Translucent scale: Grayish watery appearance of inner scales
Disorder
Symptoms
Translucent scale typically appears after harvest and worsens after 3-4 months of bulb storage. The onion scales take on a grayish watery texture making them appear translucent. All scales can be affected, however, typically only the second and third fleshy scales exhibit symptoms.
Causes
Exposure to high relative humidity and high temperatures [32°C (90°F)] during the last several days of field curing onions can cause an increase in the incidence of this disorder. In addition, a delay of 2-4 weeks between field curing and cold storage of onions at 0°C (32°F) may also increase the incidence of this disorder.
Control
Onion bulbs should be cured properly and stored at the appropriate temperature [0°C (32°F)] and relative humidity.