₦airaland Forum

Someone asked this question on whattapps so I dicided to share the answer with everyone here
QUESTION
I would like to grow half an acre of red bulb onions. Kindly advise on how much seed I will need.

ANSWER
A half acre land is about 2000 square meters. That's about 45 m by 45 m. If you plant the seeds 2.5cm apart, then that's 1800 seeds per row. And if you space the rows 38cm apart, then that's 118 rows. That adds up to about 212,000 seeds. At 325 seeds per gram, that's a little over a half a kilogram of seeds for that space. Assuming every seed sprouts. Good Luck!

Nutritional value of onions.

Rich in vitamin B’s, rich in Enzymes used in digestion and it has high level of sulphur-that is highly absorbed in blood then to lungs having an effect on respiratory organs.

High in Niacin; It helps the digestive system function, healthy skin and nerves and promotes a normal appetite.

It is important for converting calories from protein, fat and carbohydrates into energy through the effect of Niacin.

It also contains a vegetable hormone-glycoqune that gives onion effects on reducing blood sugar. The hormone stimulate gastrointestinal juices hence promoting digestion

Rich in Flavonoids; blocks the oxidation of fat in the blood hence prevent hypertension, improve blood circulation and prevent cardiac problems

It is a remedy for respiratory problems due to sulphur that has effects to break heavy mucous

Harvesting

Harvesting can be done as from 90 to 150 days after sowing. The onions are ready for harvest when the leaves collapse. The necks can be twisted and its leaves bent over and left to dry for 10 to 12 days or less depending on whether conditions.

The crop is pulled out by hand and kept for some days in the field with bulbs covered with leaves.

This is called windowing/curing process.

Leaves are then cut off and the mature bulbs stored.

Foliar feeds;

This is applied mainly at the vegetative stage of the plant especially foliar high in Nitrogen. Foliar feeds applications results in vigorous growth of plants. In onions, a balance foliar feed enhances bulb formation and hence quality grade onions. Example of a balanced foliar feed is Omex, Mastargro

A Calcium spray enhances bulb formation. This is because Calcium is crucial for structural development of the bulbs as the cell wall gets tightened such that the spores (sporangia) don’t penetrate; hence improving its tolerance to diseases. An example of calcium spray is Citicalmag.

Insect pests

Important insect pests that attack onions include; Thrips, Whiteflies and Aphids and would require insecticide applications.

Thrips are more severe in dry seasons. Hence one should keep the plants well irrigated at such seasons.

One can reduce pests’ populations by pulling out weeds since the act as alternate hosts for the pests.

Chemical applications can also be made i.e. insecticide.

Plants extracts have also been used and prove to be effective. I.e. Neem and Garlic extracts. These are sprayed on attacked plant parts. The plants extracts should be tested for phytotoxicity before any applications are made.

Chemical Applications

Fungicides; this can be classified as curative or protective fungicides.

Protective fungicides are chemicals which have the Active Ingredient

Mancozeb e.g. Milthane, Oshothane, Dithane, e.t.c. This is applied when weather conditions would likely to favour development of the disease i.e. blights.

Curative fungicides are applied to plants that are already infected by the fungal diseases e.g. Pink Rot, Purple blotch and blights (early & late blight).

In this case, applications are made on the infected regions i.e. bulbs, stems.

Crop husbandry

Weeding; can be done by use of hand or chemical applications/herbicides. Mulching can also be done to suppress the weeds

Raised beds; this improves drainage and prevents damping-off disease.

Mulching; maintains and enriches soil organic content, prevent soil borne diseases and suppress weeds.

Crop rotation; this is important to avoid build-up of pests and diseases e.g. nematodes, Fusarium and Sclerotium

Nutrient management

Sufficiently rotten manure should be applied. 17 to 26 ton/acre is recommended for high bulb yield.

Appropriate planting fertilizer should be put during planting. Soil analysis should be done to ascertain the major soil properties e.g. soil pH

Top dressing fertilizer is applied one month after planting

Manure: avoid too much application of fresh manure, as this will cause the plant to develop thick neck and too much leaf at the expense of bulb formation. Fresh manure could also host important insect pests.

Soils; fertile, well drained soils are good for plant growth. The optimum pH is between 6 to 7.5

Water; incase of irrigation, drip or overhead irrigation can be used.

Onions at bulbing stage need a substantial amount of water.

Excessive moisture, however, must be avoided during growing season.

Favourable biotic conditions

Temperature; optimum temperature for plant development is between 15 to 30 .C, whereas temperature of 20 to 25’C is favourable for seedling growth.

Generally, high temperatures favor bulbing and curing. However, in cases of extremely high temperatures, maturity is hastened and bulbs do not grow to maximum size hence lowering yields.

Onions are important horticultural crops in Nigeria. They can be grown for subsistence or commercial farming.

The choice of onion variety matters a lot when it comes to commercial farming / agribusiness. This is because a farmer has to calculate the input costs verses the output costs in order to maximize profits.

HOW TO MAKE ONION NURSERY
1. Get an hybrid onion seeds
2. Get sawdust
3. Get dry chicken waste
4. Get a flat tray

Step 1. Mixed the sawdust and the chicken waste together and water to damp then place the mixed content on the tray.

Step 2. Make an horizontal lines on the tray at 2cm apart then sprinkled your hybrid onion seed exactly on the lines and cover it with little dry sand.

Step 3. Wet every evening but don't allow water to torch the lines where you put the seed.

If you follow the aboved mentioned steps then you onions will be ready for transplanting in 10 days.

I will expand my present initiative and teach/ empower more youth on everything I know about crops planting, processing, packaging and marketing in order create more agribusiness millionaires.

Thank you, God, for giving me another year of life.
Thank you for all the people who remembered me today by sending cards, and letters, gifts and good wishes.

Thank you for all the experience of this past year;
for times of success which will always be happy memories,
for times of failure which reminded me of my own weakness and of my need for you,
for times of joy when the sun was shining,
for times of sadness which drove me to you.

Forgive me
for the hours I wasted,
for the chances I failed to take,
for the opportunities I missed this past year.
Help me in the days ahead to make this the best year yet,
and through it to bring good credit to myself,
happiness and pride to my loved ones,
and joy to you. Amen.

Thank you, God, for giving me another year of life.
Thank you for all the people who remembered me today
by sending cards, and letters, gifts and good wishes.

Thank you for all the experience of this past year;
for times of success which will always be happy memories,
for times of failure which reminded me of my own weakness and of my need for you,
for times of joy when the sun was shining,
for times of sadness which drove me to you.

Forgive me
for the hours I wasted,
for the chances I failed to take,
for the opportunities I missed this past year.
Help me in the days ahead to make this the best year yet,
and through it to bring good credit to myself,
happiness and pride to my loved ones,
and joy to you. Amen.

Thank you, God, for giving me another year of life.
Thank you for all the people who remembered me today
by sending cards, and letters, gifts and good wishes.

Thank you for all the experience of this past year;
for times of success which will always be happy memories,
for times of failure which reminded me of my own weakness and of my need for you,
for times of joy when the sun was shining,
for times of sadness which drove me to you.

Forgive me
for the hours I wasted,
for the chances I failed to take,
for the opportunities I missed this past year.
Help me in the days ahead to make this the best year yet,
and through it to bring good credit to myself,
happiness and pride to my loved ones,
and joy to you. Amen.

Am so sorry for the delay

PapaBrowne:
I want to buy these seeds enough for a large plantation.
Two quick questions:
1)For how many years do they continue to produce?
2)Are the seeds both male and female or mixed? If they are mixed, how do I effective plant such that many aren't dormant?

Thanks.

That great we currently have a lot of the seeds and seedlings.

1. The ones here in Shongai is over 7 years already they need to be well taking care of so i can say 5years and above.

2. they are not local varieties that has male and female these seed are produced for purely fruits.

Are you guys reading this

The seeds are highly viable

boluwajokosegun:
Hapi birthday great farmer. I celebrate with you my brother

Thanks so much.

The seeds are highly viable.
Get yours now

Pappyshoes:
Happy Birthday to you, Don Aslab. Wishing you many more great years, long life and prosperity. Hope you'll rest today, agile farmer. Keep setting the pace.

My brother thanks.
You caught me am already working in the farm now. Spraying my wife's soyabean and French red beans. Then planted few water melon.

We have different species of pawpaw and when it comes to hybrid we have different registerd seed companies with different variety of seed. Am talking about Thailand dwarf hybrid pawpaw from East West seed company called RED ROYALE F1.

Its red in colour, big, sweet and you harvest every 2days
Get yours today

cardoso111:
pls send. products list to my whatsapp 08077212534

What do you mean by products list?

Today is my birthday so am giving out free in so join me here now.
https://www.nairaland.com/1989320/how-grow-dry-season-vegetables#27874775

hotmas911:
Is this hybrid pawpaw yellow or pink. I noticed most pawpaw been sold in lagos are pink. Can anyone pls confirm the colour of the expected fruits of this hybrid pawpaw.

@hotmas. We have different species of pawpaw and when it cone to hybrid we have different registerd seed companies with different variety of seed. Am talking about Thailand dwarf hybrid pawpaw generally called RED ROYALE F1
Its red in colour, big, sweet and you harvest every 2days

I can deliver to any part of Nigeria just make your order

Good morning.
I'am so happy today ita my birthday and am ready to teach so let start with onion.
We all know onions and how its been demanded for in the market but everybody thinks it only grows it the northern part of Nigeria NO. I want to tell you that onion actually grows in the south. TESTED and PROVED.

HOW DO YOU PLANT YOUR ONIONS
1. You need to make a bed just like every other vegetables but since we are going into dry season let the bed be very low so that you don't need to wet to much and your onion will be able to get the little water it needs to grow.

2. Fortified the bed with well mature chicken waste at least 2weeks before planting.

3. Onion is not a direct planting vegetables so you need to nurse it and transplant to the well prepared bed in 15 days.

HOW TO MAKE ONION NURSERY
1. Get an hybrid onion seeds
2. Get sawdust
3. Get dry chicken waste
4. Get a flat tray
Are you ready OK let go

Kalusam:
@world1 something like this?

This is my Thailand dwarf hybrid pawpaw

RealChris:
Pls If U are a Vegetable farmer (fluted pumpkin leaf, tomatoes n pepper) in Benin, Edo state, let me know. I will love to visit your farm for sighting n learning purpose. Thanks

Happy Birth Day To You, ADENIYI SOLA BUNMI (World1)

@RealChris.
Thanks so much