Effect of the time of ethrel use on the sugar levels in onions

: Two groups of onion plants were treated with Ethrel on two different dates; onions were then stored, and the changes in their sugar contents were compared. Two onion cultivars: Czerniakowska and Wolska, were investigated in simple sugar contents between treated onions (on the I and II date) and untreated controls. Mean contents of simple sugars were lower in onions treated on the I date, as compared with the II date. Ethrel treatment (on the I and II date) caused a decrease in oligosugar contents; this drop amounted, respectively, for the Czerniakowska cultivar to 14.3 and 15.4% and for the Wolska cultivar to 15.8 and 18.8%. Ethrel treatment, as compared with control, significantly decreased total sugar contents; this decrease was for the Czerniakowska cultivar 4.8-7.6%, and for the Wolska cultivar 7.2-7.6%. The date of Ethrel treatment exerted no univocal effect on the decrease in oligosugars and total sugars.