EFFECT OF SPACING AND PLANTING TIME ON GROWTH AND BULB YIELD OF ONION (Allium cepa L)

Abstract

An investigation was conducted during November 2007 to March 2008 at Horticultural Farm, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka to evaluate the • • • 11 • effect of spacing and planting time on growth and yield of onion. Three levels of spacing, S1 = 20cm x l Ocm, S2 = 20 x 20cm, S3 = 20cm x 30cm and four different planting time, PT1 = 7 November 2007, PT2 = 22 November 2007, PT3 = 7 December 2007, and PT4 = 22 December 2007 were used as treatment in the study. The experiment was layout in RCBD with three replications. Significant variation was found due to different spacing and planting time on growth and yield contributing characters of onion. In case of spacing, the highest plant height (60.44 cm), number of leaves (7.09), bulb weight (34.4 g) and bulb diameter (5.03) was recorded from 83 while S • 1 treatment gave the minimum. In planting time, the highest plant height (62.41 cm), number of leaves (6.22), bulb weight (42.21 g) and bulb diameter (5.35) was observed from PT1 and the lowest from PT4• For combined effect S1PT1 produced the highest yield ( 13 t/ha) and the lowest from S3PT 4. The highest benefit cost ratio (3.10) was noted from S1PT1 and lowest (l.01) from S3PT4. Considering the above finding, 7 November sowing with 20cm xIOcm spacing was found best for growth and bulb yield of onion .