AGRO SOLUTIONS: How to cultivate onions

Onion is a globally accepted vegetable because of its uniqueness and importance in every delicacy. Because of its production circles and harvest storage, it is important for growers to be careful with seed selection.   Eighty-five per cent of onions are produced during the cold period because of its response to weather. Certainly, growers must […]

Onion is a globally accepted vegetable because of its uniqueness and importance in every delicacy. Because of its production circles and harvest storage, it is important for growers to be careful with seed selection.  

Eighty-five per cent of onions are produced during the cold period because of its response to weather. Certainly, growers must identify genetics and vegetables with long shelf during post-harvest storage. 

Generally, onion nursery is established on prepared beds of 1 meter wide with length base on size of the garden or farm. Nursery is done by direct seeding on the prepared beds, mulch and irrigate to germinate. Onions nursery should be managed for a period of 40 days before transplanting. 

After clearing, tilling and filling of prepared medium into sacks and flower pots, soil should be loose because the crop depends on their roots for foliage development and building.  

Onions prefer neutral or relatively alkaline than acidic soil. Mix soil with compost and single super phosphate during land preparations for good development. 

Onion transplanting is preferable in the evening after irrigating the prepared land or mediums. Transplanting is done at a 5cm for medium sized onions or 7.5cm big sizes. 

Because of its uniqueness, the crop always prefers to be loose, even before building. Compact soil will affect the building potential and affect performance. Therefore, it is important to consider regular weeding, at least every two weeks; irrigate two times a week, most especially during the cold period; spray cypermathrine once every week when the foliage is bushy, as well as alternative mancozeb with copper oxide once every week.

Application of fertiliser 

Apply NPK 20:10:10 two weeks after transplanting for first application. Apply a second time. Finally, apply calcium nitrate.

Onions mature between 85 and 100 days after transplanting, or after foliage turns brown, dried and falls. Harvesting is by hand picking, carefully loosening soil around the bulbs.