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Bulb Onion Farming Program/ Planting Guide

Published May 10, 2024

Bulb Onion Farming Program/ Planting Guide

ONION PROGRAM

We have different onion seeds varieties ranging from open pollinated (OPVs), highly selected/ improved and hybrids. Here is a link to our onion seeds portfolio: https://agropests.co.ke/products?s=onion 

An acre requires about 1kg to 1.2kg (250,000- 300,000 seeds).

Nursery:

Onions generally take about 35 to 45 days in the nursery.

  • At sowing: Confidor 10g/20l (soil drench)
  • After 7 days: Confidor 5g/20 + Ridomil 40g/20l
  • After 7 days: Confidor 5g/20 + Ridomil 40g/20l
  • After 7 days: Karate Zeon 12ml/20l + Ridomil 50g/20l
  • After 10 days: Karate Zeon 12ml/20l + Luna Sensation 10ml/20l
  • Mazao Plenty Starter Plus foliar fertilizer should be applied in between the above sprays at 40ml/20l

For more information on nursery establishment and management, refer to https://agropests.co.ke/blog/how-to-prepare-and-manage-seedling-nursery 

Seedbed:

Apply a selective herbicide that takes care of weeds in onion. It's recommended to be sprayed at about 10th-14th day after transplanting at 50ml/20l of water when the soil is moist. Minimum soil disturbance after the spray is encouraged. You can use either Galigan or Oxyfen. 

Incorporating well composed manure to the top soil prior to transplanting will be an added advantage (preferably cow/goat manure).

Here is an ideal planting guide for other farm inputs:

 

Time

Application

Target

After transplanting

(week 1)

  • DAP/Yara Power (150kg/acre)
  • Goldazim (20ml/20l) + Systema (20ml/20l)- soil drench
  • Aid in root formation
  • Dumping off, root rot
  • Crickets, cutworms

After 7 days

(week 2)

  • Mazao Plenty Calmagzinc (40ml/20l)  + Orbea Opti (10ml/20l) + Luna Sensation (10ml/20l)
  • Establishment of root hairs, boosts immune
  • Aphids, thrips, whitefly
  • Tip blights, Powdery mildew, Purple blotch, Downy mildew, Septoria leaf spot

After 7 days

(week 3)

  • Metacop (40g/20l) + Rapid (10-15ml/20ml)
  • Purple blotch, Downy mildew, Tip blights
  • Aphids, Thrips, Whitefly, Red spidermites

After 7 days

(week 4)

  • Emmaron (15ml/20l)  + Uster Top (10ml/20l) + Mazao Plenty Vegetative Plus (40g/20)
  • CAN (150kg/acre)
  • Thrips, red spidermites
  • Purple blotch, Downy mildew, Powdery mildew

After 7 days

(week 5)

  • Rapid (10-15ml/20l)  + Metacop (40g/20l)
  • Thrips, red spidermites, Aphids
  • Purple blotch, downy mildew, Tip blights

After 7 days

(week 6)

  • Pegasus (25ml/20l)  + Miravis Duo (15ml/20l) + Mazao Plenty Macro Pro
  • Thrips, red spidermites, aphids
  • Powdery Mildew, Downy Mildew, Tip blight, Septoria leaf spot

After 7 days

(week 7)

  • Victory (50g/20l)  + Marshal (50ml/20l)
  • White tip, downy mildew
  • Thrips, red spidermites, aphids

 

After 7 days

(week 8)

  • NPK 17.17.17/ Yara Winner (150kg/acre)
  • Mazao Plenty Calmagzinc (40ml/20l) + Orbea Opti (10ml/20l) + Luna Sensation (10ml/20l)
  • Bulb enlargement
  • Purple blotch, rust, downey mildew
  • Aphids, thrips, whitefly, Septoria leaf spot

After 10 days

(week 9)

  • Mazao Plenty Sure K (40g/20l) + Pegasus (25ml/20ml) + 
  • Facilitate bulb formation and expansion
  • Aphids, thrips, whitefly

After 10 days

(week 10)

  • Thiovit Jet (80g/20l)
  • Neck rot, repel pests
  • The sulphur influences its unique flavour and attractive colour

 

NOTE:

1.  Spacing of your onion seedlings will also determine the bulb size, among other factors. Depending on your market needs, you can use this guide:

        medium bulbs: 7.5cm by 15cm or 10cm by 10cm

        small bulbs: 5cm by 15cm

        large bulbs: 10cm by 15cm

2.  The spraying intervals may vary depending on disease and pests pressure.

3.  Feeding regime may also change depending on the general outlook of your crops/ soil test results.

4.  Other cultural farm practices, other than inputs,  will also influence production. General care is thus needed to be observed

5.  It is recommended to also include adjuvants/sticker in your sprays to enhance effectiveness, especially during rainy seasons. Aquastick, Aquawet or Integra may be used.

6.  Deep planting of your seedlings is discouraged as it will lead to unmarketable bottle-shaped bulbs. To encourage good and desired globe-shape bulbs, shallow planting is recommended; and soil around the bulbs accidently planted deeply should be removed/ loosened.

5.  Most hybrids and improved varieties take about 90 days to maturity after transplanting. OPVs take much longer in the farm.


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