Response of Organic Manures, Inorganic Fertilizers and Bio-fertilizers on Qualitative and Quantitative Parameters of Onion (Allium cepa L.)

Aims: To find out the response of combined use of organic, inorganic and bio-fertilizers of nutrients on quality of small onion Aggregatum cv. Thengaithittu.

Study Design: The experiment was laid out in randomized block design 9 treatment combinations with three replications.

Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was conducted for two seasons at Adhiparasakthi Horticultural College farm situated at 12°15’N and 78° 20’E longitude, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India during the year 2014-2015.

Methodology: The treatments comprised of organic manures, inorganic fertilizer and bio-fertilizers with nine treatments viz., T1: NPK (60:60:30 kg/ha.), T2: Farm yard manure (FYM) (25t/ha.), T3: FYM (25t/ha.) + NPK (60:60:30 kg/ha.), T4: FYM (25t/ha.) +Azospirillum (2kg/ha.)+ NPK (30:30:15 kg/ha.), T5: FYM (25t/ha.) + Phosphobacteria (2kg/ha.) +NPK (60:30:30 kg/ha.), T6: FYM (25t/ha.) + Azospirillum (2kg/ha.) + Phosphobacteria (2kg/ha.) +NPK (30:30:15 kg/ha.), T7: FYM (25t/ha.)+NPK (60:60:30 kg/ha.) + gypsum (50kg/ha.), T8: FYM (25t/ha.) + Azospirillum (2kg/ha.) + Phosphobacteria (2kg/ha.) +NPK (30:30:15 kg/ha.) +gypsum (50 kg/ha.) and T9: FYM (25 kg/ha.) + gypsum (50 kg/ha.).

Results: The combined application of N, P, K, FYM, Azospirillum, phosphobacteria and gypsum significantly influenced the total soluble solids (15.77B°), ascorbic acid (14.76 mg/100g) and total sugars (14.72%) contents. The combined application of organic manures, inorganic and bio-fertilizers may be recommended to farmers to get good quality onion.