Varietal Response to Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Growth, Bulb Yield and Quality of Onion (Allium cepa L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in the Rabi season of 2021-22 at the research farm of the Regional Research Center, Raiya (Jhajjar) of Maharana Pratap Horticultural University, Karnal, Haryana. The study aimed to examine the impact of organic manures and inorganic fertilizers on the growth, bulb yield and quality of two local varieties of onion. The experiment consists of two factors viz. different combinations of organic and inorganic nutrient sources (T1: RDF (125:50:25 kg/ha), T2: RDN supplied through FYM, T3: RDN supplied through Vermi-compost, T4: RDN supplied through Poultry manure, T5: 50% Recommended dose of NPK + 50% RDN supplied through FYM, T6: 50% Recommended dose of NPK + 50% RDN supplied through Vermi-compost, T7: 50% Recommended dose of NPK + 50% RDN supplied through poultry manure, T8: control) that were laid out in a randomized block design (factorial) with four replications and two varieties namely Hisar Onion-2 and Hisar Onion-4. The outcomes of the study revealed that the leaf length (52.72 cm), number of leaves (10.28), equatorial diameter (6.09 cm), polar diameter (5.16 cm), bulb yield and yield related parameters such as average fresh weight of bulbs (82.39 g), yield per plot (26.74 kg), yield per hectare (29.71 t) and A grade bulbs (73.55%) were recorded maximum, while bolting percentage (2.28%) and twin bulbs percentage (3.16%) was recorded minimum under the treatment T6 Hisar Onion-4 exhibited superiority in almost all growth and bulb yield parameters except number of leaves, which was noted higher in Hisar Onion-2.