Growth and Yield of Kharif Onion (Allium cepa L.) as Influenced by Dates of Planting and Cultivars in Red and Laterite Zone of West Bengal

An experiment was conducted at Horticulture Farm of Institute of Agriculture, Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan (West Bengal) to find out the optimum planting dates and cultivars of onion suitable for kharif season in this region. The treatments consisted of four dates of planting (15th and 30th August and 15th and 30th September) and five cultivars (Agrifound Dark Red, Arka Kalyan, Arka Niketan, Indam Marshal and Red Stone). The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design with three replications. There was a significant increase in growth of plants and size of bulbs when planting delayed from August to September. The overall performance of kharif onion in red and laterite belt of West Bengal was highly satisfactory with average bulb yield 171.1q/ha. Data revealed that the cultivar Agrifound Dark Red when planted on 30th September gave superior result in almost all yield parameters and yield.