Advisory for August 2024

A. For Transplanting Kharif Onion Seedlings

  1. Field Preparation:
    • Plough and disk the field thoroughly to remove debris and soil clods.
  2. Organic Manure Application:
    • Apply 15 tons per hectare (t/ha) of Farmyard Manure (FYM), or 7.5 t/ha of poultry manure or vermicompost during the last ploughing. Level the field properly before bed preparation.
  3. Bed Preparation:
    • Use Broad Bed Furrow (BBF) method with 15 cm height and 120 cm top width, and a 45 cm furrow. This helps drain excess water and reduce anthracnose disease.
    • BBF method is suitable for drip and sprinkler irrigation.
  4. Irrigation Setup:
    • For drip irrigation, each BBF should have two drip laterals (16 mm size) at 60 cm apart with inbuilt emitters. The distance between emitters should be around 30-50 cm with a discharge flow rate of 4 L/hr.
    • For sprinkler irrigation, the distance between laterals (20 mm) of micro sprinklers should be 6 m with a discharge rate of 135 L/hr.
  5. Chemical Fertilizer Application:
    • Apply fertilizers at the rate of 75:40:40 kg N, P2O5, K2O per hectare. Also, apply sulfur based on soil sulfur content: 30 kg/ha for soils with more than 25 kg/ha available sulfur and 45 kg/ha for soils with less.
    • Apply 25 kg nitrogen and the full dose of P2O5, K2O, and sulfur at planting. Apply the remaining nitrogen in two splits at 30 and 45 days after transplanting.
    • For drip systems, apply 25 kg nitrogen as a basal dose during transplanting, and the rest in six splits through drip irrigation over 60 days, at 10-day intervals. Apply P, K, and S as a basal dose during transplanting.
  6. Biofertilizer Application:
    • Use 5 kg/ha each of Azospirillum and phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria with inorganic fertilizers as a basal dose.
  7. Herbicide Application:
    • Apply oxyfluorfen @ 23.5% EC (1.5-2.0 ml/L) or pendimethalin @ 30% EC (3.5-4 ml/L) before or during transplanting.
  8. Transplanting Guidelines:
    • Transplant 35-40 days old seedlings at a spacing of 15×10 cm (15 cm between rows and 10 cm between plants).
    • Avoid using over-aged or under-aged seedlings. Trim the top third of seedlings before transplanting.
    • Dip roots in carbendazim solution (0.1%) before transplanting to reduce fungal diseases.
    • Provide irrigation immediately after transplanting and three days later for good establishment.

B. For Standing Kharif Onion Crop

  1. If there is continuous rainfall, drain excess water properly to avoid anthracnose incidence.
  2. Apply first top dressing of nitrogen @ 25 kg/ha at 30 days after transplanting.
  3. If nitrogen deficiency appears (yellowing of leaves), apply foliar urea @ 10 g/L to correct it.
  4. During continuous rainfall for three days, high humidity (>85%), or cloudy conditions, apply a first prophylactic spray with benomyl @ 0.2% to control anthracnose.
  5. After 15 days of the first spray, apply a second spray with methomyl (0.8 g/L) and mancozeb (2.5 g/L) to manage foliar diseases and thrips.

C. For Raising Late Kharif Onion Nursery

  1. Use about 0.05 hectare nursery bed area and 5-7 kg of seeds to get seedlings for transplanting one hectare.
  2. Deep plough the soil to expose insect pupae and weed seeds to sunlight.
  3. Remove debris, weeds, and stones before bed preparation.
  4. Apply half a ton of well-decomposed farmyard manure to 0.05 ha.
  5. Prepare raised beds of 10-15 cm height, 1 m width, and length as convenient.
  6. Apply pre-emergence herbicide pendimethalin @ 0.2% to control weeds in the nursery.
  7. Treat seeds with carbendazim @ 1-2 g/kg seed before sowing to avoid soil-borne diseases.
  8. Apply Trichoderma viride @ 1250 g/ha to manage damping-off and raise healthy seedlings.
  9. Apply 4:1:1 kg NPK/500 m2 before seed sowing.
  10. Sow seeds in lines 50-75 mm apart, cover with fine powdered farmyard manure or compost, and water lightly. Use drip or sprinkler irrigation.
  11. Hand weed 20 days after sowing.
  12. Apply 2 kg N/500 m2 after hand weeding.
  13. Drench with metalaxyl @ 0.2% to control soil-borne diseases 10-15 days after sowing. For foliar disease incidence, apply mancozeb/tricyclozole/hexaconazole @ 0.1%.
  14. If thrips infestation is high, apply foliar fipronil/profenophos @ 1 ml/L.

D. For Stored Rabi Onion and Garlic Bulbs

  1. Monitor stored bulbs regularly for sprouting and rotting. Remove any rotted or bruised bulbs immediately. Ensure proper ventilation.
  2. Spread onion bulbs in heaps up to 4-5 feet high.
  3. Store garlic bulbs with leaves in ventilated storage structures by hanging or in circular heaps tapering towards the top.

Note: Profenophos, fipronil, and methomyl are recommended only when thrips damage is visible. Metalaxyl, benomyl, mancozeb, hexaconazole, and tricyclozole are recommended only when the disease incidence is visible.