Performance evaluation and scope of onion improvement under hot arid conditions

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out at the experimental farm of ICAR-CIAH, Bikaner Rajasthan during rabi season of 2019 and 2020 under a collaborative project between ICAR-CIAH and ICAR-DOGR. A wide range of variability was reported for the characters such as plant height at 60 DAS, leaves per plant, polar diameter, bulb weight, scales per bulb and bulb yield. The varieties viz. Bhima Red, Bhima Kiran and Bhima Shakti were identified as the high yielding for cultivation under hot arid conditions during rabi season. Highest genotypic coefficient of variation was observed for bulb yield. Higher heritability estimates conjugated with high genetic advance as per cent of mean were recorded for plant height at 60 DAS, leaves per plant, bulb weight and bulb yield. Correlation coefficient analysis revealed that polar diameter, equatorial diameter, bulb weight and TSS had the significant positive correlation with bulb yield. Path analysis revealed true association between yield and bulb weight as correlation was due to direct effect. Hence, selection based on these characters would be effective in further improvement of onion under hot arid conditions.