Helene Impact: Georgia Vidalia Onion Farmers Suffered Plant Loss

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson

Georgia’s Vidalia onion industry was not immune to the damage inflicted by Hurricane Helene when it moved through the region in late September.

Chris Tyson, University of Georgia Extension area onion agent at the Vidalia Onion & Vegetable Research Center in Lyons, Georgia, said plant stands were impacted; especially those planted right before the storm’s arrival on Sept. 26-27.

“We had some plant losses from the storm. Some of the plants that were emerged from the seedbeds when the hurricane came through, we had some stand losses in our seedbeds,” Tyson said. “There were certain planting dates that were hit harder than others. It seemed to be the ones that were planted the week before the storm came through. When it came through, they were just trying to emerge. All the wind and the rain just caused some stand losses.”

The plant losses prompted many onion farmers to plant additional plants. Fortunately, time was on their side, says Tyson.

“We were lucky that we still had time, because if the storm had come through later and killed a lot of plants, we wouldn’t have been able to plant more plants to have. But since it was right there at the end of September, like a week after the storm and as soon as it dried out, a lot of growers planted more plants to try to make up for some of those losses that we saw on the earlier planted seedbeds,” Tyson said.

“It shifts some of the timing around on when our plants are going to be ready. Overall, right now, I feel like we’re doing okay. It’s probably not exactly what we want or when we want it, but we’re going to be all right.”