Binod Prasad Luitel1*, Bishnu Bahadur Bhandari1 , Ishwori Prasad Gautam2 and
Nabin Gopal Pradhan2
1 Horticulture Research Station, Dailekh, Karnali Province
2 National Horticulture Research Center, Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal Agricultural Research Council
*Corresponding authors' email: binodsan@yahoo.com
*ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6958-4687
Abstract
Bulb yield and its storability associate with genetic traits besides the agronomic, environmental and other biotic factors. Field experiments were conducted at Horticulture Research Station, Dailekh (28°13ʹ6.18ʺN, 83°58ʹ27.72ʺE, and 1255 meter above sea level) in the main cropping season (2018-2019 and 2019-2020) to investigate seven onion genotypes (AVON-1016, AVON1028, AVON-1027, AVON-1052, AVON-1103, Light Red and Nasik Red) for their bulb yield and storage performance and compared them with Red Creole, a commercial variety. Experiments were laid-out in randomized complete block design with four replications. The analysis of data showed that genotypes had significantly different in neck diameter, individual bulb weight, total bulb weight and total bulb yield. Genotype AVON-1016 produced the highest bulb weight (5.4 kg/plot) and bulb yield (35.4 t/ha). Genotype AVON-1016 produced 33.6% higher bulb yield than Red Creole. The lowest bulb rotting percentage was recorded in Red Creole (17.1%) followed by AVON-1052 (20.6%) and AVON-1016 (24.4%) after 120 days of storage at room condition. The lowest bulb weight loss was recorded in Red Creole (34.5%) followed by AVON1052 (36.0%) and AVON-1016 (36.5%). Thus, AVON-1016 can be selected as high yielding onion genotype with good storage potential to grow in commercial level at Mid-western Nepal.
Keywords: Bulb rotting percentage, genotypes, storage, weight loss, yield