Performance evaluation of onion (Allium cepa) genotypes for growth, yield, quality and pest incidence in Dharwad, Karnataka, India

Abstract

The performance of 50 onion (Allium cepa L.) genotypes for growth, yield, bulb quality and pest incidence evaluated during the rabi 2023–24 and 2024–25 at University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka. Pooled analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant genotypic differences for all traits in both seasons. High yielding genotypes were NHRDF Red-2 (50.89 tonnes/ha in 2024–25), NHRDF Red-4 (47.72 tonnes/ha) and Bhima Raj (46.42 tonnes/ha). Genotype Telagi-L exhibited desirable thin neck thickness (0.52 cm), while DOGR-1771 showed high dry matter content (18.42 g). Low pest incidence was observed in NHRDF Red-4 and NHRDF Red-2 (0.50% and 0% purple blotch, respectively) and Arakera local (0.51 thrips/plant). These findings highlight superior genotypes for cultivation and potential use in breeding programmes in similar agroclimatic regions.