The Effect of Bulb Size and Plant Density on Yield and Quality of Onion (Allium cepa var cepa L) Seed, at Ziway, Central Ethiopia

Master's Thesis , 2008 , 67 Pages , Grade: 3.17

Agrarian Studies

Plant density and bulb size trial was conducted at Ziway in order to identify the optimum agronomic management practices, which contribute to maximized seed production in onion crop both in terms of quantity and quality. The experiment was laid down in split plot design with three replications, keeping plant density as main plot factor and bulb size as sub plot factor. The effects were studied by collecting data on bulb sprouting and plant performance, yield components, seed yield and seed quality parameters. Analyses of variance, mean comparison using least significant difference, correlation analysis were made using SAS computer software. Plant density significantly influenced bulb sprouting, umbel size, seed yield per 100m2and germination percentage. The largest umbel size (4.9cm) was obtained from low plant density; where as the smallest (4.4cm) from high plant density. Maximum seed yield per 100m2(1,163,446 seeds) was collected from high density while low density yielded only 416,240 seeds per 100m2. However the quality of seed in terms of germination was highest for seeds obtained from low density. The influence of bulb size was significant on plant height, number of flower stalks per plant, number seeded florets per umbel, seed per plant, seed per 100m2, seed yield (qt/ha) thousand seed weight. Plants grown from large bulbs produced plants with best height (72.3cm), highest number of flower stalks (8.5), seeded florets per umbel (368.7), seed per plant (1,539), seeds per 100m2(994,434) and seed yield in qt/ha (10.42). Seeds with best thousand seed weight (4.2g) were obtained from medium bulbs and small bulbs performed least in all aspects. Correlation analysis was made to study the relationship among plant growth, yield component, seed yield and quality parameters and their respective influence on yield and yield quality. Positive correlation existed between plant height and umbel size with seeded florets per umbel; flower stalk per plant, plant height, umbel size, seeded florets per umbel and number of seeds per floret with seed yield per plant, which was highly correlated with seed yield (qt/ha). However, further studies ought to be conducted in order to understand clearly, why bulb size and plant density interaction effect was insignificant

Key words: Plant density, bulb size, bulb sprouting, plant performance, seed yield and seed quality

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• LIST OF TABLES
• ACRONYMS AND ABBREVATIONS
• ABSTRACT
• 1 INTRODUCTION
• 2 LITERATURE REVIEW
  • 2.1 Onion Crop Production
    • 2.1.1 Onion Cultivars
    • 2.1.2 Climatic Requirement
    • 2.1.3 Soil and Fertilization Requirement
    • 2.1.4 Water Requirement
    • 2.1.5 Planting Date
  • 2.2 Onion Seed production
    • 2.2.1 Bulb-to-Seed Method
    • 2.2.2 Seed-to-Seed Method
  • 2.3 The Effect of Bulb Size and Plant density
    • 2.3.1 Effect of Bulb Size
    • 2.3.2 The Effect of Plant Density
  • 2.4 Onion Flowering
  • 2.5 Pollination in Onion Flowers
  • 2.6 Onion Seed Setting and Maturation
  • 2.7 Harvesting, Threshing and Seed Cleaning
  • 2.8 Onion Seed Quality
  • 2.9 Biotic Limiting Stresses
• 3 MATERIALS AND METHODS
  • 3.1 Research Site Description
  • 3.2 Experimental Treatments and Design
  • 3.3 Management practices
  • 3.4 Data Collection
  • 3.5 Data Analysis
• 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
  • 4.1 Effect of Bulb Size and plant density on Bulb Sprouting and Plant Growth
    • 4.1.1 Bulb Sprouting and Plant Stand
    • 4.1.2 Plant Height
    • 4.1.3 Umbel Size
  • 4.2 Effects of Bulb Size and Plant Density on Seed Yield Components
    • 4.2.1 Number of Flower Stalk per Plant
    • 4.2.2 Number of Seeded Florets per Umbel
    • 4.2.3 Seeds per Floret
  • 4.3 Effects of Bulb Size and Plant Density on Seed Yield
    • 4.3.1 Number of Seeds per Plant
    • 4.3.2 Number of Seeds per 100m²
    • 4.3.3 Seed Yield (qt per ha)
  • 4.4 The effect of Bulb Size and Plant Density on seed quality
    • 4.4.1 Thousand Seed Weight
    • 4.4.2 Germination percentage
  • 4.5 Correlation Analysis
• 5 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
• 6 REFERENCES
• 7 APPENDIX

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

The objective of this research was to investigate the impact of bulb size and plant density on the performance of onion seed production. This study aimed to analyze the effects of these factors on various aspects of onion seed production, from plant establishment and growth to seed yield and quality.

• Impact of bulb size on onion seed production
• Influence of plant density on onion seed yield
• Relationship between bulb size and plant density on various seed quality parameters
• Analysis of the influence of bulb size and plant density on plant growth and yield components
• Assessment of the correlation between various plant performance, yield, and seed quality parameters

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The study begins with a comprehensive review of existing literature on onion crop production, including details on cultivar selection, climatic requirements, fertilization, water needs, planting dates, and seed production methods. The chapter delves into the effects of bulb size and plant density on various aspects of onion development, such as flowering, pollination, and seed setting. It also discusses seed quality, harvesting techniques, and biotic stress factors that can impact onion seed production.

Chapter 3 outlines the research methodology, including the description of the research site, experimental treatments, data collection methods, and data analysis techniques. The research focused on comparing different bulb sizes and plant densities to assess their impact on onion seed production.

Chapter 4 presents the results and discussion, highlighting the significant effects of bulb size and plant density on bulb sprouting, plant height, umbel size, seed yield components, seed yield, and seed quality. The chapter includes detailed analysis of the influence of these factors on various yield parameters, including number of seeds per plant, seeds per 100m², and seed yield in kg per plot.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The research focused on analyzing the impact of bulb size and plant density on various aspects of onion seed production. Key terms and concepts include: onion seed production, bulb size, plant density, seed yield, seed quality, germination percentage, plant establishment, plant growth, yield components, and correlation analysis.

• College: University of Hawassa (Awassa College of Agriculture)
• Course: Horticulture
• Grade: 3.17
• Author: Zerihun Zena (Author)
• Publication Year: 2008
• Pages: 67
• Catalog Number: V208620
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656362005
• ISBN (Book): 9783656362340
• Language: English
• Tags: effect, bulb, size, plant, density, yield, quality, onion, allium, seed, ziway, central, ethiopia