EFFECT OF SPACING AND LEVELS OF NITROGEN ON GROWTH ANDBULB YIELD OF RED ONION (ALLIUM CEPA VAR. ASCALONICUM

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Crop Farm of Eastern University, Sri Lanka to
investigate the effect of plant spacing and levels of nitrogen on yield of onion (cv. Vethalan) in
the sandy regosols in the Batticaloa District. Three plant spacing viz; 8 cm x 8 cm, 10 cm x 10
cm and 10 cm x 12 cm and three levels of nitrogen namely 120, 150 and180 kg N/ha were used.
This experiment was carried out using a 3 x 2 Factorial Randomized Complete Block Design
(RCBD) replicated three times. All other agronomic practices were done as recommended by the
Department of Agriculture. The data on height, bulb diameter, fresh weight and number of bulbs
were recorded. Significant variations were recorded for spacing and levels of nitrogen for all the
parameters studied. Highest bulb yield was obtained at the spacing of 8 x 8 cm in combination
with 150 kg N/ha and 150 kg N/ha was found to be the optimum nitrogen for all three spacing
tested. Therefore, it is concluded that profitable yield could be obtained at a spacing of 8 x 8 cm
in combination with 150 kg N/ ha.