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Onion (Allium cepa)

Onion (Allium cepa) is one of India's most economically important commercial vegetables and a staple ingredient in Indian cuisine. India produces about 168 lakh tonnes annually and ranks second globally in production. The crop is grown across kharif and rabi seasons in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, with Maharashtra (Nashik in particular) accounting for the largest share.

Key characteristics

  • Family: Amaryllidaceae (formerly Liliaceae)
  • India production: ~168 lakh tonnes/year (2nd globally)
  • Main seasons: kharif (June-July transplant) and rabi (September-November transplant)
  • Bulb types: red, white and yellow; Indian commercial cultivation is dominated by red

Cultivation

Onion is raised in nursery beds and transplanted at 6-8 weeks. Bulb formation is photoperiod-sensitive and temperature-dependent, making variety choice critical to the specific season window. The crop requires well-drained loam soils with adequate organic matter, light frequent irrigation during bulb development, and progressive water cut-off as the foliage senesces to allow proper neck-tightening and curing for storage.

Adoption and use

Organised breeding is concentrated at ICAR-DOGR Rajgurunagar (Pune), ICAR-IIHR Bengaluru, ICAR-IARI New Delhi and the National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF) Nashik. NHRDF distributes most of the popular cultivars, including Agrifound Dark Red which is notified by the Government of India specifically for the kharif season. Other widely grown NHRDF cultivars include Agrifound Light Red, Agrifound White and Agrifound Rose. Long-term storage and price stabilisation are managed through buffer-stocking by NAFED and state cooperatives.

This is a standalone entry; cross-links will be added as related onion variety, pest and disease entries are published.

References

  1. Onion Improvement in India. ICAR-DOGR Journal of Allium Research.
  2. Onion. National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF).
  3. Onion. Vikaspedia agriculture portal.