Abstract
Background: Onion is one of the most important crops widely cultivated throughout the world, including Ethiopia. The production of onion is mainly affected by the inadequate application of inorganic fertilizer types and rates. Objective: A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of nitrogen and sulfur fertilizers on the growth, yield, quality, and nutrient uptake of onion at Shewa Robit in 2018/19 under irrigation. Methods: The experiment consisted of four nitrogen rates (100, 150, 200, and 250 kg N /ha) and five sulfur rates (0, 15, 30, 45, and 60kg S/ha). The treatments were laid out in a factorial arrangement with three replications using randomized complete block design (RCBD). Bombay Red was used as a testing onion variety. Results: The interaction effect of nitrogen and sulfur significantly increased plant height, leaf length, leaf diameter, leaf area index, neck diameter, shoot dry weight, bulb fresh weight and bulb dry weight, percent dry matter content, yield, and quality parameters. The application of 200kg N/ha and 45 kg S/ha resulted in the highest yield (42.6 t ha-1), the average weight of bulb (193.6g), and a marketable bulb (99.8%). The highest N uptake (243.3 kg ha-1) and S uptake (31.9kg ha-1) were obtained by the combined application of 200 kgN/ha and 45kg S/ha. Conclusion: The application of 200 kgN/ha and 45kgS/ha can be recommended for high yield and quality onion production in the study area.
Highlights
Onion (Allium cepa L.) belongs to the genus Allium of the family Alliaceae
Onion is one of the most important crops widely cultivated throughout the world, including Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, the onion production area is increasing from time to time mainly due to its high profitability per unit area
Summary
Onion (Allium cepa L.) belongs to the genus Allium of the family Alliaceae. It is the most important of the bulb crops cultivated commercially in most parts of the world [1]. Onion contributes a significant nutritional value to the human diet and has medicinal properties. It is primarily consumed for its unique flavor or the ability to enhance the flavor of other foods [2]. One of the major problems affecting onion production in Ethiopia is the rapid depletion of nutrients in smallholder farmlands [5]. The production of onion is mainly affected by the inadequate application of inorganic fertilizer types and rates
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