ONION PRODUCTIONAND MANAGEMENT

UNDER IRRIGATION
Extension Bulletin No. 204
Agric. Engineering Series No. 5
Produced and Distributed By
National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services
Ahmadu Bello University
Zaria.
Acknowledgement
The authors express their appreciation to Agric Engineering and Irrigation
Programme staII Ior their contributions in preparing the manuscript. We also
acknowledge the valuable comments oI external reviewers oI the bulletin. The
Iinancial support provided by NAERLS management Ior production oI this
bulletinis highly appreciated.
B. M. Sani and M.M1aliya
Table of Contents
Acknowledgment................................................................... 2
Introduction............................................................................ 4
The Crop Onion...................................................................... 5
Soil type.................................................................................. 5
Climatic Requirements........................................................... 6
Day lengthRequirement......................................................... 6
The direct seedling method .................................................... 6
Preparation oI Nursery Beds................................................... 7
Field Planting........................................................................ 7
Transplanting....................................................................... 7
Planting Dates........................................................................ 8
FertilizerRecommendation..................................... 8
FertilizerApplication................................................ 8
Weed Control............................................................. 8
Pests and Diseases andtheir Control....................................... 9
Control.................................................................................. 11
Diseases.................................................................................. 12
YellowDwarI......................................................................... 12
Control Measures................................................................... 13
Harvesting and Processing..................................................... 13
Curing.................................................................................... 14
Yield........................................................................... ............ 15
Summary................................................................................. 16
ReIerence................................................................................ 17
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1. Introduction
Onion (Allium cepa) is a vegetable crop grown almost all over the
world. It is grown mainly Ior its bulb, which is used in every home,
almost daily. It is rarely used as a sole dish or in large quantities. It`s
main use lies in Ilavouring and seasoning oI a wide variety oI dishes. Its
popularity is due to it`s aromatic, volatile oil, the allyl-prophl sulphide
which imports a cherished Ilavour to Iood. As a constituent oI a meal,
both the green leaves and bulbs can be eaten raw, cooked or Ilood, or in
soups and salads. Onion also has an important role as a medicinal herb
in many communities, and is claimed to minimize high blood pressure
and other heart diseases due to it`s Iavourable action on the elasticity oI
blood vessels. As an item oI world trade, onion ranks second in
importance aIter tomatoes among the vegetables. In 1987, the total
world export production amounted to over 2.0 million metric tones and
worth over 299 million US dollars. World production oI onion has
increased steadily Irom about 11 million metric tones produced on an
area oI nearly 0.9 million hectare in 1969 to over 25 million metric tones
produced on an area oI above 1.7 million hectares in 1987. These
Iigures represent and percent increases in total production and at as
respectively.
Onion is grown widely during the wet and dry seasons. However yields
are much higher during the dry season because oI Iewer incidences oI
pests and diseases. Prices oI onion tend to oxalate during the dry season
beIore harvest begins, due largely to the inability oI the Iarmers to
store the highly perishable crop. Dry season production oI onion is
on the increase due to the provision oI more irrigation Iacilities
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All over the country. Although onion has been grown in Nigeria Ior a long
time, the yield is still lowcompared to other regions oI the world. The reason
Ior this sis because improved production practices based on research Iindings
have not been made available to the generality oI Iarmers. This bulletin aims
thereIore to present the research recommendations to enable the attainment oI
improvedyields.
2. The Crop
Onion (Allium cepa) belongs to the Iamily Alliaceous. Onions are naturally
packed vegetables consisting oI Ileshy connective scales, which are enclosed,
in paper like wrapping leaves. The stem Irom which the roots arise is very
short. Leaves are produced Irom the apical moisten. The bulb, Ior which the
crop is grown, is Iormed diIIerent and speciIic meaning. They are still
physiologically long day plants but ones, which respond to days, which are
short. Short day cultivars can initiate and Iorm bulbs under photoperiods oI
thirteen hours or less. Onions thereIore could be classiIied as short day or day
neutral.
Soil type
Onion can growon most soil types. However, well-drained medium textured
soils with PH6-7 are particularly good Ior the crop. Flat land enhances good
yield.
Cultural Practices Ior Onion Production LandPreparation
This depends on the particular area where onion is grown. For general
purposes however, ploughing and harrowing the land to prepare a good and
Ilat seedbed is necessary. The dry season onion is normally grown in basins
under Iavourable conditions oI day length and temperature when the plant has
reached a certain stage oI growth. Pollination is usuallybyinsects.
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Climatic Requirements (Temperature requirements)
The temperature requirement Ior the crop is between 15oC25oC. Trials have
shown that growing onion in warmer weather leads to bulb retardation. Low
atmospheric humidity, and clear bright days are also necessary to ensure insect
activity Ior pollination. Vitalization (initiation oI Ilowering due to extended
exposure to low temperature) is required Ior Ilowering in onions. The lower
the temperature, the shorter the vitalizations temperature is necessary.
Day length Requirement
The onions grown in tropical regions are oIten reIerred to as short day
cultivars. This does not mean that these onions are physiologically short day
plants, a term which has a diluted in a seedbed where irrigation is available.
Water at this stage should be applied every two days until the bulbils appear.
Mature bulbils called setts are separated and planted in the Iield during the dry
season. The number oI setts produced depends on the variety and size oI the
bulb. Agood size bulb oI the variety Wuyan Bijini will give 15-20 setts.
b) The direct seedling method
This method oI planting is the lowest popular employed by Iarmers. The
onion seeds are not planted straight into the Iield. The seeds are Iirst grown in
the nursery and the seedlings later transplanted into the Iield.
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Preparation of Nursery Beds
For good germination in the nursery, a well-tilled seedbed with a Iine loose
surIace is necessary. The seedbed should be moist Iowl dropping and compost
are worked into the seedbed beIore sowing.
AIter preparing the seedbed, mark it out in rows, which should be about 10-
15cm apart in a 120 cm wide seedbed. Then a groove oI about 12mm depth is
made along each row. The seeds can nowbe sown in either oI two ways. The
Iirst method is to mix the seeds with an equal amount oI Iine sand. The
mixture oI sand and seed is then evenly spread in the groove. The second
method is to Iirst spread the sand into the groove. The seeds are then spread
evenly over the sand inthe groove.
AIter sowing the seed, the groove is lightly covered with soil. The seedbed
should be cover with light mulch and watered once or twice a week. AIter
germination, the mulch is removed. Hand weeding and watering should
continue until the seedlings are 6-8 weeks old when they should be ready Ior
transplanting.
Field Planting
The land Ior transplanting should be well prepared and leveled.
Transplanting
Seedlings should be transplanted to the Iield six-eight weeks aIter sowing in
the nursery. When transplanting, spread the roots careIully in the natural
positionbeIore pressing the soil around the plant.
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Planting Dates
The planting dates Ior the dry season crop is between October January. The
seeds are sown in seedbeds in October toJanuary.
FertilizerRecommendation
Onion requires good Iertilizer application. Generally, any Iertilizer
application should be based on soil test. The amount oI nutrients required to
onion production varies Irom location to location depending on the inherent
soil Iertility. For general purposes however, a Iertilizer rate oI 65 kg N/ha
40kg p/ha and 45kg k/haTS recommended.
FertilizerApplication
Fertilizers can be applied Iour weeks aIter transplanting, apply the
recommended close.
Weed Control
The Iirst step to eIIective weed control is good land preparation. Onion is
sensitive to weed competition during the early growth stage oI the crop. Care
should be taken during the weeding both in the nursery and Iield to avoid
destroying the seedlings. The common and preIerred method is hand
weeding. The use oI herbicides is not very widespread.
As most oI onion production is carried out during the dry season, the water
management oI the crop is thereIore very important. Onion is comparatively
sensitive to water stress, and it growth can be inhibited well beIore the leaves
wilt visibly Irom high temperature or drying weeds. For irrigation purposes,
the amount oI moisture needed by the plant is about 350-550mm. The
irrigation Irequency is between 5-7 days and the number oI irrigation per
growing season is about 15-20 times.
In addition, good drainage is also very important as onions are badly aIIected
by water-logged conditions.
Pests and Diseases and theirControl
a) Insect Pests
The common insect pests that aIIect onions are thrips (Thrips tabaci Lind),
onion maggot (Hylemya antiqua Meig), and sea corn maggot (Hylemya
cilicrura (Rondani) salt marsh caterpillar (Estigmene acred Drurn),
wireworms oI the genus limonius, cutworms oI the Iamily Noctuidapea leaI
miner (Liriomiza langei Frick) and several species oI mites.
i) Crickets
These are pests oI onion that causes serious damage to an onion crop,
particularly at the beginning oI the season, both in the nursery beds and aIter
transplanting in the Iield.
ii) Moth (Prodenia litura)
The larvae oI the moth eat the leaves oI onion and cansometimes be serious.
iii) Thrips (Thrips tabaci Lind)
Both the larvae and adult thrips cause damage. They Ieed on the contents iI
leaI epidermal cell, which then become air Iilled to give a silvery appearance.
InIested leaves oI older plants may become distorted while younger onion
plants may be killed.
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Iv) Onion Maggot (Hylemya antiqua Meig)
This is a light greenish-gray Ily. It Ieeds upon onion plants oI all ages,
Irom young seedlings to mature bulbs.
v) Seed-corn Maggot (Hylemya Cilicrura Ronae.
This attacks the onion plant at the germinating seed stage and the very
young seed. It canbe classiIied as a nurse pest.
vi) Wireworms (Alimonies spp)
These are the larval stage oI the click beetle, it is hard shelled, yellowor
brown in colour. Attacks by wireworms are oIten very serious especially
iI onions are sown on virgin soil.
vii) SpiderMites
These mites (Tetranychus spp) Ieed on onion bulbs. On the bulbs red
spiders are Iound mostly on the under surIaces oI the leaves. They suck
juice Irom the epidermal cells, giving the leaves a bleached appearance.
II they are not checked, a delicate web may be spun over most oI the
plant, and iI they are not controlled in the Iield, the spiders spin a Iine
web over the inIlorescence, which prevents visitation by pollinating
insects.*******
Control
For eIIective control oI these insect pests, an integrated approach must
be adopted. At times climatic conditions may help, as Ior instance cold
temperatures slowdown the activities oI thrips. Chemical control remains the
most eIIective way to control these insect pests. Recommended chemicals
include Toxiphan, Malathion, Heptachlor, Dieldrin or Parathiou.
Furthermore, sanitation also helps to reduce the incidence oI pests.
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b) Nematodes
The onion strains oI the stem and bulb nematode (Ditylenchus dipsaci) are a
tiny, worm-like organism that is barely visible to the naked eye. When onions
are grown on inIested soil, emergence oI the seedlings is somewhat retarded.
During storage, activity oI the nematodes continues, and bulbs become lighter
n weight and somehow puIIy. When plants die, the nematodes remain in the
dead tissue or enter the soil and attack a new host. They can remain in a
dormant condition Ior long periods.
Stubby root nematodes (Trichinous Christies Allen) are nematodes that attack
onion roots resulting in stunted onions, which occur in patches. The stunting
is most evident early in the season and becomes less apparent late in the
summer. AIIected onions have only a Iewshort roots, which are yellowish in
colour and have dark brown tips andnumerous localized lesions.
Control
Nematodes are best controlled using chemicals like telone.
Diseases
Onion twister(colomeralla singulata)
This is a soil borne disease oI onion. Leave oI aIIected plants show
distortion, thus the none onion twister.
Purple Blotch (Alernariaporri)
Onions aIIected by this disease exhibit small white sunken areas with
purple centers on leaves. As the lesions enlarge, leaves dry out and
collapse.
Downy Mildew
The Iirst indication oI a downy mildewis a Iurry, violet covering on the
outside oI the leaI or stem a symptom that is especially conspicuous
when Ioliage is wet with dewone or two days later, the diseased portion
oI the leaI become pale green, then yellow, and Iinally they collapse.
YellowDwarf
This is a viral disease transmitted by aphids. Symptoms appear s a series
oI short yellow streaks, which appear at the base oI the Iirst leaI as it
emerges through the neck oI the bulb. Later, all symptoms showsigns oI
the disease, but the leaves, which had developed, previously remain
apparently healthy. The aIIected leaves later extend this to the Ilower
stalks, which also showyellowstreaks. These streaks coalesce, and the
stalks become yellow throughout, and twisted and curled in a
characteristic manner, which gives the plants a decidedly dwarIed
appearance. InIected sets produce small bulbs oI little commercial
value.
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Control Measures
The control oI these diseases is better achieved through improved Iield
sanitation, early planting, avoidance oI Ilooded areas, proper row
orientation, use oI resistant varieties and Iinally spraying with
chemicals.
Harvesting and Processing
Harvesting
As onions reach maturity, they cease to produce new leaves and roots,
the Iood still present in the leaves moving into the bulbs under normal
conditions, onions become soIt at the neck when they mature, and the
tops Iall over. During this stage and immediately aIter, Iood materials
are being transIerred to the bulb, and as a result bulb increases rapidly in
size. ThereIore this stage must be allowed to be over beIore harvesting
begins. However, the tops should not be allowed to dry completely
because onions pulled green keep better in the store than those allowed
to ripenoII completelyin the ground.
Bulbs that are harvested when they are too immature may take longer
than others to dry properly Ior storage, and, iI the necks are not yet soIt,
the inner leaves may still be growing and will continue to elongate Irom
the toppedbulbs, yielding an unsightly product.
Harvesting operations vary greatly, Irom hand pulling, without removal
oI either by or roots, to machine operations in which the bulbs are pulled,
topped and moved Irom the Iield to storage without being touched by
hand. In Iirm soils where pulling is diIIicult, the onion roots can be cut
just belowthe bulbs byusing a kniIe.
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Onions are generally harvested by hand pulling. They are then laid on
their sides Ior a number oI days Ior Iurther ripening in the open. II they
do not lie on their sides, they tend to take root in wet weather and start
growing again. Harvesting must be done in dry weather. Care should be
takennot to bruise the bulbs so as to prevent rotting during storage.
Curing
BeIore onion bulbs are placed in storage or marketed, the tops are
usually removed and Irequently also the roots. Removal oI the tops,
especially oI the necks are not dry, provides an open, moist surIace
where not organisms can easily enter. These neck tissues, and all other
moist surIace tissue oI the bulb where not organisms might become
established, should be careIully dried beIore inIection can occur. This
drying procedure is known as curing. In areas where the relative
humidity is low and rains seldom occur during the harvest season,
curingis easily and eIIectively done in the Iield storage.
AIter harvesting and curing, the onion crop is kept in storage regardless
oI the season they are produced. Many Iactors inIluence the storage liIe
oI an onion. Under all storage conditions, onion bulbs continually lose
water and dry matter, but the more serious losses arise Irom storage roots
and Irom sprouting and rooting. Among the Iactors which are critical
Ior successIul onion storage are: choice oI cultivars, methods oI culture,
harvesting and curing, control oI temperature and humidity in storage,
design oI storage structures, and use of sprout-inhibiting
chemicals.
Onion storage structures vary Irom location to location, and also with the
type oI Iarmers. For large scale commercial Iarmers is the storage
structures could be mechanical cold storage (reIrigerated) while Ior
most peasant Iarmers, the storage structures consists mostly oI bamboo
or wood stacks stuIIed with grass. Ambient air is allowed to enter the
storage structures. The onions could store Ior up to 6 months in these
conditions.
Yield
Under good management practices as highlighted in this bulletin, yield
oI 10-12tones per hectare could be obtained.
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Summary
Select good site
Prepare land well
Use certiIied and best variety seeds
Use correct spacing
Use the optimum seed rate
Plant at the right time
Use the recommended Iertilizer rates
KeepIieldweedIree
Control insect pests and diseases
Harvest at the correct time
Use good curing
Select the best storage system.
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Bibliograph
Currah, Lesley and Proctor, Felicity J. (1990). Onions in tropical regions.
Natural Resources Institute Bulletin No.35
Howto growonions in Eastern Nigeria. Extension Guide. Ministry oI Agric.
Eastern Nigeria.
Guide to the production oI onions. Extension Guide No.2. Ministry oI Agric.
NorthernNigeria.
Jones, H. A. and Louis K.M. (1963). Onions and their allies. Interscience
Publishers Inc. NewYork.
Crop and Irrigation Water Management: Training Manual, NAERLS/CIRAD
Project.
Rice, R.P; Rice, L.W. and H.D. Tindal (eds) (1986). Fruit and vegetable
production in AIrica. Macmillan Publishers.
Vegetable production training manual. AVRDC, Taipei Tariwan, 1990.
Amans, E. B. (1982). Growth and yield response oI onion (Allium cepa L.) to
varying levels oI Nitrogenous and prophetic Iertilizers. M. Sc. Thesis, Faculty
oI Agriculture, ABU, Zaria.
Yamaguchi, M. (ed) (1983). World Vegetables: Principles, production and
Nutritive values. Ellis Hortwood Limited, Publishers, Chichester, England.
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