Scientific cultivation of kharif onion

Abstract

Onion (Allium cepa L), an important commercial bulb vegetable crop, comes under family Alliaceae. It has originated in central Asia and is extensively cultivated all over the world, mainly in China, India, Netherlands, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Australia. India is the second largest producer of onion. As per monthly report of the Horticulture Statistics Division, Department of Agriculture, Co-operation and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi (March, 2020) the total onion production of India is 228.19 lakh tonnes out of which share of kharif onion is 48.41 lakh tonnes, late kharif onion 21.50 and rabi onion 158.28 lakh tonnes. The major onion producing states in India are Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Bihar, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. Kharif onion is mainly grown in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat with new emerging areas in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. These states account for almost 90% of the total onion production of the country. Maharashtra is the largest producer of onion with about 8,047 thousands tonnes having share of 35.26% in 2018-19.