CROP PRODUCTION

• In common onion, nursery raising on raised beds, drenching with Thiram (0.2%) or soil solarization with 250-gauge transparent polythene sheet and application of Trichoderma viride @ 1,250 g / ha for a healthy nursery raising have been recommended. Transplanting of 6-7 weeks old seedlings between 15 July and 31 August for kharif crop and 8 weeks old seedlings during October-November for rangda (late-kharif) crop, while transplanting during December- January for rabi crop at 12.5cm - 15cm x 10cm spacing have been recommended.
• Growing of onion by direct seeding or using 1.5-2.0 cm sized seed sets at 30cm x 10 cm spacing gives good yield in kharif reason as an early crop.
• Application of nitrogen @ 100-150 kg/ha for transplanted onion and 150 kg/ha for seed sets is recommended for getting more bulb yield.
• Application of Pendimethalin @ 3.5 litres/ha + 1 hand-weeding in onion bulb and seed crop has been recommended for weed control and getting higher yield.
• Use of Azotobactor, FYM with reduced doses of nitrogenous fertilizers is beneficial for better post- harvest management of quality of bulbs.
• Foliar spraying of NPK ( 19:19:19 ) 15, 30 and 45 days after planting (DAP) and NPK 13:0:45, 60, 75 and 90 DAP in onion bulb crop are recommended for getting higher yield with improved quality of bulbs.
• Irrigation at 1.25 ID/CPE ratio (10 irrigations) in rabi season are recommended for Karnal area.
• Drip irrigation with raised-bed planting has been recommended for getting higher yield with improved bulb quality in Maharashtra .
• Fertigation of recommended dose of NPK in 7 splits gives higher bulb yield.
• In small pickling onion, seed sowing @ 20kg seed / ha in first fortnight of May in Andhra Pradesh, along with 125 kg N/ha has been recommended for getting more yield.
• Application of nitrogen @ 75-100 kg/ha with a spacing of 8 cm x 5 cm has been recommended for increasing yield of export quality bulbs of rose onion in Karnataka.
• A gross yield (413.74 q/ha) and marketable yield (384.57 q/ha) are obtained with highest bulb diameter, size index and weight of 20 bulbs, following of a plant spacing 2x20 cm x 2 x30cm, i.e. two rows at 5 cm distance and row-to-row distance of 15 cm and 2 plants at 5 cm and plant- to-plant distance of 25 cm compared to gross yield (370.82 q/ha) and marketable yield (335.82 q/ha) by following a spacing of 15 cm x 10 c m, at Nashik.
• Highest gross yield (382.25 q/ha) and marketable yield (364.20 q/ha) with bulb diameter of (5.66 cm) and size index (31.86 cm2) are obtained by foliar application of sulphur (1%) 15, 30, 45 and 60 days after transplanting in rabi onion at Nashik, the increase being 18.57% in foliar application of sulphur and 10.43% in soil application of sulphur over the control (without sulphur) in bulb yield.
• Highest gross yield (190.0 q/ha) is obtained in onion bulblets (sets) in kharif season in 22 September planting, followed by 15 September planting (89.55 q/ha), the lowest yield (41.11 q/ha) being in 25 July planting.

CROP PROTECTION

• New diseases of onion in Maharashtra , viz. Fusarium oxysporum causing damping off, Colletotrichum leaf blight, Cercospora leaf spot, twister disease and Iris yellow spot on bulb crop have been identified.
• Application of Mancozeb @ 0.25% + Malathion @ 0.1% + sticker @ 0.6% are recommended to control diseases and insect pests.
• Application of Mancozeb @ 0.25% or Chlorothalonil @ 0.2% or Alliette @ 0.2% or Iprodione @ 0.2% is recommended to control purple blotch and stemphylium blight.
• For control of Colletotrichum blight, Carbendazim @ 0.1% or Benlate @ 0.1% have been recommended.
• Use of Trichoderma viride @ 1,250g after mixing with 50kg FYM/ha is ideal to control basal rot disease.
• Soil solarization and treating seed with Trichoderma viride @ 4 g/kg seed controls damping off disease, while soil application of T.viride @ 500g mixed with 50kg FYM/ha results in better yield.
• Application of Cypermethrin (25EC) @ 0.01 % or Deltamethrin @ 0.1 % or Prophenophos (50% EC) @ 0.2% with sticker @ 0.06% is very effective to control onion thrips.
• Spraying of Alfamethrin 10EC (Farsa) @ 0.15%, Profenophos @ 0.2% (Curacron), Alfamethrin 10EC (Farsa) @ 0.15% and Lambda cyhalothrin (Karate) @ 0.05% just after appearance of thrips and at 15 days intervals help control thrips significantly, enhancing the yield potential.
• Use of FYM @ 10 tonnes/ha along with neem cake @ 500kg/ha is better in reducing thrips population as organic products, while spraying with recommended dose of NPK fertilizer, (100:50:50) and neem oil EC 10000 ppm @ 0.2% manage the thrips, increasing onion yield up
  to 19.61%.
• Foliar spraying of Deltamethrin @ 0.095 % and Mancozeb @ 0.25 % alternatively is quite effective in reducing the infestation of diseases and insect pest, increasing the yield in rabi as well as kharif seasons.
• Spraying of Decis @ 0.04 % and Malathion @ 0.13 %, (twice) alternatively is best controlling measure of thrips population with a highest cost: benefit ratio at Nashik and Karnal in rabi season in Agrifound Dark Red onion.
• Transplanting of onion Agrifound Light Red on 15 December and application of 25 tonnes of FYM and spraying of Deltamethrin (4 times) control thrips population with higher yield at Nashik, while transplanting of Agrifound Light Red on 30 December and application of 10 tonnes of FYM + 1250 kg neem cake + 100:50:50 kg/ha NPK and 2 sprays each of Chlorpyriphos and of Decis, alternatively helps control thrips resulting in higher yield at Karnal in rabi season.
• Use of NPK (100:50:50) with foliar application of Mancozeb @ 0.25% and Decis @ 0.095 is adjudged better in reducing disease and insect pest attack, increasing bulb yield at Nashik, while overall performance of FYM @ 20 tonnes/ha + sulphur @ 50 kg/ha with foliar application of T.viride @ 0.4% + B. bassiana @ 0.4% is better in reducing disease appearance, increasing yield at Karnal.
• Use of Spinosad 45% SC @ 1 ml/litre, neem oil @ 2 ml/litre and Acetamiprid 10 WP @ 1 ml/litre is effective in controlling thrips population, giving more yield with higher cost: benefit ratio
• Use of Deltamethrin alone or with sticky trap is better in reducing thrips population and increasing bulb yield.

PRE-AND POST-HARVEST TECHNOLOGY

• Withholding irrigation in onion, 10-15 days before harvesting and harvesting one week after 50 top fall are effective in reducing post-harvest losses.
• Application of maleic hydrazide @ 2000-2500 ppm 75 days after transplanting in kharif onion and spraying of Carbendazim @ 0.1 % 90 days after transplanting are effective in checking decay losses in storage.
• Windrow curing till complete drying of tops and cutting of tops leaving 2.5cm neck, shade curing for 10-15 days before storage reduces storage losses in onion.
• Onion Agrifound White has been identified as ideal for dehydration purposes.
• Improved storage structures designed by the NHRDF having ventilation from all sides including bottom are very effective in reducing the post-harvest losses.

• Time of planting, spacing, size of bulbs, plant-protection measures, stage of harvesting, seed processing and packing and storage have been standardized and recommended for seed production.
• Dipping onion bulbs in 1% potassium nitrate and 0.1% Carbendazim before planting for seed crop in kharif season and dipping 0.1% Carbendazim in rabi season are effective for getting higher seed yield.
• Drip irrigation with wheat or paddy straw mulching has been recommended for effective weed management and getting higher seed yield.
• Hydration and dehydration treatments have been recommended for increasing the germination rate in onion seed.
• Use of paddy straws as mulch in seed crop with drip irrigation increases seed yield by 42 % in onion Agrifound Dark Red with higher net return.
• Onion Agrifound Dark Red seed coated with DAP+ZnS04+Bavistin as well as with DAP + Borax +Trichoderma and sown in July and harvesting in November gives highest gross yield (150.0q/ha)

• Garlic bulb canker, a new disease identified by NHRDF from stored garlic in India , is under study for its control measures.
• New diseases of garlic in Maharashtra , viz. powdery mildew and Cercospera leaf blight identified and their control measures have been recommended.
• Mancozeb @ 0.25% or Chlorothalonil @ 0.2% along with Malathion @ 0.1 % or Prophenophos 50% EC @ 0.2% + sticker @ 0.06% have been recommended to control diseases and insect pests attack.
• The 15 September planting of G 41 and 15 October of G 1, G 50 and G 282 under Nashik conditions in Maharashtra are suitable with low diseases and thrips infestation. However, 15 September planting is suitable for G1, G 50 and G 282 under Karnal conditions in Haryana and 15 October for G 41 with less diseased and thrips attack.
• Spraying of Decis @ 0.04 % and Malathion @ 0.13 %, (twice) alternatively are better control measures for thrips, giving highest net return in garlic G-282 under Karnal conditions in Haryana.
• Three sprays of Cypermethrin @ 0.05 % are most effective in controlling thrips population, giving highest net return in garlic G 282 under Karnal conditions in Haryana

• Harvesting of garlic at 75-100% neck fall stage, foliage cutting leaving 2.5cm neck and storage in nylon-netted bags have been recommended.
• Planting of cloves with cold treatment at 14 +1°C for 20 days before planting gives higher bulb yield, while cloves treated with potassium orthophosphate solution @ 1 % for 15 minutes before planting performs better in storage by giving lowest loss (29.48 %) after 6 months of storage in Nashik conditions.
• Planting of cloves with cold treatment at 10° C for 20 days before planting gives higher bulb yield, while cloves treated with potassium orthophosphate solution @ 1 % for 15 minutes before planting performs better in storage by giving lowest loss (19.58%) after 5 months of storage in Karnal conditions.
• Planting of Agrifound White (G 41) on 25 or 30 October and harvesting 140 days after planting gives higher bulb yield and better storage performance during 6 months of storage at Nashik while planting of Yamuna Safed 3 (G 282) on 20 October and harvesting 150 days after planting gives higher yield at Karnal.
• Planting of all garlic varieties having above 4.0 cm sized bulbs gives higher bulb yield at Nashik, while Agrifound White (G 41) gives lowest storage loss (14.33%) after 6 months storage. At Karnal, planting of Yamuna Safed 2 (G 50) of above 4.0 cm size of bulbs gives higher bulb yield, while Yamuna Safed (G 1) performs best in storage for size 3.5 - 4.0 cm for 5 months storage giving only 11.78% % losses.

• Sowing of kharif crop at a 30cm x 15cm spacing and application of nitrogen @ 100 kg/ha are recommended to get higher yield of exportable quality fruits.
• Treating seed with Imidacloprid (70 WS) @ 5 g/kg seed and foliar spraying of Monocrotophos @ 500g ai/ha 15 days after germination and Cypermethrin 10 EC @ 30g ai/ha at 65 DAG are better control measures of jassids in seed crop.
• Hot water treatment at 50°C for 30 minutes gives highest germination and normal seedlings followed by 0.5% citric acid treatment for 45 minutes.