Low pungency long day onion

Abstract

The present invention includes long-day onion plants comprising bulbs having low pungency and methods for obtaining such onions. The present invention also provides reagents and materials that can be used in the methods for obtaining such onions.

1 - 72 . (canceled) 
   
   
       73 . An onion plant or part thereof wherein said onion plant requires 14 or more contiguous hours of daylight to initiate bulb formation and comprises a bulb having low pungency. 
   
   
       74 . A long day onion plant comprising a bulb having low pungency. 
   
   
       75 . The onion plant of  claim 73 , wherein said bulb has a PAD measurement selected from the group consisting of less than 5.5 μM/g FW pyruvate, less than 5.0 μM/g FW pyruvate, less than 4.5 μM/g FW pyruvate, less than 4.0 μM/g FW pyruvate, and less than 3.75 μM/g FW pyruvate. 
   
   
       76 . The onion plant of  claim 73 , wherein said bulb substantially maintains low pungency after storage for period selected from the group consisting of about 2 months, about 4 months and about 6 months. 
   
   
       77 . The onion of  claim 73 , wherein a PAD measurement after storage is increased less than 10% from a PAD measurement at harvest. 
   
   
       78 . An onion plant obtainable by crossing a plant selected from or produced from a line selected from the group of WYL 77-5128B (NCIMB Accession No. 41329), WYL 77-5168B (NCIMB Accession No. 41330), a plant derived from WYL 77-5128B onion line possessing a cytoplasmic male sterility trait and a plant derived from WYL 77-5168B onion line possessing a cytoplasmic male sterility trait and a second onion plant, wherein said onion plant is a long day onion plant and said onion plant produces a bulb having low pungency. 
   
   
       79 . The onion plant of  claim 78 , wherein said second onion plant is selected from the group consisting of WYL 77-5128B (NCIMB Accession No. 41329), WYL 77-5168B (NCIMB Accession No. 41330), a plant derived from WYL 77-5128B onion line possessing a cytoplasmic male sterility trait and a plant derived from WYL 77-5168B onion line possessing a cytoplasmic male sterility trait. 
   
   
       80 . The onion plant of  claim 73 , wherein said onion plant is cytoplasmically male sterile. 
   
   
       81 . The onion plant of claim  claim 78 , wherein said onion plant requires 14 or more contiguous hours of daylight to initiate bulb formation and produces a bulb having low pungency. 
   
   
       82 . The onion plant of  claim 78 , wherein said parent is a recurrent parent. 
   
   
       83 . The onion plant of  claim 78 , wherein said bulb has a PAD measurement selected from the group consisting of less than 5.5 μM/g FW pyruvate, less than 5.0 μM/g FW pyruvate, less than 4.5 μM/g FW pyruvate, less than 4.0 μM/g FW pyruvate, and less than 3.75 μM/g FW pyruvate. 
   
   
       84 . The onion plant of  claim 78 , wherein said bulb substantially maintains low pungency after storage for period selected from the group consisting of about 2 months, about 4 months and about 6 months. 
   
   
       85 . The onion plant of  claim 78 , wherein a PAD measurement after storage is increased less than 10% from a PAD measurement at harvest. 
   
   
       86 . The part of  claim 73 , wherein said part is selected from the group consisting of a seed, bulb, leaf, pollen, protoplast, ovule and cell. 
   
   
       87 . A tissue culture of cells obtained from the onion plant of  claim 73 . 
   
   
       88 . A container of onion bulbs obtained from the onion plant of  claim 73 . 
   
   
       89 . The container of onion bulbs of  claim 88 , wherein said bulbs comprise an average PAD measurement selected from the group consisting of less than 5.5 μM/g FW pyruvate, less than 5.0 μM/g FW pyruvate, less than 4.5 μM/g FW pyruvate, less than 4.0 μM/g FW pyruvate, and less than 3.75 μM/g FW pyruvate. 
   
   
       90 . The container of onion bulbs of  claim 88 , wherein at least 75% of said onion bulbs have a PAD measurement of less than 5.5 μM/g FW pyruvate. 
   
   
       91 . A container of seeds obtained from the onion plant of  claims 73 . 
   
   
       92 . The container of seeds of  claim 91 , wherein onion bulbs from greater than 50% of said seeds are low pungency onions and wherein a population of onion bulbs from said seeds contain an average PAD measurement selected from the group consisting of less than 5.5 μM/g FW pyruvate, less than 5.0 μM/g FW pyruvate, less than 4.5 μM/g FW pyruvate, less than 4.0 μM/g FW pyruvate, and less than 3.75 μM/g FW pyruvate. 
   
   
       93 . A method of producing a hybrid onion seed comprising:
 crossing a low pungency onion requiring 14 or more hours of light to initiate bulb formation with a second onion plant; and   obtaining F1 onion seed.   
   
   
       94 . The method of  claim 93 , wherein said low pungency onion is selected from the group consisting of WYL 77-5128B (NCIMB Accession No. 41329), WYL 77-5168B (NCIMB Accession No. 41330), a plant derived from WYL 77-5128B onion line possessing a cytoplasmic male sterility trait and a plant derived from WYL 77-5168B onion line possessing a cytoplasmic male sterility trait. 
   
   
       95 . The method of  claim 93 , wherein said second onion plant is selected from the group consisting of WYL 77-5128B (NCIMB Accession No. 41329), WYL 77-5168B (NCIMB Accession No. 41330), a plant derived from WYL 77-5128B onion line possessing a cytoplasmic male sterility trait and a plant derived from WYL 77-5168B onion line possessing a cytoplasmic male sterility trait. 
   
   
       96 . An onion seed produced by the method of  claim 93 . 
   
   
       97 . A method of producing an F1 onion plant requiring 14 or more contiguous hours of daylight to initiate bulb formation and having low pungency or part thereof comprising:
 crossing a low pungency onion plant requiring 14 or more hours of light to initiate bulb formation with a second onion plant;   obtaining an F1 onion seed requiring 14 or more contiguous hours of daylight to initiate bulb formation and having low pungency; and   growing said F1 onion seed.   
   
   
       98 . The method of  claim 97 , wherein said F1 onion plant or part thereof requires 14 or more contiguous hours of daylight to initiate bulb formation and comprises a bulb having low pungency. 
   
   
       99 . The method of  claim 97 , wherein said F1 onion plant or part thereof has low pungency. 
   
   
       100 . The method of  claim 97 , wherein said part thereof is a bulb comprising a PAD measurement selected from the group consisting of less than 5.5 μM/g FW pyruvate, less than 5.0 μM/g FW pyruvate, less than 4.5 μM/g FW pyruvate, less than 4.0 μM/g FW pyruvate, and less than 3.75 μM/g FW pyruvate. 
   
   
       101 . The method of  claim 97 , wherein said part thereof is a bulb that substantially maintains low pungency after storage for period selected from the group consisting of about 2 months, about 4 months and about 6 months. 
   
   
       102 . The method of  claim 97 , wherein a PAD measurement after storage is increased less than 10% from a PAD measurement at harvest. 
   
   
       103 . The method of  claim 97 , wherein said low pungency onion plant is selected from the group consisting of WYL 77-5128B (NCIMB Accession No. 41329), WYL 77-5168B (NCIMB Accession No. 41330), a plant derived from WYL 77-5128B onion line possessing a cytoplasmic male sterility trait, and a plant derived from a WYL 77-5168B onion line possessing a cytoplasmic male sterility trait. 
   
   
       104 . The method of  claim 97 , wherein said second onion plant is selected from the group consisting of WYL 77-5128B (NCIMB Accession No. 41329), WYL 77-5168B (NCIMB Accession No. 41330), a plant derived from a WYL 77-5128B onion line possessing a cytoplasmic male sterility trait, and a plant derived from a WYL 77-5168B onion line possessing a cytoplasmic male sterility trait. 
   
   
       105 . The method of  claim 97 , wherein said F1 onion plant is cytoplasmically male sterile. 
   
   
       106 . The method of  claim 97 , wherein said part thereof is selected from the group consisting of a seed, bulb, leaf, pollen, protoplast, ovule and cell. 
   
   
       107 . A method of growing a plant comprising:
 providing a seed, wherein said seed produces a low pungency onion requiring 14 or more hours of light to initiate bulb formation; and   growing said seed.   
   
   
       108 . The method of  claim 107 , further comprising harvesting said onion.