onions generic

At last week's Sival, the salon of innovation of fruit and vegetables in Angers, France, Dutch seed company Bejo presented a new yellow onion variety called the Hylander, which is totally resistant to mildew, according to Ouest-France.

'Mildew is the onion's number one enemy,' the company's Eric Gossart said. 'It can totally destroy a harvest. When it is hot and humid, the threat of mildew obliges producers to frequently spray the leaves with preventative treatments.'

According to the company, the Hylander onion requires two to three times less treatment than a conventional onion, Ouest-France reported. Mr Gossart revealed that the onion took some 20 years to perfect.

Thanks to the toughening of regulations, both in France and in Europe generally, vegetable growers are increasingly looking for varieties that are resistant disease, according to Mr Gossart.

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