Learn onion farming step-by-step, from planting to harvesting, including soil preparation, irrigation, pest control, yield, and market tips for high profitability.
Introduction to Onion Farming
Onion (Allium cepa) is one of the most widely cultivated vegetables in the world, known for its pungent flavor and high demand in both domestic and international markets. It is a key ingredient in countless dishes, making it an essential cash crop for farmers. Onion farming offers farmers a stable income due to its year-round demand and long storage life compared to many vegetables.
In this guide, we will cover:
Best onion varieties for different regions
Soil and climate requirements
Step-by-step onion cultivation
Pest and disease control
Harvesting and storage
Profitability and market strategies
- Importance of Onion Farming
High Market Demand: Onions are consumed daily in households, restaurants, and the food industry.
Export Opportunities: Countries like India, China, USA, and Netherlands export large quantities of onions.
Year-Round Cultivation: With proper irrigation, onions can be grown in multiple seasons.
Storage Advantage: Bulbs can be stored for months with proper curing and ventilation.
- Onion Varieties
Onion varieties are classified into short-day, intermediate-day, and long-day types, based on the hours of daylight required for bulb formation.
Popular Varieties:
Short-Day Varieties: Red Creole, Texas Early Grano, White Bermuda
Intermediate-Day Varieties: Candy, Super Star, Early Red
Long-Day Varieties: Walla Walla, Yellow Sweet Spanish, Copra
Tip: Choose a variety that matches your local climate and daylight hours for maximum yield.
- Climate & Soil Requirements
Temperature: Ideal germination at 20–25°C; bulb formation at 12–24°C.
Rainfall: Requires 650–750 mm; avoid heavy rains during bulb maturity to prevent rotting.
Soil: Well-drained sandy loam with pH 6.0–7.0. Heavy clay soils cause bulb deformities.
- Land Preparation
- Ploughing: Deep plough 2–3 times to break soil clods.
- Leveling: Ensure proper drainage to avoid waterlogging.
- Manure Application: Add 20–25 tons of well-decomposed farmyard manure (FYM) per hectare.
- Bed Preparation: Make raised beds for better aeration and water drainage.
- Seed Rate & Sowing
Seed Rate: 8–10 kg seeds per hectare for bulb onions; 12–15 kg for green onions.
Nursery Bed: Sow seeds in a 1 m wide raised bed, spacing rows 10–15 cm apart.
Transplanting: Seedlings are ready in 6–8 weeks when they reach pencil thickness.
- Planting Method & Spacing
Spacing: 10–15 cm between rows, 7–10 cm between plants.
Depth: Plant seedlings just deep enough to cover roots without burying the neck.
- Irrigation Management
First Irrigation: Immediately after transplanting.
Frequency: Every 7–10 days in winter, every 5–6 days in summer.
Avoid Overwatering: Excess moisture causes fungal diseases and bulb rotting.
- Fertilizer Requirement
Basal Dose (Before Planting): 60 kg Nitrogen (N), 50 kg Phosphorus (P2O5), 50 kg Potassium (K2O) per hectare.
Top Dressing: Apply additional 60 kg Nitrogen in two equal splits at 30 and 60 days after transplanting.
Tip: Use bio-fertilizers like Azospirillum and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria for better growth.
- Weed Control
Manual Weeding: First weeding at 20–25 days after transplanting, second at 40–45 days.
Chemical Control: Use pendimethalin (1 kg a.i./ha) as pre-emergence herbicide.
- Pest & Disease Management
Common Pests:
- Thrips: Tiny insects causing silver streaks on leaves.
Control: Spray spinosad 0.3 ml/l or neem oil 3%. - Onion Maggot: Larvae damage roots and bulbs.
Control: Apply chlorpyrifos 2 ml/l near roots.
Common Diseases:
- Downy Mildew: Fungal disease causing yellow spots and leaf curling.
Control: Spray metalaxyl + mancozeb. - Purple Blotch: Brown to purple lesions on leaves.
Control: Spray carbendazim or propiconazole. - Harvesting
Maturity Signs: 50–70% of tops fall over and dry.
Harvesting Time: Uproot bulbs and leave them in the field for 2–3 days for curing.
Curing: Store onions in a dry, ventilated shed for 10–15 days to improve storage life.
- Yield
Average Yield: 25–30 tons/ha under good management.
High-Yield Varieties: Can produce up to 40–50 tons/ha.
- Storage & Marketing
Storage: Use mesh bags or ventilated storage structures to prevent rotting.
Marketing: Sell directly to wholesalers, retailers, or through farmer cooperatives for better prices.
Export: Meet international quality standards for size, color, and moisture content.
- Profitability Analysis
Example Calculation (Per Hectare):
Cost of Cultivation: $1,200–$1,500
Yield: 30 tons × $0.4/kg = $12,000 revenue
Net Profit: $10,500 (approx.)
- Tips for Success
Select disease-resistant varieties.
Follow crop rotation to avoid soil-borne diseases.
Harvest at the right maturity to maximize storage life.
Consider drip irrigation to save water and reduce fungal issues………onion farming, onion cultivation, how to grow onions, onion yield, onion pest control, onion farming profit, onion varieties, onion irrigation, onion diseases
✍️Real Neel
Founder -Farming Writers
Read A Small Profitable Farming Part -9👇
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