New season onion crops have been left vulnerable to disease this season.

Agronomists warn the vegetable has been left with minimal wax coating to help protect it from infections common to the crop.

Andy Richardson, agronomist at the Allium and Brassica Centre, said: 'There is currently very little protective wax coating on the leaves, so spring crops are highly susceptible to mildew spore infection, which is prevalent on the over-wintered onion crop now being lifted.' Growers are advised to get a protectant fungicide on their crops now before the disease takes hold. Richardson advises two applications of Amistar, which is available to onion growers for the first time this season. The product works by preventing the disease spores germinating, providing it is applied early enough.

Richardson said: 'We are primarily looking for downy mildew control, to protect yield and minimise the disease effects on skin quality.'

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