Evaluation of the Off-season Production of Bulb Onion (Allium cepa L.) in Mongar
Thinley Wangdi, Kinga Wangchuk, Karma Yangzom
https://doi.org/10.55925/btagr.24.7106
Bulb onion is one of the important commercial crops cultivated by the farmers in all the districts, and onion has been identified as one of the mandatory vegetable crops in Bhutan. The crop requires about five to six-month growing period from sowing till harvest. The harvest season coincides with the onset of the monsoon season and post-harvest losses due to high humidity and poor post-harvest management are high. With steady demand for the crop throughout the year and low domestic production, the current production cannot meet the market demand. Hence, substantial quantities of bulb onion are imported. Promotion of off-season bulb onion production with the harvest season during the dry season could minimize post-harvest losses and make it available in the market all year round. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate two bulb onion varieties, namely Pune Red and Pink onion 1358 for off-season production. The experiment was conducted at Lingmethang (600 masl) and Wengkhar (1650 masl) in the 2022 cropping season in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications and two treatments. The results indicate a significant difference (P < 0.05) in bulb height, weight, plant height, and neck diameter but no significant difference in bulb width. The maximum bulb weight 306.7 g was recorded at the Lingmethang station in the Pink 1358 variety. The yield obtained was 18.68 MT/acre for Pink 1358, 19.20 MT/acre for Pune Red at Lingmethang station, and 13.35 MT/acre for Pink 1358, 13.08 MT/acre for Pune Red at Wengkhar station. However, there was no significant difference (P >0.05) in yield in both stations. This study found that bulb onion production is feasible between August to March months in the mid-elevations upto 1650 masl. However, the best location for bulb onion production would be in the lower elevation where the yields are higher compared to the mid-elevation.
Keywords: Bulb onion; Variety; Bulb characteristics; Yield