Evaluation of Different Exotic Onion Germplasm for Yield and Agronomic Traits

Abstract

Onion (Allium cepa L.) is an important cash crop with significant economic potential for farmers in Pakistan. However, limited information is available regarding the performance of commercial onion genotypes under the agro-climatic conditions of district Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. To address this gap, an experiment was conducted during 2018–2019 to evaluate the performance of four onion genotypes and assess their suitability for cultivation in this region. The genotypes including Macarena, Capri F1, Red Queen, and Super King, were transplanted in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The results indicated non-significant differences among genotypes for most of the studied traits. However, some genotypes showed superior performance in specific parameters. Macarena produced the longest leaves (62.1 cm), while Red Queen had the shortest (53.8 cm). The highest leaf diameter (2.3 cm) and number of leaves per plant (10.0) were recorded in Capri F1. Macarena had the largest bulb diameter (7.52 cm), while Super King had the smallest (6.92 cm). Uniform bulb maturity (100%) was observed in Macarena and Capri F1, whereas Super King showed only 80% maturity. Macarena also produced the heaviest bulbs (239 g), in contrast to Super King (162 g). The number of axils per bulb ranged from 1.0 in Capri F1 to 2.0 in Macarena. Red Queen exhibited the highest pungency (3.7), while Macarena was the least pungent (2.0). Regarding post-harvest performance, Red Queen and Macarena showed the least reduction in bulb weight after 15 days of storage (8.7%), while Capri F1 and Super King had the highest reduction (12.0%). After 30 days, Super King had the lowest weight loss (2%), whereas Macarena recorded the highest (4%). In conclusion, the results suggest that Macarena and Capri F1 outperformed the other genotypes in key agronomic and post-harvest traits. These findings support the feasibility of onion cultivation in district Charsadda and highlight its potential as a profitable gap-filling crop for local farmers.