ONION PRODUCTION

A complete Guide

PROMOTING FARMING EXCELLENCE

By Dahlia Shumba 0717816552
 Onion Production
Classification Family Poaceae
Genus Allium
Species cepa
Nursery management
Seed requirement Seeds/gram 225-300
Seeds/m² 3000-5000 seeds (10-20g)
Seeds/ha Trays 2-2.5kg
Conventional 3-5kg
In-situ/ Direct 7-9kg
Periodical time to Planting 1 January-1 May (Window period for Nursery)
Note: Late maturity varieties should be planted early
Emergence 7-10days
Transplanting 5-6weeks
Soil temperature for Minimum 2⁰C
germination Optimum 10-35⁰C
Spacing Sowing depth 1cm Maintain depth for good emergence
Inrow spacing 0.5-1cm Avoid overcrowding your seedlings as this may
Interrow spacing 5-7cm lead to week seedlings

Conventional bed preparation Manure/m² 10kg Broadcasted evenly and incorporated with the soil
requirements Compound C/m² 45g
AN/m² 35g Broadcasted 2-3weeks after emergence
Managenent Bed preparation Dig a bed 1m wide with a length enough to accommodate your seeds
Broadcast well decomposed manure and Compound C, then
incorporate lightly into the soil
Drill lines 1cm deep, 5-7cm apart and sprinkle the seeds trying to
achieve 0.5-1cm between seeds
Cover the seeds lightly with manure or any other light materials like
sand
Erect a shed 10-20cm from the ground then remove soon after
emergence
Watering Maintain the moisture at optimum, avoid overwatering or
underwatering
Top dressing Broadcast at week 2-3 after emergence and follow up with light
irrigation. Wingrow can also be used if the seedlings are too stunted
Spraying Spray Acetamiprid + Abamectin and Copper/Mancozeb every week
to make sure the seedlings are healthy
Hardening Around 5-6 weeks, the seedlings will be ready for transplanting,
harden them by withdrawing water for about 2-3 days so that they
easily adopt to the field conditions
Field Management
Soils Well drained soils with high OM
Soil requirements
pH 5.0-6.8

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 Temperature 18-26⁰C
Climatic requirements
Time of planting Winter (Transplanting between 15 February- 15 June)
Spacing Interrow 20-50cm
Inrow 7-10cm
Planting depth 1-2cm (Only the roots inserted into the soil)
Point to note Planting in beds of 1-1.5m with with 5-7 rows most ideal
Plant population Minimum 500k
Maximum 800k
Varieties Ealy maturity (90- All hybrids are early maturing and have good storability of upto 6
110days) months. Dina, Elad, Irati, Ngwazi, Yellow queen, Neptune, Saturn,
Africa red
Mid-late maturity Most OPVs are late maturing with medium to poor storability.
(150-210 days) Capricio (good storability), Texas grano, Red creole
Fertilisation
Application Fertiliser Composition Rate/ha N P K Remarks
Basal Compound C 5 : 15 : 12 600 30 90 72 All at planting
Top dressing Ammonium Nitrate 34.5%N 300 102 At week 3
Potassium nitrate 13 : 0 : 46 300 39 138 At week 7
Total 171 90 210
Foliar spray Wuxal macromix 16 : 16 : 12 2ltr From 3-7 weeks, fortnightly
Wuxal calcibor 9%N, 14%Ca 2ltr From 9-13 weeks fortnightly
Notes
1. Compound C- Should be applied before planting at 60g/m² with light incorporation
2. Ammonium nitrate- broadcasted at week 3 at 30g/m² followed with light irrigation
3. Potassium nitrate- broadcasted at week 7 at 30g/m² followed with light irrigation
4. Wuxal macromix- foliar spray at 16ml/16l every 2 weeks at week 3, 5 and 7
5. Wuxal calcibor- foliar spray at 16ml/16l every 2 weeks at week 9, 11 and 13
 Point to note- Soil applied fertilisers complimented with foliar fertilisers will give the best results. Never
replace soil applied fertilisers with foliar fertilisers
Insects
Problem Control
Thrips (Thrips tabaci) Abamectin, Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid, Malathion, Dichlorvos, Deltamethrin
Aphids (Aphis spp) Dimethoate, Diazinon, Dichlorvos, Malathion, Acetamiprid, Imidacloprid, Thiamethoxam
Cutworms (Agrotis spp) Chlopyrifos, Lambda cyhalothrin, Carbaryl, Deltamethrin
Leafminer (Liriomyza Abamectin, Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid, Malathion, Dichlorvos, Deltamethrin, Emamectin
nietzkei) benzoate, Flubendiamide
Onion fly, maggots (Delia Diazinon, Abamectin, Acetamiprid, Imidacloprid, Dichlorvos, Emamectin benzoate,
antiqua) Lufenuron, Acephate
Wireworms (Agriotes spp) Lambda, Deltamethrin, Chlorpyrifos,
Fungal Diseases
Damping off (Pythium,
Rhizoctonia & Fusarium spp) Captan, Copper oxychloride, Mancozeb, Thiram, Metalaxyl
Downey mildew
(Peronospora destructor) Mancozeb, Copper oxychloride, Chemlaxyl
Powdery mildew (Leveillula Mancozeb, Copper oxychloride, Chemlaxyl, Chlorothalonil, Tebuconazole, Difenoconazole,
taurica) Propiconazole

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Purple Blotch (Alternaria Mancozeb, Copper oxychloride, Chemlaxyl, Chlorothalonil, Tebuconazole, Difenoconazole,
porri) Propiconazole
White tip (Phytophtora porri) Mancozeb, Copper oxychloride, Chemlaxyl, Chlorothalonil, Propineb, Azoxystrobin,
Botrytis leaf blight (Botrytis
squamosa) Mancozeb, Copper oxychloride, Chemlaxyl, Chlorothalonil
Rust (Puccinia allii) Mancozeb, Copper oxychloride, Tebuconazole, Difenoconazole, Propiconazole
Onion Smut (Urocystis
cepulae) Plant certified seed
Bacterial diseases
Sour skin (Pseudomonas Avoid excessive use of nitrogen
cepacla) Keep crops free from pests and diseases
Slippery skin (Pseudomonas Hybrids have better bacterial disease tolerant
gladioli) Plant certified seed
Use Acibenzolar-S-methyl
Soft rot (Erwinia carotovora) Harvest onions during dry conditions
Viral diseases
Irish yellow spot Keep crop free from sap sucking pests (Aphids, Thrips etc)
Yellow dwarf
Storage diseases
Smudge(Colletotrichum  Hybrids are highly tolerant to storage diseases.
dematium)  Avoid humidity >75% and temperature >16⁰C during storage.
Neck rot (Botrytis aclada)  Avoid excessive nitrogen use during production.
 Promote air circulation to prevent condensation on the bulbs.
Blue mold (Penicillium spp)
Black mold (Aspergillus  Avoid harvesting during moist conditions.
niger)  Dry onions as quick as possible after harvesting

Non parasitic disorders

Chimera Caused by genetic disorder
Hail damage Caused by hail damage
Sunscald Caused by bulb exposure to direct sunlight at high temperatures
Splitting and cracking Caused by excessive use of fertilisers and over irrigation
Caused by temperature changes. Especially when low temperatures are experienced during 3-
Bolting 4 real leaf stage. Hybrids are tolerant to bolting

Program
Planting date Variety

Plant pop Area Spacing

Week after Age Date Herbicides/ Fertilisers/ m² Pesticides/ 16l Fungicides/ 16l Foliar sprays/
emergence 16l knapsack knapsack 16l knapsack
Transplant Metolachlor Compound C 100g Lambda 16ml Copper 80g
120ml Rotten manure 5kg
1 7 Dichlorvos 16ml Antracol 32g

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2 14 MAP 10g Abamectin 16ml Acomil 50g Winstart 160g

3 21 Oxyfluofen Imidacloprid 16ml Orius 16ml Winstart 160g

160ml
4 28 AN(NH₄NO₃) 30g Chess 8g Copper 80g Wingrow 160g

5 35 Aceta + Ema 16ml Bravo 32ml Wingrow 160g

6 42 PN(KNO₃) 15g Dichlorvos 16ml Antracol 32g Wingrow 160g

7 49 Abamectin 16ml Acomil 50g Winbloom 160g

8 56 PN(KNO₃) 15g Imidacloprid 16ml Orius 16ml Calcibor 80ml

9 63 Chess 8g Copper 80g Winbloom 160g

10 70 Calcium nitrate 15g Aceta + Ema 16ml Bravo 32ml Calcibor 80ml

11 77 Dichlorvos 16ml Antracol 32g Winbloom 160g

12 84 Abamectin 16ml Acomil 50g Calcibor 80ml

13 91 Imidacloprid 16ml Orius 16ml

14 98 Chess 8g

15 105

16 112

17 119

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