Demonstration on high yielding, light red attractive and good storability onion (Allium cepa L.) variety Bhima kiran under central Telangana agro climatic condition

Introduction

The onion (Allium cepa L.) is a biennial herbaceous plant and is typically grown as an annual crop for its edible bulb. Nowadays, the onion crop is grown all over the world, but it is probably native to southwest Asia. Although it is a temperate crop, it can be grown in a wide range of climatic conditions including subtropical, tropical and temperate. But moderate weather that avoids extremes of heat, cold, and precipitation is ideal for its cultivation. Onion crop can be grown in any type of soil, but deep, friable loam and alluvial soils with good drainage are the most suitable soil types for onion cultivation. Onion cultivation is significant in Telangana, particularly in districts like Gadwal, Medak, Sangareddy, and Mahabubnagar, with both red and white varieties grown for local consumption, processing, and export, though the region faces challenges from pests and climate, driving research into better, higher-yielding varieties suited for kharif (rainy) and rabi (winter) seasons to ensure year-round production, supply and improved farmer income. Red onions dominate in southern Telangana, known for their pungency, while white onions are preferred in the north for dehydration due to lower pungency. Traditionally, onion is grown as a rabi (winter) crop because heavy rains, diseases and pests (especially thrips causing purple blotch) during kharif season and erratic monsoon weather significantly impact kharif yields. Moreover, the Medak district farmers are cultivating paddy crop during kharif preceding to onion crop in rabi season for domestic and commercial purpose. The major problem faced by farmers is low yielding, non-uniform size and low storability. To bridge this technology gap, Krishi Vigyan Kendras as farm science centres are conducting demonstrations to disseminate the new technologies released by ICAR research institutes, DOGR and agricultural universities. In this context, the ICAR-KVK, Tuniki, Medak has taken up demonstration on a high-yielding, attractive, uniform size, light red-coloured bulb and good storability variety in Medak district of Telangana.

Materials and Methods

The present study was carried out in the farmers' fields of three adopted villages in Medak district, Telangana. During 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24, an improved onion variety-Bhima Kiran was introduced through frontline demonstrations (FLDs) by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Tuniki, Medak. Each demonstration was laid out on 0.4 ha to evaluate the performance of the variety and compare it directly with the farmer's local check for easy visual understanding of the differences. Five demonstrations were conducted annually, covering a total area of 2 ha per year. Over three years, a cumulative total of 15 demonstrations across 6 ha were implemented. Prior to the demonstrations, farmers received training on the planned technological interventions, site selection, layout design, farmer participation, and other aspects as recommended by Choudhary (1999) [1] and Singh et al. (2007) [6] . The major cultivation practices under the trial included sowing of the high-yielding variety at standardized spacing, balanced fertilizer application, and timely adoption of recommended plant protection measures. Details of the farmers' practice versus the demonstrated FLD technology are presented in Table 1. Data on physical parameters, yield attributes, cost of production, gross income, net income, B: C ratio, extension gap, technology gap, and technology index were collected and analysed. To compute extension gap, technology gap, and technology index, the formulae suggested by Samui et al. (2000) [5] , Kadian et al. (2004) [3] , and Sagar and Chandra (2004) [4] were followed.

Result and Discussion

As per the data recorded in this frontline demonstration, positive results were observed over the farmer's practice. Biometric observations viz., plant height, number of leaves, leaf length, bulb diameter, and bulb weight were recorded to be significantly better in Bhima Kiran than the local variety (Table .2). Storability of onion bulbs is a crucial factor, especially to store during market glut and sell later in the off-season at higher prices; the storability duration of Bhima Kiran was 171.6 days, markedly higher than the local variety's 116.5 days (Table .2). Compared to farmer practice, the demonstrated plot showed an 11.47 % increase in onion yield (Table .3). The average bulb yield under demonstration was 37.47 t/ha, surpassing the farmer's practice of 33.61 t/ha. The extension gap in yield between Bhima Kiran and the local variety was 3.85 t/ha, while the technology gap (difference between potential and demonstrated yield) was 4.02 t/ha, yielding a technology index of 9.69 % (Table .3). Gross income (₹3, 49,333.3), net income (₹1, 74,833.3), and B: C ratio (2.00) were all notably higher than the check. The low yield of local varieties is mainly attributed to use of low-yielding seeds, poor fertilizer and weed management, and severe damage from purple blotch, downy mildew, and thrips all causing substantial economic loss. Introduction of the high-yielding Bhima Kiran variety, coupled with awareness creation on scientific practices timely sowing, recommended spacing, balanced manure/fertilizer use, effective weed control, and integrated pest-disease management helped bridge the gap. These findings corroborate the study by Hiremath and Mantur (2018) [2] conducted during 2013-15.

Conclusion

The results of the present investigation concluded that the increased yield, superior storability, and higher net returns were attributable to the adoption of a high-yielding, light-red, goodstorability variety like Bhima Kiran, together with the implementation of the recommended scientific package of practices which, in turn, is expected to enhance the income and improve the livelihood of farmers in Medak district, Telangana.

References

1. Choudhary BN. Krishi Vigyan Kendra: a guide for KVK managers. New Delhi: Division of Agricultural Extension, Indian Council of Agricultural Research; 1999. p. 73-78.
2. Hiremath SM, Mantur SM. Assessment of onion varieties for late Kharif. Int J Agric Sci. 2018;14(1):102-105.
3. Kadian KS, Sharma R, Sharma AK. Evaluation of front line demonstration trials on oilseeds in Kangravally of Himachal Pradesh. Ann Agric Res. 2004;18:40-45.
4. Sagar RL, Ganesh Chandra. Front line demonstration on sesame in West Bengal. Agric Extn Rev. 2004;16(2):7-10.
5. Samui SK, Maitra S, Roy DK, Mandal AK, Saha D. Evaluation of front line demonstration on groundnut. J Indian Soc Coastal Agric Res. 2000;18(2):180-183.
6. Singh RJ, Chung GH, Nelson RL. Landmark research in legumes. Genome. 2007 Jun;50(6):525-37.