for comparing simultaneously growth and productivity of 11 cultivars. The model steps include a good knowledge of the vegetable crop, market, soil/substrate, irrigation water, climate, microclimate, companion crops and the current and indigenous horticultural technologies. Also, the proposal recognizes the distinction between agriculture and horticulture in tropical environments. Growth and yield results indicate that the onion cultivars Americana, Cimarron and H10020 were the top performers for leaf area, bulb diameter and yield. Furthermore, the red shallot 10026 showed the highest total soluble solids and dry matter content, and also a good relative yield. Shallots (from true seed) and other local and exotic vegetables have a great potential in tropical environments.