Evaluation of onion genotypes for growth, yield and quality traits under gangetic-alluvial plains of West Bengal

Twenty-three genotypes were collected from seven different states of India and were evaluated for different vegetative, yield contributing and quality traits at ‘C’ Block Farm, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Kalyani, during the rabi season of 2017-18 and 2018-19. Among all the genotypes studied, Sukhsagar was best concerning plant height at 30 DAT (34.93 cm) and 90 DAT (79 cm), number of leaves at 30 DAT (4.47 cm), 60 DAT (6.07 cm) as well as at 90 DAT (8.67cm), equatorial diameter (56.95 cm), total soluble solids (14.290 Brix ), dry matter (34.56%), total sugar (3.48%), vitamin C (0.71 mg/g), pyruvic acid (3.16 µmole/g).The genotype Arka Kirtiman was found to be superior in terms of total (7.15 kg per plot) and marketable yield (6.83 kg per plot). Punjab Naroya recorded the highest phenol content (9.53 mg/g). The genotypes viz., Bhima Raj, HO-3, Arka Bheem, Arka Niketan exhibited superiority in terms of number of bulbs per plot (109), number of days to maturity (137.33), polar diameter (57.33) and number of scales per bulb (10.44) respectively. Hence, for future onion improvement, these well performing genotypes can be subjected to selection or can also be used as parents in hybridization programme to obtain varieties/hybrids with desirable quality and higher yield.