ONION FARMING
THREAD!
The seedbed determines your success or failure. Choose the right seeds. Tender your seedbed properly. Have healthy vibrant seedlings. Prepare your land. Time the rains if not on irrigation. Feed them if the soil is not fertile. Control pests and diseases.
THREAD!
The seedbed determines your success or failure. Choose the right seeds. Tender your seedbed properly. Have healthy vibrant seedlings. Prepare your land. Time the rains if not on irrigation. Feed them if the soil is not fertile. Control pests and diseases.
For seeds, buy F1 variety if you are going commercial.
Why?
F1 are hybrid seeds that offer various benefits. Eg
1. High volumes of yield during harvest
2. Resistance to common infections
3. Long post harvest storage period of 6 months without losing its value.
4. Marketability
Why?
F1 are hybrid seeds that offer various benefits. Eg
1. High volumes of yield during harvest
2. Resistance to common infections
3. Long post harvest storage period of 6 months without losing its value.
4. Marketability
On marketability, F1 onions eg Red Couch 1 have good sizes, strong outer skin and redish colour making them highly preferred over other onions in the market.
You definitely need a produce that will attract buyers in the market if doing commercial onion farming.
You definitely need a produce that will attract buyers in the market if doing commercial onion farming.
Seedbed:
Plough and farrow your bed properly to ensure you have loose soil.
Mix the soil with 50% cow manure.
Don't use guan or poultry manure due to high uric acid content.
Mixing manure with soil ensures you have a fertile seedbed for your seedlings to thrive.
Plough and farrow your bed properly to ensure you have loose soil.
Mix the soil with 50% cow manure.
Don't use guan or poultry manure due to high uric acid content.
Mixing manure with soil ensures you have a fertile seedbed for your seedlings to thrive.
Water the bed adequately to ensure it has sufficient moisture.
This watering should be done before planting the seeds.
Watering also ensures your seeds have enough moisture for germination.
This watering should be done before planting the seeds.
Watering also ensures your seeds have enough moisture for germination.
Once the bed is ready, make small lines or mitaro using a stick to ensure they are not deep.
These lines are the ones you will put in your seeds.
The lines should be spaced 10cm apart.
It is good to make more than one bed if you are doing high volume.
For example
These lines are the ones you will put in your seeds.
The lines should be spaced 10cm apart.
It is good to make more than one bed if you are doing high volume.
For example
For 1kg seeds you will need around 8 beeds of 1m by 3m long. This ensures you reduce congestion and can easily access the bed for spraying and removal of weeds.
Once this is done, it's...
Time for chemical treatment of your bed.
Once this is done, it's...
Time for chemical treatment of your bed.
Bed treatment:
You need an antifungal to control fungal infection.
You need pesticide or insecticide to repell and kill insects, such as termites, which feed on seeds.
You need a germination enhancer.
In my case I use optimizer. This breaks seed dormancy, accelerates rooting
You need an antifungal to control fungal infection.
You need pesticide or insecticide to repell and kill insects, such as termites, which feed on seeds.
You need a germination enhancer.
In my case I use optimizer. This breaks seed dormancy, accelerates rooting
Optimizer also ensures that your seedlings come out healthy.
Mix the 3 chemicals in various mil combinations in 20 litres of water then spray your seedbed uniformly.
Done?
Springle or spread or nyunyiza seeds in the lines using your fingers.
Ensure even spreading.
Mix the 3 chemicals in various mil combinations in 20 litres of water then spray your seedbed uniformly.
Done?
Springle or spread or nyunyiza seeds in the lines using your fingers.
Ensure even spreading.
Get fine sand the one for construction.
You can filter sand to ensure you get the finest.
DONT cover the seeds with soil or manure!! This will affect germination.
To ensure 100% or optimal germination, cover the seeds in the lines using fine sand that you have filtered above
You can filter sand to ensure you get the finest.
DONT cover the seeds with soil or manure!! This will affect germination.
To ensure 100% or optimal germination, cover the seeds in the lines using fine sand that you have filtered above
Once seeds are covered by sand, use a sprayer to do final watering.
Do not water directly using watering can or pipe.
Put water in a farm sprayer and spray mildly on the surface of the seedbed in a uniform manner.
Cover the seedbed with dry grass evenly.
Do not water directly using watering can or pipe.
Put water in a farm sprayer and spray mildly on the surface of the seedbed in a uniform manner.
Cover the seedbed with dry grass evenly.
Wait for 10 days for seeds to germinate as you water twice daily using a sprayer at 10.00am and 4.00pm.
After 10 days, your seeds should have germinated.
Remove the grass mulchings and raise a cover on top of the seedbed using sticks at 0.5m and cover on top with grass.
After 10 days, your seeds should have germinated.
Remove the grass mulchings and raise a cover on top of the seedbed using sticks at 0.5m and cover on top with grass.
Your seedlings should last in the seedbed for 40 to 45 days depending on growth rate.
On the 20th day after covering the bed, start removing the grass bit by bit to expose the seedlings to sunshine and harden them.
By the 30th day, all the grass should have been removed.
On the 20th day after covering the bed, start removing the grass bit by bit to expose the seedlings to sunshine and harden them.
By the 30th day, all the grass should have been removed.
At day 40, you should have healthy and well grown onion seedlings ready for transplanting.
Your field for growing the onions should be ready by now.
As the seedlings grow in the seedbed, till your land to ensure it's ready for transplanting the seedlings.
Use fertile land
Your field for growing the onions should be ready by now.
As the seedlings grow in the seedbed, till your land to ensure it's ready for transplanting the seedlings.
Use fertile land
If using flood irrigation or in places with heavy rains, raise your planting areas with 1 or 2 or 3m beds separated by tunnels.
If relying on springler irrigation or rainfed, plant on flat surface in 2 or 3m raws separated by 1 foot for access to the field.
If relying on springler irrigation or rainfed, plant on flat surface in 2 or 3m raws separated by 1 foot for access to the field.
Plant your seedlings at 10cm by 10cm. Seedling to seedling, 10cm and raw to raw should be 10cm.
2 inches deep
Provide 1 foot walkways after raws of 2 or 3m width.
You will need sufficient manual labour especially if doing large scale.
Be present and supervise the spacing.
2 inches deep
Provide 1 foot walkways after raws of 2 or 3m width.
You will need sufficient manual labour especially if doing large scale.
Be present and supervise the spacing.
FEEDING
If your land is very fertile, theres no need for chemical fertilizer.
However, if not so fertile, you will need to feed your onions as follows:
At 2weeks of transplanting, top dress with DAP fertilizer.
At 30 days apply NPK 17:17:17
At 48 days apply CAN
If your land is very fertile, theres no need for chemical fertilizer.
However, if not so fertile, you will need to feed your onions as follows:
At 2weeks of transplanting, top dress with DAP fertilizer.
At 30 days apply NPK 17:17:17
At 48 days apply CAN
Pests and diseases control:
You will need to spray a combination of antifungal, anti bacterial and antiviral chemicals combined with folia and anticold at 14 days of transplanting.
This will be repeated at various intervals as advised by your agrovets.
You will need to spray a combination of antifungal, anti bacterial and antiviral chemicals combined with folia and anticold at 14 days of transplanting.
This will be repeated at various intervals as advised by your agrovets.
Onions are weak against weeds.
You will need to weed using selective herbicides for onions.
Governor or Caligan are recommended for onions as they do not kill onions.
Combine with antishock chemical when spraying herbicides to ensure onions remain vibrant.
You will need to weed using selective herbicides for onions.
Governor or Caligan are recommended for onions as they do not kill onions.
Combine with antishock chemical when spraying herbicides to ensure onions remain vibrant.
Harvesting should begin after two and half to three months after transplanting.
Bulbing occurs on top of the ground.
Harvest, dry and store your onions properly in well aerated places.
Post harvest handling is important to keep the quality and avoid wastage.
Photos courtesy
Bulbing occurs on top of the ground.
Harvest, dry and store your onions properly in well aerated places.
Post harvest handling is important to keep the quality and avoid wastage.
Photos courtesy
*** For herbicides use Commander and Caligan not governor. Governor is for maize.
Seedbed chemical treatment
I'm doing 2 acres this coming season.
I've armed myself with 2kgs of Red Coach F1 and appropriate starter pack.
The seedbed is ready.
The land preparation is in order.
The heavens have opened the rains are pouring.
Welcome to my small world of endless opportunities 🤣🙏
I've armed myself with 2kgs of Red Coach F1 and appropriate starter pack.
The seedbed is ready.
The land preparation is in order.
The heavens have opened the rains are pouring.
Welcome to my small world of endless opportunities 🤣🙏
Pl note: I am not marketing Red Coach F1. It is the brand that I have experience with.
There are many other F1 onion brands that still do well similar to Red Coach F1.
Eg Marlbec F1, Red Pinnoy F1, Red Creole, etc.
Feel free to try.
F1 yields per acre is 20 to 30 tons
There are many other F1 onion brands that still do well similar to Red Coach F1.
Eg Marlbec F1, Red Pinnoy F1, Red Creole, etc.
Feel free to try.
F1 yields per acre is 20 to 30 tons
Thanks to all who read this with appreciation.
My wish is this doesn't become only a good read. That we put it to practice.
Onion farming is profitable. Try it out on whatever piece of land you have, irrespective of size.
If you have ideas to improve, please share with us.🙏
My wish is this doesn't become only a good read. That we put it to practice.
Onion farming is profitable. Try it out on whatever piece of land you have, irrespective of size.
If you have ideas to improve, please share with us.🙏
