How To Grow Onions From Sprouted Onions

 

 How To Grow Onions From Sprouted Onions

Onion 

Botanical Name    :  Allium sepa L.

Family                  : Alliaceae  

Chromosome No. : 2n = 18 Secondary 

                                                                            

History and Origin - 

The birthplace of onion is North West India, Afghanistan, The Soviet Republic of Tajik and Uzbek and Western Tien Shan or Central Asia or the areas near the Mediterranean Sea are considered to be its secondary growth areas.

Nutritive Value  – 

Onion is used in both raw and ripe forms as vegetables and spices. Soup and pickle are also made from onion. Onion is considered very useful for patients of heat stroke, kidney and cholera. The food value of onion is shown in the table—

                                                     (Nutrition Value of Onion per 100 gm) 

Moisture                       : 86.8 g Fat                                 : None Fiber                              : 0.6 g Protein                           : 1.2 g Minerals                        : 0.4 g Other Carbohydrates  : 11.0 g Calcium                        : 180.0 mg Phosphorus                  :50.0mg Riboflavin                    : 0.01 mg Iron                               : 0.6 mg Thiamine                      : 0.08 mg Nicotinic Acid              : 0.4 mg Vitamin C                    : 11.0 mg Vitamin A                     : None Calories                        : 49.0

   How To Plant Onions That Are Sprouting

Onion (Allium cepa) is a very important commercial vegetable. It is grown in the western, northern and southern regions of India. In India, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar are the major onion producing states. Onion is exported to foreign countries, earning foreign exchange which strengthens the country's economic condition.

Due to the smell found in onion, its bulbs and leaves are used as salad, pickle, vegetable, spices and medicine. This smell is mainly due to the volatile oil 'allyl propyl disulfide'.

Climate - Onion is a cool season crop, although it is grown in a variety of climates. It grows well in mild climates without extreme heat or cold or excessive rainfall. It can be grown as a summer crop in areas receiving more than 75-100 cm of annual rainfall.

12.8°21°C is considered ideal temperature for onion crop before bulb formation, while 15.5°-25°C is considered best for the development of corms. Very low temperature in the initial stage helps in bolting, while sudden increase in temperature leads to early maturity of rabi season crop resulting in formation of small sized corms.

Soil - Onion can be grown in different types of soil. However, loamy soil and alluvial soil with proper drainage are considered the best for its successful production. If the soil is free from weeds and has a large amount of organic matter, then onion production is higher in it. The optimum pH value for growing onions is 5.8-6.5. Onions cannot be grown in highly alkaline or low-lying marshy soil.

Improved Varieties

Onion varieties are divided into two major groups viz. normal onions and multiplier onions. Normal onions are further divided into three sub-groups based on the colour of their skin viz. red, yellow and white.

The characteristics of improved onion varieties developed in India are mentioned in the table-

    How Do You Plant An Onion That Has Sprouted

Variety	Special features	Zones / Areas for which it has been released.
Agrifound Dark Red	Bulbs globular , size 4-6 cm , maturity 95-110 days, Average yield 300 quintals/hectare Recommended for growing in Kharif season.	All zones
Agrifound Light Red	Bulbs globular , size 4-6 cm , maturity 160-165 days, Average yield 300-325 quintals/hectare Recommended for growing in Rabi season.	All zones
Agrifound Red	Normal size of bunch 7-15 cm, maturity period 65-67 days , Average yield 180-200 quintals per hectare.	For all multi layer onion growing areas
Agrifound Rose	It is a pickle variety,  Bulbs size 2.5-3,5 cm, maturity period 95-110 days, average yield 190-200 quintals/hectare.	Kolar and Bangalore (Karnataka) and Cuddapah (A.P State)
Arka Bindu	bulb size 2.5-3.0 cm, maturity period 100 days, average yield 250 quintals per hectare, recommended for growing in Rabi season	Karnataka
Arko Kalyan	bulb size 4-6 cm, maturity period 100-110 days, average yield 335 quintals/hectare, recommended for growing in Kharif season.	Zone VI, VII and VIII
Arka Niketan	, Bulbs globular size 4-6 cm  Zone VII and VIII, maturity period 145 days, average yield 340 quintals/ha	Zone VII and VIII
Arka Pragati	Maturity period 140-145 days, average yield 200 quintals/ha. Recommended for growing in Kharif and Rabi seasons	All India
Baswant 780	Maturity period 100-110 days, average yield 200-250 quintals/ha, recommended for growing in Kharif season.	Maharashtra
Brown Spanish	bulb size 2.0-3-5 cm, maturity period 130-140 days, long day variety. Average yield 250-300 quintals/ha.	Upper  Himalayan Zone
Co. 1	Medium height plants, 7-8 bulbs lettuce/plant, maturity period 90 days, average yield 100 quintals/ha	Tamil Nadu
Co. 2	Medium height plants, 7-9 bulbs lettuce/plant, maturity period 65 days, average yield 120 quintals/ha.	Tamil Nadu
Co. 3	Taller than Co. 1 and Co. 2, 8-10 bulbs lettuce/plant	Tamil Nadu
Co. 4	8-10 bulbs lettuce/plant, maturity period 60-65 days, resistant to thrips, average yield 180 quintals/ha.	Tamil Nadu
Early Grano	bulb size 7-8 cm, maturity period 95-110 days, best for salad, average yield 500-600 quintals/hectare	All zones
Hisar II	Maturity period 165 days, average yield 200-500 quintals/hectare, recommended for growing in Rabi season.	Haryana and Punjab
Kalyanpur Red Round	Maturity period 140-145 days, average yield 250-300 quintals/hectare, recommended for growing in Rabi season	Uttar Pradesh
MDU 1	10-11 bulbs/plant Maturity period 60-75 days, average yield 150 quintals/ha Tolerant to falling	Tamil Nadu
N 2-4-1	bulb diameter 4-6 cm, maturity period 140-145 days, average yield 250-300 quintals/ha.	Zone IV, VI and VII
N-53	Maturity period 140 days, average yield 250-300 quintals/ha, recommended for growing in Kharif season.	All zones
N 257-9-1	Maturity period 140 days, average yield 300 quintals/ha Recommended for growing in dehydration (drying) and Rabi season.	Zone VI
Punjab 48 (S 48)	Maturity period 140 days, average yield 250-300 quintals/ha, best for dehydration.	For the sub-humid plains of Satlej-Ganga
Pusa Madhavi	Medium to large size bulb, maturity period 130-135 days, average yield 300-350 quintals/ha, recommended for growing in Rabi season.	Sutlej Ganga plains
Punjab Red Round	Medium to large sized bulb, early maturing variety, average yield 300 quintals/ha, recommended for growing in Rabi season.	Punjab
Punjab Selection	Plant height 55-65 cm, bulb diameter 5-6 cm, weight 50-70 grams, average yield 200 quintals/ha, recommended for growing in Rabi season.	Zone IV, VII and VIII
Pusa Ratnar	Plant height 30 cm, maturity period 125 days, average yield 400 quintals/ha, recommended for growing in Rabi season.	Zone IV and VII
Pusa Red	Plant height 30 cm,  bulb medium size  flat to round, maturity period 140-145 days, average yield 250-300 quintals/ha, recommended for growing in Rabi season.	Zone IV, VII and VIII
Pusa White Flat	Medium to large bulb, maturity period 120-130 days, average yield 300 quintals/ha, suitable for dehydration, recommended for growing in Rabi season.	Zone IV, VI and VII
Pusa White Round	Maturity period 125-130 days, average yield 300 quintals/ha, suitable for dehydration, recommended for growing in Rabi season.	Zone IV, VI and VII
Udaipur 101	Maturity period 150-160 days, average yield 200-300 quintals/hectare, recommended for growing in Rabi season.	For Rajasthan and neighbouring states
Udaipur 102	bulb size 4-5-6-5 cm, maturity period 120 days, average yield 300-350 quintals/hectare, suitable for dehydration, recommended for growing in Rabi season.	Rajasthan
Udaipur 103	Maturity period 150-160 days, average yield 250-300 quintals/hectare, recommended for growing in Rabi season.	For Rajasthan and neighbouring states
VL3	Plant height 50-70 cm, maturity period 145 days, average yield 250 quintals/hectare, recommended for growing in Rabi season.	Western Himalayan region

   How Many Onions Grow From One Bulb

Preparation of land - Preparation of land is of great importance in successful production of onion. First ploughing should be done with a soil turning plough. After this, 2-3 ploughings should be done with a cultivator or harrow. After every ploughing, use a leveller so that the soil becomes friable, take care that there are no clods in the soil.

Manure and Fertilizers – Onion requires a lot of manure and fertilizers. The nutritional requirement of onion depends on the type of soil and the type of crop. The use of manure and fertilizers based on soil testing is economically appropriate. If for some reason, soil testing is not possible, then the following amount of manure and fertilizers must be applied per hectare-

Farm yard manure ----- 20-25 tons

Farmer manure should be put in the field one month before sowing/planting.

The amount of NPK depends on the agro-climatic zones and varieties grown, which is shown in the following table-

Recommended amount of fertilizers for different agro-climatic zones and onion varieties in kg/hectare

N	P	K	Vriety	Area
150	80	00	Pusa Red (Rabi)	Karnal, Haryana
150	40	60	Agrifound Dark Red (Kharif)	Karnal, Haryana
150	50	60	Pusa Red (Rabi)	Jabalpur, Central  State
100	50	50	Punjab Selection (Rabi)	Ludhiana Punjab
80	00	00	Patna Red (Rabi)	Sabour, Bihar
100	80	50	Arka Kalyan (Kharif)	Bangalore, Karnataka
100	80	50	Arka Pragati and Arka Niketan (Kharif)	Bangalore, Karnataka
125	50	125	Bangalore Rose (Rabi)	Karnataka
60	60	30	multiple	Tamil Nadu

 

Apart from the above chemical fertilizers, some micronutrients are necessary to improve the quality of onions. Spraying of zinc (1-3 ppm) increases the yield and quality of onions.

     How To Harvest Green Onion

Propagation - Onion is propagated in the following two ways -

1. By preparing seedlings in the nursery.

2. By direct sowing of corms.

1. By preparing seedlings in the nursery -

Preparing seedlings in the nursery - Onion seeds are first sown in the nursery.

The place chosen for the nursery is first dug/ploughed. Adequate amount of cow dung manure should also be added to it. The size of the nursery is kept 3 m x 0.6 m and a distance of 70 cm is kept between two beds so that agricultural work can be done easily. Sandy loam soil is best for the nursery. The sides and top of the beds should be hard (firm) so that the soil does not get washed away due to rain. The nursery bed should be covered with 2-3 cm of cow dung manure or compost after sowing the seeds.

The seeds should be sown in rows. The distance between the rows is kept 4.5 cm for Rabi season crop and 5-7 cm for Kharif season crop.

Then after spreading a layer of compost and cow dung in the beds, a mulch of dry grass should be spread on them so that it can preserve the necessary moisture in the soil. The nursery should first be irrigated with a sprinkler. Where germination takes place, the grass should be removed. In the rainy season, the nursery should be protected from heavy rain with a sprinkler. To protect the plants from sunlight, the nursery should be built in an area with partial shade.

How much seed is needed per hectare depends on the season in which onion is being grown. In Rabi and Kharif seasons, 10-12 kg and 12-15 kg of seed is required respectively. The plants are ready for planting in 8-9 weeks and 6-7 weeks in Rabi and Kharif seasons respectively. When the plants become 20-25 cm high, they are considered ready for planting. If older plants are selected for transplantation then 'bolting' occurs in them.

     How To Harvest Onion Seed

2. Direct sowing of sprouts

This method is used to grow green onions for salads. The sprouts are used in early autumn. This method is suitable for growing onions in Kharif. In this method, 45 cm wide rows or beds are made, on the sides of which sprouts are planted at a distance of 15 cm. Transplanting is done by dibbling (chobbing). The sprouts are also sown by chobbing by making sections by plowing with a country plow. 750 kg of medium sized sprouts are required for transplanting one hectare. Large sprouts should not be transplanted because flowers develop in them quickly, due to which there is a huge reduction in yield. In northern India, sprouts of the previous crop are used for transplanting. The sprouts are transplanted in August or September, in which green onions are ready for marketing in October-December.

Transplantation - Plants prepared for Rabi crop are transplanted in the main field. Plants are prepared in October-November and are transplanted in December-January. The upper part is cut before transplantation. In this method, the distance between rows and plants is kept 15-20 cm and 10-15 cm. Irrigation should be done immediately after transplantation so that the plants get established well.

Irrigation and Drainage

Irrigation of onion depends on the plant, its growth, type of soil and climate. Since onion is a shallow rooted crop, it goes deep upto 8-15 cm, hence initially there is less demand of water.

Irrigation should be done immediately after planting of Kharif crop. Especially in northern India, delay in irrigation leads to death of 80-90 percent plants. 8-10 irrigations are sufficient for the crop grown in Kharif season. Whereas 12-15 irrigations are sufficient for the late planted Kharif crop, whereas 15-20 irrigations are sufficient for the Rabi season crop. There should be no shortage of water at the time of bulb formation because this is the critical stage of onion because lack of water at this stage leads to a huge decrease in the yield while excess water invites purple blotch disease. Especially when vegetative growth has started. The field should not remain dry for a long time otherwise the corms burst. Weekly irrigation leads to proper growth of corms and gives higher yield. Sprinkler or sprinkler irrigation is recommended for Rabi and Kharif crops.

If water gets stagnant in the field due to rain or any other reason, then immediate arrangement should be made to drain it otherwise the crop gets fungal diseases.

 

How To Grow Onions From Sprouted Onions

Crop Protection

Thrips (Thrips tubaci) - These insects suck the juice of the leaves, which results in the formation of shiny silver-like stripes or brown spots on the leaves. These are very small yellow or white colored insects, which usually move around at the base of the leaves or in the middle of the leaves.

Control - As soon as their infestation occurs, spray 0.05% Monocrotophos, Methyl Demeton or Neem Four Mulch.

Cutworm - This insect attacks the plants at night and cuts the plants from the base.

Control - As soon as this insect infests, spray 0.5 kg of Carbofuran / Phorate or put 500 kg of Neem Cake in the field at the time of land preparation.

Mite (Aequorea tulipi) - Due to the infestation of this insect, spots are formed on the leaves. The plants remain dwarf. Control - As soon as the disease occurs, 0.05% dimethoate or ethion should be sprayed.

Disease

Purple blotch - This is a fungal disease. This disease occurs in two conditions, viz. due to heavy rains and planting the plants too close together, which causes purple spots on the leaves. This has an adverse effect on the growth and development of the plants.

Control - When the symptoms of this disease appear, spray Indofil M-45 (2.5 grams per liter of water) at an interval of 10-15 days. Before spraying this medicine, make sure to mix adhesive like Triton, Sandovit or ordinary glue in its solution so that the solution sticks to the leaves.

Digging - The crop grown in Kharif season is ready for digging after 2-3 months of planting, while the crop grown in Rabi season is ready in 3-5 months. Spring onions should be dug out when they are ready for earthing up. The plants are uprooted and the roots of corms are cut and separated. Then they are washed and bundled for marketing.

Rabi season crop should be dug out when the leaves start falling. The appropriate time for digging is when 50% of the leaves turn yellow and their upper part dries up.

Yield - The yield of normal onion is 250-300 quintals per hectare. Pickle varieties yield 160-200 quintals and multi plier varieties yield 150-180 quintals per hectare.