The effect of bed types and inter-rows spacing on yield and quality of onion in Fogera District of South Gondar Zone, Northwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

Farmers in the South Gondar Zone were practicing broadcast transplanting in flatbeds with border ridges to produce onion in the dry season. On the other hand, the research recommendation is to transplant onion seedlings in furrow and ridge with double row plantings of 40 × 20 cm inter-row spacing. This study was initiated to demonstrate to farmers different planting techniques and eventually to observe yield and quality advantages of onion production using furrow and ridge in double rows and flatbed planting methods with various inter-row spacing. Thirteen treatments including furrow and ridge planting techniques in double rows (standard check) and flatbeds planting with broadcasting (farmers’ traditional practice) were compared in RCBD with three replications. The result revealed that the number of leaves, plant neck diameter, bulb length, bulb diameter; marketable bulb yield, unmarketable bulb yield and total bulb yield were significantly affected by planting techniques. Furrow and ridge planting technique in double rows (standard check) with an inter-row spacing of 40 × 20 cm gave the highest marketable bulb yield (25.88 t/ha), followed by 30 × 20 cm (24.32 t/ha) as compared to broadcast transplanting in flatbeds with border ridges (farmers’ traditional practice) (18.42 t/ha). It is therefore confirmed that high marketable bulb yield and superior quality were produced from the furrow and ridge method in double rows with inter-row spacing of 40 × 20 cm. Further advice to farmers and large-scale demonstration of this practice is thus essential to persuade farmers to enhance shifting from traditional to research-recommended planting practices.

Keywords: Marketable bulb yield, border ridge, flood, furrow, flatbed, inter-row, ridge spacing.