Advisory for the month of January 2025

Currently, late kharif and rabi onion bulb, and garlic crops and onion seed crops are in the field. Thrips incidences are likely to be high this month if dry conditions prevailed. Hence, proper care should be taken to protect the crop from thrips. The following management practices are recommended.

A. For standing late kharif onion crop

1.      Foliar application of micronutrient mixture (5 g/L) is recommended at 45, 60 and 75 days after transplanting.

2.     Foliar spray of carbosulfan (2 ml/L) along with tricyclazole (1 g/L) is recommended to control diseases and pests, if required.

3.     Second foliar spray of profenophos (1 ml/L) along with hexaconazole (1 g/L) is recommended after 15 days of previous spray, if required.

4.     Third foliar spray of fipronil (1 ml/L) along with propiconazole (1 g/L) is recommended after 15 days of previous spray, if required.

5.     Irrigation may be provided as per requirement up to 110-115 days after transplanting. Stop irrigating the crop 10 days before harvesting.

B. For rabi onion seedlings transplanting

Those who have not transplanted the seedlings yet should do so now if the seedlings are 45-50 days old.

1.             Field should be ploughed and disked properly to eliminate debris and soil clods.

2.             Apply FYM 15 t/ha or poultry manure 7.5t/ha or vermicompost 7.5 t/ha at the time of last ploughing and level the field properly prior to bed preparation.

3.             Adopt broad bed furrows (BBF) of 15 cm height and 120 cm top width with 45 cm furrow. This will help to drain the excess water through furrow and in reducing anthracnose disease. BBF method is suitable for drip and sprinkler irrigation.

4.             For drip irrigation, each BBF should have two drip laterals (16 mm size) at 60 cm distance with inbuilt emitters. Distance between two inbuilt emitters should be around 30-50 cm and discharge flow rate of 4L/hr is advised.

5.             For sprinkler, the distance between laterals (20 mm) of micro sprinkler should be 6 m with a discharge rate of 135L/hr.

6.             Chemical fertilizers @ 110:40:60 kg N, P₂O₅, K₂O per hectare need to be applied. Also apply 20 kg sulphur/ha in soils having available sulphur level above 25 kg/ha while 30 kg sulphur/ha for soils having sulphur content below 25 kg/ha.

7.             Nitrogen @ 40 kg and full dose of P₂O₅ and K₂O and sulphur needs to be applied at the time of planting.

8.             If onion is grown with drip system, application of 40 kg nitrogen as basal dose at the time transplanting and remaining nitrogen in six equal splits through drip irrigation should be applied up to 60 days from transplanting at 10 days interval.

9.             Biofertilizers Azospirillum and phosphorus solublizing bacteria each @ 5 kg/ha are recommended along with inorganic fertilizers as basal dose.

10.         Application of oxyflurofen @ 23.5% EC (1.5 -2.0 ml/L)/ pendimethalin @ 30% EC (3.5-4ml/L) before transplanting or at the time of transplanting followed by one hand weeding at 40-60 days after transplanting is recommended to control weeds.

11.         Proper care should be taken while selecting seedlings for transplanting. Over and under aged seedlings should be avoided. Top ⅓^rd of seedlings should be cut before transplanting.

12.   Seedlings should be transplanted at a spacing of 15 ×10 cm (15 cm between the rows and 10 cm between plants).

13.         The onion seedlings should be transplanted after dipping roots in carbendazim solution (0.10 %) to reduce the incidence of fungal diseases.

14.         Irrigation at the time of transplanting and three days after transplanting is advised for good establishment. Further irrigation should be done as per requirement.

15.   First top dressing of nitrogen @ 35 kg/ha has to be applied at 30 days after transplanting.

16.   Second top dressing of nitrogen @ 35 kg/ha is recommended at 45 days after transplanting.

17.         Foliar spray of carbosulfan (2 ml/L) along with tricyclazole (1 g/L) is recommended to control diseases and pests, if required.

18.         Second foliar spray of profenophos (1 ml/L) along with hexaconazole (1 g/L) is recommended after 15 days of previous spray, if required.

19.         Third foliar spray of fipronil (1 ml/L) along with propiconazole (1 g/L) is recommended after 15 days of previous spray, if required.

20.         Foliar application of micronutrient mixture (5 g/L) is recommended at 45, 60 and 75 days after transplanting.

C. For standing garlic crop

1.     Foliar application of micronutrient mixture (5 g/L) is recommended at 30, 45 and 60 days after planting.

2.     First prophylactic spray of carbosulfan (2 ml/L) along with tricyclazole (1 g/L) is recommended to control diseases and pests, if required.

3.     Second spray of profenophos (1 ml/L) along with hexaconazole (1 g/L) is recommended after 15 days of first spray, if required.

4.     If first two sprays were over, third spray of fipronil (1 ml/L) along with propiconazole (1 g/L) is recommended after 15 days of second spray, if required.

5.     First top dressing of N at 25 kg/ha is recommended at 30 days after planting.

6.     Second top dressing of N at 25 kg/ha is recommended at 45 days after planting.

7.     If there is incidence of red spider mite, foliar spray with elemental sulphur (2 g/L) or dicofol (2 ml/L) is recommended.

8.     Irrigation may be provided as per crop requirement up to 110-115 days after planting.

D. For standing onion seed crop1.

1.     Hand weeding should be done at 40-60 days after planting.

2.     First spray of profenophos (1 ml/L) along with mancozeb (1 g/L) is recommended at 15 days after planting, if required.

3.     Second spray of carbosulfan (1 ml/L) along with hexaconazole (1g/L) is recommended after 15 days of second spray, if required.

4.     If first two sprays were over, third spray of fipronil (1ml/L) along with propiconazole (1 g/L) is recommended after second spray, if required.

5.     First top dressing of nitrogen @ 30 kg/ha is recommended at 30 days after planting.

6.     Second top dressing of nitrogen @ 30 kg/ha is recommended at 45 days after planting.

7.     Pesticides are not recommended 80 days after planting as flowering generally initiate by that time. Insecticide/pesticide sprays after flower initiation are harmful to pollinators.8. Crop has to be irrigated as per requirement.

Note: Carbosulfan, profenophos, fipronil and methomyl are recommended only when the thrips damage is visible. Mancozeb, hexaconazole, propiconazole and tricyclozole are recommended only when the disease incidence is visible.