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Dibyajyoti Nag

The present study has been conducted during the rabi season of two consecutive years of 2011-12 and 2012-13 at the experimental farm of Integrated Rural & Tribal Development and Management Faculty Centre of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Morabadi, Ranchi, Jharkhand. Different liquid organic manures viz. Shashyagavya 20% (T1), Shashyagavya 10% (T2), Sanjivani 20% (T3), Sanjivani 10% (T4), Mustard oilcake solution 12.5% (T5), Cow urine 10% (T6) and only water (T7) as control were used as  seven different treatments for the study. Onion cv. Agrifound Dark Red was employed as planting material for the experiment by adopting CRBD with three replications. Results were found to be significant in most of the studied characters of both yield and quality parameters. Maximum values for bulb weight (93.23 g), bulb diameter (6.23 cm), plant height (66.73 cm), leaf number (11.93), neck diameter (1.18 cm), harvest index (0.86%), TSS (11.00Brix), ascorbic acid (11.32 mg/ 100 g), total sugar (7.19%) and reducing sugar (3.89%) were recorded in different treatments except control under the present study. Character associationship studies revealed bulb weight, bulb diameter and leaf number as the major yield contributing components of onion.  Highest yield of onion (54.75 t/ha) and shelf-life (77 days under ambient condition) were recorded for T4 (Sanjivani 10%). Thereby, this treatment was tested in farmers’ fields through on farm trials during rabi season of 2012-13 with the objective of disseminating the technology for the benefit of farming community. Economics study disclosed the profitability of the onion grown through the application of Sanjivani 10% (T4) with the benefit cost ratio of 4.75. From the findings it may be concluded that the farmers can obtain more profit by adopting organic package of practices for sand mulched onion with the application of Sanjivani 10% solution.

Keywords: Organic onion cultivation, Sand mulching, organic manure, Sanjivani, yield and quality parameter