Production Technology of Onion

Dr. Archana
Deptt. of Vegetable Science
 RABI ONION

• Botanical name : Allium cepa L.

• Family : Alliaceae
• Origin : Middle Asia or Mediterranean region
• Chromosome no. : 2n=2 x = 16
• In India, it is one of the oldest vegetables.
• India is the second largest producer of onion in the world, next to
China and ranks third in export of onions, next to Netherlands and
Spain.
• Directorate of Onion and Garlic Research, Rajgurunagar,
Maharashtra.
• Maharashtra is the leading onion producing state in India followed
by Karnataka and Gujarat. The crop is grown on extensive scale in
Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and
Bihar
Introduction
• Onion is valued for its bulbs having characteristic odour, flavour and pungency,
which is due to the presence of a volatile oil – allyl-propyl-disulphide (sulfur
containing compounds).
• Pungency is formed by enzymatic reaction when tissues are broken.
• Bulbs are suited for storage for a long period and for long distance transport. It
is used as salad and cooked in many ways in curries, fried, boiled, baked and
used in making soups, pickles etc.
• Value addition in onion is done by marketing dehydrated onions and onion
flakes.
• Onion bulb is rich in minerals like phosphorus (50 mg / 100 g) and calcium
(180 mg / 100 g).
• Many medicinal uses are reported for bulbs and is commonly used as diuretic
and applied on wounds and boils.
• Onion greens are also used by harvesting crop at pencil thickness and when
small bulb is formed
Inflorescence and bulb of onion
 Area and Production
• India is the second largest producer of onion in the world after
China.
• In India during 2013-14:-
• Area : 8.8 lac ha
• Production : 187.36 lac mt
• Productivity : 21.20 t/ha
• The highest productivity in the world is-
• Korea Rep. : 67.25 t/ha
• USA : 53.91 t/ha
• Spain : 52.06 t/ha
• Japan : 47.55 t/ha
• India : 21.20 t/ha
 Uses
• Onion is used for seasoning of foodstuffs.
• Used in raw form as salad and as spice in vegetarian and non-
vegetarian curries during preparation.
• Used in processing industries for making its flakes and powder.
• It is used to cure several diseases like epidemics, gastro-enteritis,
dysentery, cholera etc.,
• Onion is very useful in the prevention/treatment of coronary
heart disease.
• It is also beneficial in the treatment of diabetes, cancer, and
asthma.
Botany
• Onion is a biennial herb with a characteristic smell. The leaves
are tubular and the bulbs are formed by the attachment of
swollen leaf bases to underground part of stem which is small
and rudimentary.
• Flowers are produced during second phase after formation of
bulbs.
• Flowering structure is called an ‘umbel’, which is an aggregate
of many small inflorescences
 Climatic requirement
• Being a cool season crop, it preferably requires low temperature
and about 70% relative humidity.
• Onion crop has two phases, i.e., vegetative and bulbing.
• For the completion of vegetative phase,
 short days coupled with low temperature (13-20°C)
• For bulb development,
 long days coupled with high temperature (20-25°C)
• However, very low temperature during vegetative phase later
causes bolting while sudden rise in temperature at early stage
favours early development of bulbs and results in smaller size
bulbs.
• The varieties grown in north plains are mostly short duration
but they vary in their photoperiodic requirement, Kharif sown
varieties comparatively require short photoperiod in
comparison of Rabi sown varieties.
• Long days varieties do not form bulb under short day
conditions, whereas, short day varieties if cultivated under long
day conditions will start bulbing soon after transplanting.
• If other factors are kept constant, the onion starts bulbing more
quickly at warm temperature than at low temperature.
• For seed production, temperature plays more significant role
than the day length, however, for bulb formation and further
development reverse is true.
 Soil and its preparation
• It can be grown on various types of soil except low-lying marshy
and heavy clay soils.
• Sandy loam soil with a pH range of 6.5-7.8 is best suited for its
cultivation.
• It matures earlier in sandy soils than in heavier one.
• Plough the field 2-3 times to a fine tilth followed by planking so
that the field is well levelled.
• Onion prefers a well drained, loose and friable soil rich in humus.
It is sensitive to high acidity and alkalinity.
 Cultivated varieties
• Early Grano
• Pusa Red
• Pusa Ratnar
• Pusa Madhavi
• Pusa White Flat
• Hisar-2
• Punjab Selection
• Punjab Red Round
• Punjab Naroya: Tolerant to the attack of thrips and purple blotch
disease
• Agrifound Light Red: NHRDF, Nasik
• Agrifound White: NHRDF, Nasik
• Patna Red
• Red skinned varieties: Agrifound Light Red, Agrifound Dark Red,
Agrifound Rose, Arka Kalyan, Arka Kirtiman, Arka Lalirna (H),
Arka Niketan, Arka Pragati, Arka Bindu, Hisar-2, Nasik Red (N-
53), N2-4-1, Kalyanpur Red, Patna Red, Poona Red, Pusa Red,
Pusa Ratnar, Pusa Madhvi, Punjab Sel., Punjab Naroya, Punjab Red
Round, Udaipur- 101 and Udaipur- 103
• White skinned varieties: Patna White, Pusa White Flat, Pusa
White Round, Punjab-48, N-5-7-1, NI23-7-1, N257-9- I, and
Udaipur- 102
• Yellow skinned varieties: Early Grano, Brown Spanish, and Arka
Pitamber
• Varieties for Kharif season: Nasik Red (N-53), Agrifound Dark
Red and Arka Kalyan
 Seed rate

• In order to raise seedlings about 10-12 kg seed of onion

is sufficient for planting one-hectare area.
• For direct sowing in the field, about 20-25 kg seed is
required for one-hectare area.
 Sowing and transplanting
Nursery sown Last week of Oct. to 1st week of Nov.

Transplanting mid December to mid January

Spacing 15x 10 cm in flat beds
• In Karnatka, nursery is sown in April- May and the crop is harvested
in December-January and marketed to North India these days.
• Over-aged nursery results in bolting and early-aged nursery results in
poor establishment of seedlings.
• 6-8 weeks old nursery should be transplanted on flat beds in the
evening.
• For transplanting a hectare area, 50-60 beds of 3x 1 m are sufficient.
• Seed treatment with Thiram @ 2-3g/kg seed before sowing in the
nursery and drenching with Thiram @ 2g/litre water is done to check
damping-off disease.
 Planting of bulbs is done for two purposes
• For green purpose : This is called green bunching onion
Seed rate : 10 q/ha (small to medium size bulbs)
Planting time : August-September
Spacing : 15-20 cm x10 cm on ridges
Harvesting : October-November

• For seed production:

The true to type bulbs are selected from previous season crop and
planted in August-September in flat seedbeds about 45-60 cm
apart.
 Manure and fertilizers
• FYM : 20-25 t/ha
• Nitrogen : 60-80 kg/ha
• Phosphorus : 40-50 kg/ha
• Potassium : 60-
80 kg/ha.
• FYM should be incorporated thoroughly into the soil at the time of
land preparation.
• Whole dose of P and K and half of nitrogen are applied at the time
of last ploughing.
• The remaining half of nitrogen may be applied as top dressing in
two splits at 30 and 45 days after transplanting .
• Delayed application causes thickening of neck and splitting of
onion bulbs.
• Nitrogen is essential during the early stages of growth.
• Low level of nitrogen in soils hastens the formation of bulbs.
• Excess level of nitrogen delay bulbing stage and make the bulbs
succulent and poor in keeping quality but reduce the percentage of
bolting.
• Phosphorus is required throughout the life; it promotes bulbs
formation and its deficiency affects the quality adversely.
• Potassium improves the quality of bulbs by raising TSS content.
• Besides FYM and macronutrients, foliar application of
micronutrients like Cu (1 ppm), Fe (1 ppm), Zn (3 ppm), B (0.5
ppm) and Mn (0.05ppm) has been found advantageous in
improving the quality of onion bulbs.
• Soil application of zinc sulphate and ferrous sulphate increases
ascorbic acid, pyruvic acid and sulfur contents in onion bulbs.
 Irrigation requirements
• First irrigation : Just after transplanting
• Subsequent irrigation schedule depends on soil types, crop stage
and the season of growing.
In Kharif season: total 8-10 irrigation
in Rabi season: total 15-20 irrigations are required.
• Bulb initiation and enlargement are the two critical stages.
• A long dry spell followed by heavy rain or irrigation results in
splitting of bulbs.
• Irrigation near harvesting will delay maturity and reduce the
keeping quality of crop, thus, should be stopped 15-20 days before
the commencement of maturity.
Light irrigation at short interval is better over heavy
irrigation at long intervals.
 Intercultural operations
• In early stage of seedling establishment the crop may not complete
with weeds due to its poor growth, as a result the weeds pose
problem.
• Onion is shallow rooted and closely planted crop, thus, one or two
shallow hoeings may be done to keep the weeds down in early
stages of crop growth.
• Excessively deep hoeing may cause injury to the bulbs and
reduce their development due to pruning of roots.
• Use of weedicide followed by one hand hoeing is more economical
than manual weeding.
• Application of Stomp 30% @ 3.35 liters/ha immediately after
transplanting gives best control of weeds in onion crop.
 Harvesting
• Harvesting of onions depends upon the purpose for which they
are grown.
• Green bunching onions are harvested as and when the plants
start forming bulbs.
• The onions after trimming roots and removing outer skin are
washed, bunched, packed in crates and sent to the market.
• The best index of maturity is when the neck tissues begin to
soften and the tops are fallen over the ground.
• For long time storage, bulb are harvested when 50-60% tops have
fallen over the ground and before the leaves dry down completely.
• In India, the development of red pigment and the characteristic
pungency of a variety are also considered important index of
maturity.
 Curing
• Curing is an essential operation for removing excessive moisture from
outer skin and neck portion of bulbs so that outer skin gets dried and
tightened.
• After harvesting if the season is mild the bulbs may be left in the field
for few days for curing, however, if the season is hot they are
immediately shifted from field to shade for curing before storage.
• Depending on temperature and atmospheric humidity, this process takes
7-10 days.
• It reduces the susceptibility of bulbs to pathogenic infection.
• This also minimizes the shrinkage and favour the development of skin
colour.
• The uncured bulbs are attacked by several pathogens, which cause rotting
of bulbs in storage. However, cured bulbs can successfully be stored
longer in storage.
 Storage
• For prolonged storage, unhealthy, injured, and immature bulbs
should be removed from the lot.
• Removing of foliage of bulbs 3-4 days after curing by leaving at
least 2-3 cm neck helps in reducing losses as much as 12% during 5
months storage.
• For longer storage, fully mature and thoroughly cured bulb
should be stored.
• The room having dry atmosphere, uniform low temperature and
thorough ventilation is ideal for successful storage of onion.
• Onions can also be stored at 29-34°C temperature but the skin
colour of bulbs stored at high temperature is not so attractive as that
of onions stored at low temperature.
• A temperature about 4 °C coupled with relative humidity from 64-
70% is best for long-term storage (150 days).
• Sprouting of bulbs during storage is influenced more by temperature.
On the other hand, rotting is influenced more by humidity.
• Irradiation of onion bulbs at 6-9 krad just after harvest effectively
inhibits sprouting during storage.
Store House
Inside view of store house
KHARIF ONION
 Cultivated varieties

• Nasik Red or Niphad-53

• Agrifound Dark Red
• Agrifound Rose
• Arka Kalyan
• Arka Niketan
• Arka Kirtiman (F1 Hybrid)
• Arka Lalima (F1 Hybrid)
 Seed rate
Kharif onion crop can be raised by either transplanting seedlings
or sets.

• For raising seedlings : 15-18 kg/ha

• For raising sets : 12-15 kg/ha

Seedlings and sets in onion
 Raising of seedlings or sets
For raising seedling:
• Seeds sown : Last week of May to mid June in
raised nursery beds
• Transplanting : Mid August
• Spacing : 15 cm x 10 cm on ridges/flat
• 80-100 beds of 3x1 m size are sufficient for planting one hectare
area.
• The seed before sowing in the nursery is treated with Captan or
Thiram @ 2-3 g/kg and beds are drenched with Captan/Thiram @
2 g/litre water to check the spread of damping-off disease.
For raising sets:
• Seeds sown : Last week of January to the first week of February in
lines or by broadcasting in flat beds.
• Lifting of sets : Last week of April to the first week of May when the
tops start drying or falling on the ground.
• The tops are removed leaving 2-3 cm above neck and graded sets are
stored in Hessians cloth bags or baskets in airy room unless they are
transplanted in the field.
• Transplanting : Mid August to mid September
• Spacing : 35-45 cm x 10 cm on both sides of ridges.
• The seedlings or sets before transplanting are treated with 0.2% solution of
Captan to avoid rotting.
• The disease free healthy sets of 1.0-1.5 cm diameter (about 8-10 g) are
selected for transplanting purpose as very small size sets give lower yield.
 Manure and fertilizers
Kharif onion requires-
FYM : 25-30 tonnes
Nitrogen : 125 kg/ha
Phosphorus : 40 kg/ha
Potash : 25 kg/ha
• FYM is incorporated during field preparation.
• Half dose of N + full dose of P and K are applied before
transplanting or before making ridges for planting sets.
• Rest half of the nitrogen is applied as top dressing in two
instalments at 30 days interval.
 Irrigation requirement

• First irrigation is given just after transplanting of seedlings or

sets.
• Subsequent irrigations are given at 8-10 days interval during
August-October, if there is no rain.
• Irrigation interval may be reduced when bulbs start growing.
• Having shallow root system onion requires regular irrigation as
irregular irrigation may cause splitting of bulbs.
• Heavy watering may lead to thick neck of bulbs.
• To reduce losses in storage and enhance storage life irrigation
should be stopped at least 15 days before harvesting the bulbs.
 Intercultural operations
• Two to three weeding and hoeing are done for proper growth of
plants.
• Chemical weed control
• same as in Rabi onion
 Harvesting and curing
• Crop is ready for harvesting by the last week of November to the
middle of December.
• Taking visual observations on shape, size and colour of bulbs
maturity could be recognized. Tip of leaves starts yellowing and
upper skin of bulb becomes brown red.
• Stop irrigation 15 days before harvesting and topple down the
tops by foot.
• After harvesting keep the bulbs in field in their lines or rows for a
week for curing so that bulbs become firm and dried.
• After curing, remove tops by leaving 3-5 cm above the neck. Bulbs
are again cured for 3-5 days.
Kharif onion Yield : 15-20 t/ha
 Insect-Pests of Rabi & Kharif Onion
Onion thrips (Thrips tabaci)
• Yellowish brown cylindrical nymphs and adults suck sap from the tender
foliage during February-May.
• Whitish spots are produced followed by curling of leaves.
• In case of severe infestation, the leaves turn silvery from top, wither, and
dry up. This condition is known as Silvery top.
• At the time of flowering, they are very injurious and impair seed production.
• A long dry weather favours the multiplication of this insect.
• Heavy rains and humid weather disfavour this insect.
Control -
 Follow long crop rotation and grow resistant varieties like Nasik Red and
Spanish White.
 Collect & destroy affected leaves and weeds and spray the crop with
Malathion/Nuvacron at 0.1 %.
 Apply Phorate 10-G @1kg a.i/ha at or just after transplanting.
ON
IO
N
TH
RIP
S
 Diseases of Rabi and Kharif Onion
Purple blotch (Alternaria porri):
• The pathogen may cause up to 50% damage to the seed crop due to purple
blotch disease.
• Small water soaked spots appear on leaves or seed stalks, get enlarged and
become dark brown or purplish in colour.
• Seed stalks usually break at point of attack.
• In moist weather, the surface of spot is covered with brown or almost black
spores of fungus.
Control -
 Follow long crop rotation.
 Provide proper drainage & avoid excessive irrigation.
 Prior to sowing, treat the seed with fungicide like Thiram or Captan @
2.5g/kg of seed.
 Prior to planting, dip the seedlings/bulbs in 0.25% Mancozeb solution.
 Spray Maneb or Zineb 0.25% at fortnightly interval starting from first
appearance of disease.
PURPLE BLOTCH IN ONION
Downy mildew (Peronospora destructor):
• It is one of the most destructive and worldwide distributed diseases.
• The plants remain dwarf, distorted and pale green in colour.
• If the weather is hot or dry, only pale white patches are seen.
• The affected leaves drop at the point of lesion and dry at the tip.
Control -
 Use disease free healthy seed & destroy disease debris
 Provide proper drainage.
 Spray the crop with 0.25% Zineb or Mancozeb 20 days after
transplanting and repeat the spray at 10-12 days interval.
Stemphylium blight (Stemphylium vesicarium):
• It is most destructive foliar disease in northwest India.
• Purplish green colour elongated spots appear on leaves, stalks.
Control -
 Spray the crop with 0.25% Maneb at 15 days interval starting from
first appearance of disease.

Pink root (Pyrenochaeta terrestriss):

• Infected roots become pink and later turn to red, purple, brown, and
black.
• In severe cases, foliage turns to whitish yellow or brown and
ultimately plants die.
Control -
 Follow long crop rotation and
 avoid nursery raising in infected soil.
Onion smut (Urocystis cepulae):
• This disease is more prevalent in temperate regions.
• The fungus lives in soil and attacks plants at all stages of growth.
• Smut appears as elongated dark, slightly thickened areas at the
base of seedling.
• Black lesion appears near the base of the scales on planting.
• On older plants, numerous raised blisters occur near the base of
the leaves.
Control -
 Treat the seed with Thiram or Captan @ 2-3g/kg of seed before
sowing in the nursery.
Bacterial soft rot (Pseudomonas alliicola, P. cepacia & Erwinia
caratovera):
• This disease appears in the storage and the rot begins at the neck of the
bulb.
• Later it gives offensive smell through the neck when squeezed.
• It starts in the field when the crop approaches to maturity.
• Humid weather favours this disease.
Control -
 Curing & drying rapidly of bulbs at harvesting & storing only healthy
bulbs help to control disease.
 Time-to-time discard affected the bulbs.
 Discard the bulb showing wound, green colour, and thick-neck.
 Avoid injury to the bulb during harvesting, transportation, storage and
keep the store clean.
 Storage temperature should not exceed 15°C.
 Spay the crop with 0.2% Copper oxychloride-50 at 10-15 days interval.
 Add some sticker like Selwett-99 @ 10 g or Triton @ 50 ml/100 liters
fungicidal solution.
BACTERIAL SOFT ROT
IN ONION
ONION
YELLOW
DWARF
VIRUS
OYDV -
POTYVIRUS
 Arka Yojith - white onion variety developed for dehydration
Arka Yojith - white onion variety developed for dehydration

 The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has developed

a ‘Processing-grade White Onion (PWO-2) variety.

 The University in 1994 also released a processing-grade white

onion variety called Punjab White.

 Red coloured cultivars are more pungent than silver skinned varieties
and have better storage life as compared to white colored onion.
Dehydrated onion
Popularity of dehydrated onion is increasing now-a-days. Advantages of dehydrated onion
are storage stability and ease of preparation. Commercial processing plants prescribes a
shrinkage ratio of 7:1 to 17:1 with a moisture content of 4% in final product. Dehydrated
onions are sold in many forms as slices, chopped, minced, granulated and powdered.

Bulbs for dehydration should have the following characteristics:

1.Devoid of any green patches so that it may not develop discoloration on drying. White
onions are preferred to red or yellow onions.
2.TSS should be 15-20°Brix in common onion and 25 ° Brix in multiplier onion.
3.Onion with small neck and root zone and those with tall globe shape are preferred than flat
types to permit greater efficiency in topping.
4.Large bulbs are preferred due to economy in harvests.
5.Pungency should be high since dehydrated product is primarily sued as flavouring agent.
6.The bulb should have good stability with minimum shrinkage loss and rotting. Moisture
content should be around 80%.
 South Port White Globe and White Cresole are primarily used for dehydration in Central
California and Central America.
 Varieties like Pusa White Red, Pusa White Flat, S-48 and N-257-9-1 and Udaipur-102 are
suitable for dehydration purposes.
 The colour of the onion is due to the presence of anthocyanins and anthoxanthins
which belong to the class of Flavonoids. Anthocyanins impart orange, yellow or
purple colouration while anthoxanthins impart pale yellow or white colour. These
pigments are present in the cell sap and are water soluble.

 On frying in oil, onions initially lose moisture and their size is reduced. As the
pigments anthoxanthins and anthocyanins are temperature-sensitive, pigment
loss will occur on frying onions in oil. This results in translucent onions.

 Yellow onions are the main source of flavonols. The principal flavonol in onions is
quercetin (about 0.4 mg/g).

 White coloured flesh with total solid content 15–20% and having high
pungency is strongly recommended for drying. Insoluble solid should be high
whereas, ratio of reducing to non-reducing sugar should be low to lessen
discolouration and browning during drying.
Why when we cut onion tear come from our eye?

Onions produce the chemical irritant known as syn-propanethial-S-oxide. It

stimulates the eyes' lachrymal glands so they release tears. Scientists used to
blame the enzyme allinase for the instability of substances in a cut onion. Recent
studies from Japan, however, proved that lachrymatory-factor synthase, (a
previously undiscovered enzyme) is the culprit (Imani et al, 2002).
The process goes as follows:

1.Lachrymatory-factor synthase is released into the air when we cut an onion.

2.The synthase enzyme converts the amino acids sulfoxides of the onion into
sulfenic acid.
3.The unstable sulfenic acid rearranges itself into syn-ropanethial-S-oxide.
4.Syn-propanethial-S-oxide gets into the air and comes in contact with our
eyes. The lachrymal glands become irritated and produces the tears!
Thanks