Allium cepa
Storability is the whole game. A rabi crop cured properly and held in a ventilated chawl can be sold three months later into a thinner market — which is where the margin actually lives. Get curing and storage wrong and even a good harvest loses a quarter of its value before it ever reaches a buyer.
Onion (Allium cepa) is grown across roughly 1.7 million hectares in India, with Maharashtra alone accounting for close to a third of national output, across three overlapping seasons — kharif, late kharif and rabi — that together keep the market supplied almost year-round.
It is one of the few vegetables grown specifically to be stored rather than sold fresh: the rabi crop, sown for storage rather than immediate sale, is what carries the market through the lean months before the next harvest. How well it is cured and stored after harvest decides more of the final return than almost anything done in the field.
This page follows the crop in the order you will actually meet it — land, seed, transplanting, nutrition, water, protection, harvest, sale — so you can jump straight to whichever stage you are at.
A quick visual map of the season — jump to any section below for the detail behind each stage.
Seed raised in a raised nursery bed rather than sown direct into the field.
Pencil-thick seedlings, 6–8 weeks old, moved by hand into the main field.
Leaf growth here is what feeds bulb size later — onion competes poorly with weeds through this window.
Consistent moisture through bulb swelling sets final bulb size; both drought and waterlogging here cause smaller or split bulbs.
A deliberate, complete stop 10–15 days before harvest — one of the most important, and most skipped, steps in the whole crop.
When 50–70% of necks have fallen over naturally and started to dry, for a rabi storage crop.
States where this crop is grown at scale, highlighted below. Your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra is still the final word for your specific block.
Grown here
Onion is one of the more day-length-sensitive vegetables grown in India — short-day varieties for kharif and long-day-responsive varieties for rabi are not interchangeable, and sowing the wrong type for the season caps bulb size regardless of everything else done right.
Ideal temperature
15–25°C is ideal through most stages; bulb formation and maturation specifically need warmer days (25–30°C) and longer daylight hours than the cooler nursery and vegetative stage
Rainfall
Grown almost entirely under irrigation; unseasonal rain right before or during harvest is one of the biggest risks to the crop, since wet bulbs cure poorly and rot in storage
Humidity
Low to moderate is best; high humidity through bulb formation, and especially at harvest, sharply raises both purple blotch and storage rot risk
Sunlight
Full sun, and — specifically — longer day length through bulb formation, which is why sowing date matters as much for onion as for any photoperiod-sensitive crop
A raised bed is worth the extra effort on any field without excellent natural drainage — onion’s bulb sits mostly at or just below the soil surface, which makes it more exposed to waterlogging damage than a deep-rooted crop like wheat or cotton.
Suitable soil
Well-drained sandy loam to loam; onion cannot stand heavy, poorly drained clay, which restricts bulb expansion and encourages basal rot
pH range
6.0–7.0
Drainage
Very good — even short waterlogging rots the developing bulb and the roots above it
Organic matter
Medium to high, from well-rotted compost rather than fresh manure — fresh, undecomposed manure close to sowing raises the risk of basal rot and encourages excess leafy growth over bulb development
Same four steps whichever region you are in — only the timing shifts with the sowing window.
Remove the previous crop’s residue and weeds so the field starts clean.
Two to three ploughings followed by harrowing break the soil to a fine, well-pulverised tilth — onion’s shallow root system and surface-sitting bulb both need loose soil free of clods to develop properly.
Forming raised beds or ridges, rather than a flat seedbed, protects the crop from waterlogging and makes the light, frequent irrigation onion needs easier to manage precisely.
Working 20–25 tonnes/ha of well-rotted compost into the final ploughing — not fresh manure, which raises basal rot risk this close to sowing — builds the organic matter onion responds well to.
How the main varieties compare, so you can pick by duration, yield, disease pressure or what you are growing for.
| Variety | Duration | Yield | Disease resistance | Best state | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agrifound Dark Red A widely grown, dark red, medium-duration variety popular for its storage quality and consistent bulb shape, developed by ICAR-DOGR. | 95–110 days | 250–300 q/ha | No specific bred-in resistance — standard exposure to purple blotch and thrips | Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh | Rabi storage |
Bhima Super / Bhima Red ICAR-DOGR-developed rabi varieties bred specifically for good keeping quality in storage — the trait that matters most for a crop sold months after harvest. | 100–110 days | 250–350 q/ha (varies with kharif vs late-kharif sowing) | No specific bred-in resistance | Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat | Storage-bred keeping quality |
N-53 (Nashik Red) A long-standing variety from the Nashik belt, valued for pungency and export demand, though somewhat lower-yielding than newer hybrids. | 120–130 days | 180–220 q/ha | No specific bred-in resistance — a traditional, unimproved variety | Maharashtra (Nashik belt) | Export / high pungency |
Private hybrid varieties Increasingly used for kharif and early rabi sowing for their higher yield and uniformity, though usually with a shorter storage life than a traditional open-pollinated variety like Bhima Red. | — | 350–450 q/ha | Varies by hybrid — check the seed company’s local disease package | Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat (commercial) | Kharif / early rabi, uniform bulbs |
Onion is more day-length sensitive than most vegetables — a rabi (long-day) crop sown at the wrong time of year, or a kharif (short-day) variety carried into rabi, forms undersized bulbs no matter how well everything else is managed. Matching variety to season matters as much as the sowing date itself.
A split dose beats one large dose applied at sowing — nitrogen especially is lost to the air and to leaching if it all goes in on day one.
At transplanting
Full phosphorus and potash plus about a third of the nitrogen — a common recommendation is 100:50:50 kg/ha N:P₂O₅:K₂O — worked into the bed ahead of transplanting.
30 days after transplanting
About a third of the nitrogen, applied with irrigation during active vegetative growth.
45–50 days after transplanting, before bulb initiation
The remaining nitrogen — the last nitrogen dose of the season. Applying nitrogen later than this delays bulb maturity and hurts storage life, so it is deliberately cut off here rather than continued to the end.
At basal dose, ~20–25 kg/ha S, on deficient soils
Onion, like mustard, is a sulphur-responsive crop — sulphur measurably improves both bulb pungency and size on fields with a known deficiency.
First 2–3 weeks after transplanting
Light, frequent irrigation establishes the transplant.
20–60 days after transplanting
Regular irrigation every 8–10 days supports leaf growth, which in turn feeds bulb size later.
60–100 days after transplanting
Consistent moisture through bulb swelling sets final bulb size; both drought stress and waterlogging here cause smaller or split bulbs.
What a shortage of each nutrient actually looks like on the plant, so you can tell a deficiency apart from a disease before you spray the wrong thing.
Visible symptom
Pale, thin, yellowing older leaves with weak leaf growth, which caps bulb size later since leaf mass feeds the bulb.
Visible symptom
Dark bluish-green, stunted leaves and delayed bulb initiation.
Visible symptom
Yellowing and browning of leaf tips, with softer bulbs that store noticeably worse.
Visible symptom
Pale green foliage and bulbs that lack pungency and size — onion, like mustard, is unusually sulphur-responsive.
Visible symptom
Cracked, thickened bulb necks and poor bulb formation, most common on light, deficiency-prone soils.
Symptoms, likely cause and what actually treats it — not just a spray name.
What to look for before the damage is visible, and organic options before you reach for a chemical.
The mistakes that cost growers the most, ranked by how often they show up in the field — not in the order you might expect.
Why it hurts
A short-day variety carried into rabi, or a long-day variety sown for kharif, forms undersized bulbs no matter how well everything else is managed.
Why it hurts
Establishment is poorer and bulb formation is delayed compared with seedlings transplanted at the right stage.
Why it hurts
Bulbs lifted from wet soil cure poorly and rot fast in storage, undoing months of otherwise good field management.
Why it hurts
Delays bulb maturity and shortens storage life — the last nitrogen dose is deliberately cut off early for exactly this reason.
Why it hurts
Raises basal rot risk and pushes excess leafy growth at the expense of bulb development.
Why it hurts
Onion is a poor weed competitor in its slow-establishing early weeks, and lost ground here shows up directly as smaller bulbs later.
Why it hurts
Thrips build resistance quickly, and a population left to build is far harder to control than one caught at first silvering.
Why it hurts
Uncured bulbs go straight into storage with an unsealed neck and rot within weeks instead of lasting months.
Why it hurts
Traps moisture and accelerates rot regardless of how well the crop was cured beforehand — airflow, not just shade, is what actually prevents storage rot.
Why it hurts
A handful of damaged bulbs can spread rot through an entire stored heap within weeks.
When 50–70% of leaves (necks) have fallen over naturally and started to dry — usually 120–140 days after transplanting for a rabi storage crop — rather than waiting for all leaves to dry, which risks bulbs splitting or re-rooting in the field.
250–350 q/ha under normal irrigated management; over 350 q/ha achievable with a high-yielding variety, timely sowing and good thrips control
Storage
Cure lifted bulbs in the field or under shade for 1–2 weeks until the neck and outer skin are fully dry and papery, then store in a well-ventilated chawl (a raised, slatted structure) rather than a sealed room — airflow around the bulbs, not just shade, is what actually prevents storage rot.
Packaging
Loosely woven jute or mesh bags that allow airflow; sealed plastic sacks trap moisture and accelerate rot within days.
Transportation
Handle gently to avoid bruising, and avoid transporting wet or under-cured bulbs — they rot in transit and can spoil an otherwise sound lot around them.
Shelf life
4–6 months in a well-ventilated chawl for a properly cured rabi crop, though 25–40% storage loss over that period is typical even under good management, since onion has no true dormancy and continues respiring and occasionally sprouting in storage.
Today's mandi price near you, pulled live from the government's own Agmarknet data.
Live daily mandi prices from the government Agmarknet dataset.
Synced from data.gov.in (Agmarknet). Rates are ₹ per quintal.
Current conditions and a 5-day outlook for your selected location, with one line of stage-aware advice.
Pick your state for current conditions and a 5-day outlook.
Live data from Open-Meteo
Your own cost sheet, expected yield and selling price — not ours.
Share of the total cost per acre, using the calculator’s own default cost sheet below — adjust the numbers there to match your field and this picture will no longer apply to you exactly, but the ranking rarely changes.
Government and ICAR documents only — everything below is hosted on an official server.
Package of practices, variety recommendations and storage advisories from the ICAR institute mandated for onion and garlic.
Government of India’s farmer portal, including season-specific advisories and market information.
Get a free, crop-wise fertilizer recommendation — including a sulphur reading — before finalising the fertilizer schedule above.
Register for free SMS advisories timed to your crop stage and district.
Nursery sowing in October–November for the main rabi crop grown for storage; May–June for kharif and August–September for late kharif. Transplanting follows 6–8 weeks after nursery sowing, once seedlings are pencil-thick.
Roughly 8–10 kg/ha of seed, raised in a nursery, gives enough seedlings for about 250,000–300,000 plants per hectare at typical spacing (15 × 10 cm). Buy fresh, certified seed each season — onion seed loses germination quickly in storage.
Onion is a day-length-sensitive crop: short-day varieties are bred for kharif and long-day-responsive varieties for rabi, and they are not interchangeable. Sowing the wrong type for the season caps bulb size no matter how well everything else — fertilizer, water, pest control — is managed.
Regular light irrigation every 8–10 days through vegetative growth and bulb development, then a deliberate, complete stop 10–15 days before harvest. This is one of the most important and most skipped steps in the whole crop — bulbs harvested from wet soil cure poorly and rot fast in storage, undoing months of good field management.
A common recommendation is 100:50:50 kg/ha of N:P:K, with roughly a third of the nitrogen at transplanting and the rest split across two top dressings. The last nitrogen dose is deliberately given before bulb initiation, around 45–50 days — nitrogen applied later than that delays bulb maturity and shortens storage life.
Most likely purple blotch, the most common and damaging foliar disease of onion in India, favoured by warm, humid weather and heavy dew. Spray mancozeb or a suitable combination fungicide at first appearance — see the Diseases section above for the full programme.
No — onion has no Minimum Support Price, and its price is among the most politically watched in India because it swings hard between glut and shortage. Export policy changes (bans or duties) can move the domestic price sharply within days, on top of the normal seasonal supply swings. The live mandi price on this page is the most useful real-time signal for deciding when to sell from storage.
Look for silvery-white streaks and patches on leaves, visible against the light, caused by tiny pale yellow to brown insects rasping the leaf surface. Thrips are the single most damaging pest of onion in India and thrive in hot, dry weather — spray as soon as silvering is visible on a meaningful share of leaves rather than waiting for heavier damage.
250–350 quintals per hectare under normal irrigated management; over 350 q/ha is achievable with a high-yielding variety, timely sowing and good thrips control.
Curing dries the neck and outer skin into a papery seal that keeps out rot organisms — skip it or do it poorly, and even a well-grown crop rots fast in storage. Field-cure lifted bulbs in windrows for 3–5 days with tops left on to shade them, then continue curing under shade for 1–2 weeks until the neck and skin are fully dry, before bagging.
When 50–70% of leaves (necks) have fallen over naturally and started to dry — usually 120–140 days after transplanting for a rabi storage crop. Don’t wait for all leaves to dry; that risks bulbs splitting or re-rooting in the field.
Store properly cured bulbs in a well-ventilated chawl (a raised, slatted structure) rather than a sealed room — airflow, not just shade, is what actually prevents storage rot. Even under good management, 25–40% storage loss over 4–6 months is typical, since onion has no true dormancy and keeps respiring and occasionally sprouting in storage.
PM-KISAN is not crop-specific — any landholding farmer family meeting the scheme’s land-record and eligibility criteria qualifies, onion or otherwise. See the Related schemes section below.
Yes, under PMFBY (Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana), where onion is included in your state’s notified crop list. Onion is classified as an annual horticultural crop, so the farmer’s premium is capped at 5% of the sum insured. Enrolment is seasonal — check your state’s cut-off date and notified crop list before transplanting is complete.
Private hybrid varieties top out highest, at 350–450 q/ha, but usually with a shorter storage life than a traditional open-pollinated variety. Among the storage-bred options, Bhima Super/Bhima Red and Agrifound Dark Red both reach 250–350 q/ha while keeping the good storage quality that matters most for a rabi crop sold months after harvest.
Roughly 3.2–4 kg per acre (8–10 kg/ha), raised in a nursery — sold in small packs rather than bags, since onion seed is bought fresh each season and loses germination quickly if held over.
Splitting and double centres usually trace back to irregular moisture during bulb development — a dry spell followed by heavy irrigation or rain — or occasionally to overgrown, stressed seedlings at transplanting. Consistent moisture through the 60–100 day bulb-development window is the main prevention.
Yes, direct-seeded onion is used on some larger mechanised farms, and it saves the labour and time of raising and transplanting a nursery. It needs more precise weed control in the early weeks, since there is no head start from transplanting larger seedlings, and stand establishment is generally less uniform than a transplanted crop.
Mancozeb or a suitable combination fungicide, sprayed at first appearance and repeated every 7–10 days through a favourable spell. Keeping foliage dry — avoiding overhead irrigation and spacing plants for airflow — reduces how often you need to reach for it.
A thick neck that will not dry down is usually a sign of nitrogen applied too late in the season, past bulb initiation around 45–50 days after transplanting. It delays maturity and is exactly why the fertilizer schedule on this page deliberately cuts nitrogen off early rather than continuing it to the end.
Onion is grown as a sole crop far more often than intercropped, since its narrow row spacing and slow early growth leave little room to share the bed. Where it is intercropped, a fast-maturing, low-canopy crop like coriander or fenugreek in the early weeks is the more common choice, harvested well before onion’s canopy needs the space.
Deeper reading on specific parts of the season.
The FAQs above cover the common ones. For anything specific to your field and soil, your nearest Krishi Vigyan Kendra is the authoritative answer.
