M. S.

Thesis Defense

MD. ASADUZZAMAN
M. S. Student
Registration no. 00276
Session: 2002-2003
Department of Horticulture
Patuakhali Science and Technology University
 Supervisory Committee

1. Dr. Mahbub Robbani Chairman

Associate Professor
Department of Horticulture
Patuakhali Science and Technology University

2. Mohammad Ali Member

Associate Professor
Department of Horticulture
Patuakhali Science and Technology University
EFFECTS OF BULB SIZE AND PLANT SPACING ON THE
YIELD AND QUALITY OF ONION SEED (Allium cepa L.)
cv. TAHERPURI
 INTRODUCTION
• Onion (Allium cepa L.) belongs to the family
Alliaceae is one of the most important spices as
well as vegetable crops in the world including
Bangladesh.

• It was originated in the Iran and Northern

mountain regions of Pakistan (Purseglove, 1972).

• In Bangladesh, among the spices onion ranks first

position in respect of production and area (BBS,
2008).
 INTRODUCTION (cont’d)
• On an average, the total annual requirement of
onion in Bangladesh is about 14,50,000 metric tons
but production is 7,25,100 metric tons (Annon.
2006).
• The yield of onion is influenced by many factors;
among which, cultivars, soil and climate, seedling
age, bulb weight, spacing, date of planting and
quality seed are very important.

• Mirshekari and Mobasher (2006), Singh and Ahmed

(2005) and Aminpour and Bak (2004) studied and
already have approved that bulb size and plant
spacing are important factors in producing quality
onion seeds.
 Research objectives

i) To investigate the quality onion seed

production in respect of bulb size and
spacing.
ii) To find out optimum bulb size and plant
spacing for producing good quality onion
seed.
 Research Justification
Onion bulbs: BBS, 2009
Production: 7,25,100mt
Demand: 14,50,000mt

Onion seed BBS, 2009

Production: 150mt
Demand: 300mt

Yield (bulb): FAO, 2008

In Bangladesh Average- 3.94 tons/ha,
World average-17.10 tons/ha

Major Problem:
Unavailability of quality seeds
 Materials and Methods
Materials:
-Bulbs of onion var. “Taherpuri”
-Bulb was collected from Taherpur,Rajshahi

 Popular local variety

 Highly pungent
 Shiny
 Narrow neck
 Flat shape
 High keeping quality
 Compact single bulb
 Field Experiment Site:
 The research work was conducted at the research farm of Lal
Teer Seed Limited, Regional Seed Production Office,
Dinajpur.

 The experimental area is located at 25054' N latitude and

88018'E longitude.

 The elevation of the area was approximately 18 m from

average sea level.

 The experimental field was a high land and non-calcareous

grey brown flood plain soils. The soil type was sandy-loam.

 Organic matter content of the soil was 1.1% with a pH value

of 6.8 and it is belonging to the Old Himalayas Floodplain
which is under the Agro Ecological Zone-1 (FAO, 1988).
 Lab Experiment Site (cont’d)

 The Lab experiment was conducted in the

laboratory of the Department of Horticulture,
Patuakhali Science and Technology University.
Treatments:
Two factors

Factor A: Size of mother bulb(S) =3

i. S1= Small bulb size (5±2g)
ii. S2= Medium bulb size (10 ±2g)
iii. S3= Large bulb size (15 ±2g)

Factor B: Plant spacing (P) =6

i.P1= 20cm x 15cm ii. P2= 20cm x 20cm
iii. P3= 25cm x 15cm iv. P4= 25cm x 20cm
v. P5= 30cm x 15cm vi. P6= 30cm x 20cm
Design: RCBD with 3 replications

Parameters studied
Field data:
a) Days to 50% emergence Lab. Data:
b) Plant height (cm) a) 1000 seed weight (g)
c) Green leaves/plant b) Seed germination (%)
d) Length of flowering stalk (cm)
e) Number of flowering stalk/plant
f) Number of tiller/plant
g) Umbel/plant
h) Umbel Diameter (cm)
i) Flowers/umbel
j) Seeded fruit/umbel
k) Seed weight/umbel (g)
l) Seed yield (g/plant)
m) Seed yield (g/plot)
n) Seed yield (Kg/ha)
 Statistical analyses

• Means and percentage were calculated

• ANOVA was performed by ‘F’ test

• Level of significance between pairs of

means was performed by LSD
• Computer package Mstat was used
 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
 
Effect of bulb size
Table 1. Effect of bulb size on growth, yield contributing characters, yield
and quality on onion seed
Days to Plant No. of Length of No. of No. of No. of Seed Seed Seed 1000
50% heigh leaves flower umbels flowers seeded weight yield yield / seed
Bulb size
emergence t (cm) /plant stalk (cm) / plant) / umbel fruits /umbel /plant plot (g) weight
/umbel (g) (g) (g)
Small
6.76 59.35 14.07 72.43 2.41 319.60 203.64 0.70 1.68 171.50 3.18
5±2g
Medium
5.93 64.18 14.46 78.96 2.93 327.52 212.52 0.71 2.08 217.94 3.41
10 ±2g
Large
5.28 71.45 17.36 83.39 3.51 344.56 225.52 0.75 2.59 263.39 3.68
15±2g

LSD (0.01) 0.029 3.076 0.388 0.502 0.029 7.499 6.122 0.029 0.141 0.411 0.076

CV% 0.63 5.20 2.79 0.71 1.25 2.49 3.15 4.47 7.37 6.57 2.38

Level of
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
significant
 877.90kg

571.7kg

Fig 1. Seed yield per hectare as influenced by bulb size.

Vertical bar indicates LSD at 0.01 level.
 92.9%

79.7%

Fig 2. Germination percentage of harvested seed as influenced by bulb size.

Vertical bar Indicates LSD at 0.01 level
Effect of plant spacing
Table 2. Effect of plant spacing on growth, yield contributing characters, yield and quality on onion seed
Days Plant No. of No. of Umbel No. of No. of Seed Seed 1000 Seed
Plant spacing
to 50% height leaves umb/ diamet flowers/ seeded weight / yield / seed germina
emerg (cm) /plant plant er umbel frui/um umb(g) plot (g) wei (g) tion (%)
(cm)

20cm×15cm 6.34 58.48 12.65 2.67 6.52 316.33 200.62 0.68 234.33 3.30 83.22

20cm×20 cm 6.26 60.25 12.99 2.73 6.79 320.93 206.33 0.69 229.22 3.34 84.45

25cm×15 cm 6.05 63.42 14.52 2.87 6.77 328.19 213.11 0.71 222.22 3.40 85.71

25cm×20 cm 5.92 67.71 15.88 2.92 6.93 333.10 219.63 0.73 215.56 3.45 86.86

30cm×15 cm 5.85 68.54 17.04 3.11 6.87 333.79 216.50 0.74 211.11 3.50 87.93

30cm×20 cm 5.54 71.58 18.69 3.42 7.02 351.04 227.17 0.76 193.20 3.56 89.02

LSD (0.01) 0.041 4.349 0.549 0.041 0.264 10.605 8.658 0.041 0.581 0.108 0.626

CV% 0.63 5.20 2.79 1.25 3.02 2.49 3.15 4.47 6.57 2.38 5.02

Level of
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** NS
significance
 2.49 g

1.83 g

Fig 3. Seed yield per plant as influenced by plant spacing.

Vertical bar indicates LSD at 0.01 level.
 781.1 kg

644.06 kg

Fig 4. Seed yield per hectare influenced by plant spacing.

Vertical bar indicates LSD at 0.01 level.

 953.37kg

530 kg

Fig. 5 Combined effect of bulb size and plant spacing on the seed yield
of onion. Vertical bar indicates LSD at 0.01 level
P1 = Plant spacing (20 cm x 15 cm) P4 = Plant spacing (25 cm x 20cm)

P2 = Plant spacing (20 cm x 20 cm) P5 = Plant spacing (30 cm x 15cm)

P3 = Plant spacing (25cm x 15 cm) P6 = Plant spacing (30 cm x 20cm)

 CONCLUSIONS
 Larger bulbs increased the germination rate, plant height, leaf
number, tiller number, length of flowering stalk, umbel
number per plant, umbel diameter, flowers per umbel, number
of seeded fruits per umbel, seed yield and seed quality.

 Bulbs weighing 15±2g (largest size) produced the maximum

quantity of best quality onion seed.

 Planting bulbs with closest spacing gave the highest seed

yield per unit area where as bulbs with widest spacing
produced the highest seed yield per plant with highest 1000-
seed weight.

 Largest bulb planting at closest spacing resulted in the

highest seed yield per unit area while largest bulb with widest
plant spacing performed higher seed yield per plant with
highest seed yield attributing characters and seed quality.

Large bulb size and wider plant spacing can be suggested