Onion Crop Production in India – Onion Farming Techniques & Tips

What is the most profitable farming business in india? Onion is the second most important commercial crop in India, which is next to Potato. For instance, the onion crop has grown in about 5.30 million hectares with an annual production of 88.48 million tons around the world. Onion farming is the most profitable farming business, and it does not require any type of professional skills. Growing onion on a commercial basis requires significantly less investment and also needs minimal care. Modern tractors are highly capable and powerful, ensuring a profitable farming business, Swaraj tractor models are one of them. As the onion crop has shallow roots, it is most suitable for intercropping. Almost every farmer in all the states in India does onion farming as Kharif and Rabi crop.

Onion Farming Tips in India

However, growing onion requires some crucial things to remember, which further increase the productivity of your onion farming business. To remind you of those important factors, today we came up with this amazing blog which includes the details about the onion crop production guide in India. So without wasting any more time, let’s start this blog. 

Varieties of Onion Crop Grown in India 

Onion comes in many different shapes, sizes and colours. For instance, large and mature are most eaten around the globe. Young plants are harvested before the buds appear, which is known as spring onion or green onion. Moreover, the young bulbs before maturing are considered as summer onions. Apart from these, the most common varieties of onions are as follows. 

• Red Onion 

They are also known as purple onion and are the best choice for fresh use. The red onion packed with nutrients and other antioxidants, making them low in calories. 

• White Onion

They are traditional onions that are widely used in most Mexican dishes. However, the white onion has a sharper and more pungent flavour. They are significantly more tender and have thinner skin.

• Yellow or Brown Onion

These are full-flavoured onions which are the best choice for normal everyday use. They are greenish- white from the inside. These onions are enriched with sulphur content which provides more strong flavour.

Depending upon their growing condition, onions are classified into short days onion, long days onion, among others. Here are the characteristics of these onions.

• The short-day onion needs 10-12 hours of daylight in summer. These are suitable for the warm climate e,g, southern part of the country. 
• The long day onion takes 14-15 hours of sunlight in summer. These are suitable for the northern part of the country. 
• Intermediate varieties of onions need 12-14 hours of sunlight. They require normal temperature in the middle part of the country.

What are the Onion Farming Techniques and Tips?

Though onion farming is a quite simple farming business that does not require much efforts still, there are few more things that affect the whole crop. Following are the important factors required for onion farming.

• Soil Requirement 

Onion crops can be produced in almost every type of soil, such as heavy soil, clayey soil, sandy loam, and more. For instance, red to black loamy soil with good drainage is ideal for growing onions. Moreover, the soil must be enriched with a lot of organic matter and has good moisture holding capacity with 6.0 to 7.0 pH range. During land preparation, onion crops require adding organic matter. Mahindra tractor models are the best for land preparation as it provide more efficiency and reliability.

• Climate Requirement

Onion cultivation can be best possible under sub-tropical, temperate and tropical climates. In simpler words, gentle weather which is not too rainy, too cold or hot is ideal for onion growing.

However, the cultivation of onion is done in the specific season for better results.  For instance, onion bulbs are planted in the winter season, further cultivated during the late winters season and harvested just before the beginning of the summer season. The ideal temperature for onion farming is between 13-25* C in India.

• Season Requirement 

In India, onions are grown in almost every region of India. Due to this, onions are cultivated both as Kharif and rabi crops. The time and season of onion cultivation depend upon the geographical location and weather at a particular place.

• Irrigation Requirement

The irrigation in onion crops depends upon the planting season, soil type, and crop age. Generally, irrigation should be done at the time of seed plantation, during the transplantation period. Onion generally requires 30” of irrigation during the growing season. In case the onion does not get enough water, it will not make large bulbs. Always keep in mind that whenever necks start falling over and the onions get fully mature, irrigation should be discontinue, and the soil is then allow to dry.

Things to Remembers in Onion Farming in India

The proper management of watering and fertilization ensure a boost in overall crop production. As onions are a very sensitive plant, it needs some extra care on a regular basis. 

• To get the best optimum results, the first application of fertilizers should be done about 3 weeks after the planting of seedlings and then continue with applying every 2 to 3 weeks.
• At the time when the neck starts feeling soft, stop adding more fertilizers. Keep in mind that it must be stop nearly 4 weeks earlier to harvest.
• The roots of the onions are vulnerable to moisture. So they need a balanced watering process to thrive without problems.

Top 10 Onion Producing States in India

States	Production (Tons)	Share (%)
MAHARASHTRA	11363	43.31
MADHYA PRADESH	4082.9	15.2
KARNATAKA	2275	8.47
RAJASTHAN	1557	5.8
GUJARAT	1243	4.89
BIHAR	1313.16	4.63
ANDHRA PRADESH	980.61	3.65
HARYANA	609.65	2.27
UTTAR PRADESH	454.03	1.69
TAMIL NADU	434.58	1.62

Considering the above table, we can conclude that Maharashtra is the major onion producer in India, before Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

We hope you get enough information about onion farming and the essential things that boost crop production. By considering these important factors, you can establish a highly profitable onion farming business. For more information about farming, Sonalika tractor, and other interesting farming related blogs, stay tuned with us.

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