VARIETAL EVALUATION OF BULBSETS FOR GROWTH, YIELD AND QUALITY IN KHARIF ONION (Allium cepa L.)
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Date
2019-12-16
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Division of Vegetable Science and Floriculture Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Jammu Main Campus, Chatha, Jammu
Abstract
The present investigation entitled “Varietal Evaluation of Bulbsets for Growth, Yield and Quality in Kharif onion (Allium cepa L.)” was undertaken at Division of Vegetable Science and Floriculture, SKUAST-J, Chatha during kharif season of 2018-2019. The experiment comprised of four onion varieties viz., Agrifound Dark Red (V1), Bhima Red (V2), N-53 (V3) and Selection-1 (V4) which were sown at four sowing dates i.e, 1st February, 15th February, 1st March and 15th March, for getting different grades (I,II,III and IV) of bulbsets. Uprooting was done on 14th June, 2018 when the last sowing attained a requisite size of >1.5cm diameter. The bulbsets of all the varieties were stored for3 months i.e (July to September) under ambient storage conditions in wood ash to protect them from high humidity. During storage, observations on percent physiological loss in weightand rotting loss was recorded on monthly basis. The bulbsets were transplanted in the field in the first week of October, 2018 in a plot size of 2.0mx2.0m in RBD (factorial) with three replicates.
Data clearly revealed that minimum PLW (2.77%) was recorded in bulbsets ofGrade-II (D2) of Bhima Redwhereas maximum cumulative physiological loss in weight (6.27%) was recorded in Grade-I (D1) of N-53. No rotting was observed in any of the varieties or sizes during the entire storage period. Field data revealed significant influence of varieties and sizes/grades of bulbsets on days to maturity, neck diameter, average bulb weight, marketable yield and total yield. The maximum average bulb weight (117.13g) and total yield (449.03q/ha) was recorded in Grade-I (D1) of Bhima Red, sown on 1st February while minimum bulb weight (56.80g) and total yield (217.26q/ha) was recorded in Grade-IV (D4) of Agrifound Dark Red sown on 15th March.
Bolting which started in the plants from the second week of January showed an increasing but non-significant trend among the bulbsets sown at different dates. However, significant differences were found among the varieties with maximum percentage of 26.48% recorded in Selection-1 as compared to minimum 8.28% in Bhima Red.
Neck thickness indicated significant influence on varieties and dates of sowing but their interaction indicated non-significant results. N-53 recorded minimum neck thickness of 0.95cm whereas maximum thickness of 1.40cm was recorded in Selection-1. Large sized bulbsets recorded maximum neck thickness (1.28cm) as compared to small sized bulbsets (1.14cm).
Selection-1 took maximum days (151.41) for marketable maturity while Bhima Red took minimum (125.58) days. Among the grades,bulbsets of Grade-IV (D4) took maximum days (147.25) to maturity as compared to Grade-I (D1) which took minimum 134.50 days, however, non-significant results were recorded in the interaction.
Significantly maximum marketable bulb yield of 409.14q/hawas obtained in Grade-I (D1) of Bhima Red, giving highest cost benefit ratio of 1:3.55.Lowest marketable bulb yield of 174.55q/ha with cost benefit ratio 1:0.95 was observed in Grade-IV (D4) of Selection-1.