Bhima Red
An ICAR-DOGR sibling release to Bhima Super, bred for the same kharif storage window and good keeping quality.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Onion
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 100–110 days
- Seed rate
- 5–7 kg seed per hectare for one hectare of transplanted crop, raised on about 0.05 ha of nursery
- Expected yield
- 190–210 q/ha (kharif) to 480–520 q/ha (late-kharif)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- No specific bred-in resistance
- Release
- ICAR-DOGR (Directorate of Onion and Garlic Research), a sibling release to Bhima Super
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Bhima Red is an onion variety released by ICAR-DOGR (Directorate of Onion and Garlic Research), a sibling release to Bhima Super. An ICAR page lists it as officially recommended for kharif cultivation in Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, and also approved for rabi cultivation in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, with rabi-harvested bulbs storing for up to three months.
Should you pick this variety?
Pick Bhima Red if you want an ICAR-DOGR onion that is officially recommended where you farm. Its kharif recommendation covers Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, and it is also approved for rabi in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The sowing window decides the crop: 190–210 q/ha from kharif sowing against 480–520 q/ha from late-kharif. Rabi bulbs store up to three months. It carries no bred-in disease resistance, so keep a spray and drainage plan ready. Choose its sibling Bhima Super if your main worry is a very wet kharif.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeKharif: nursery in May–June, transplanting in July–August. Late kharif runs on the same nursery dates, and the rabi crop in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra is sown in October–November and transplanted in December–January (ICAR-DOGR)
- Seed rate5–7 kg seed per hectare for one hectare of transplanted crop, raised on about 0.05 ha of nursery
- SpacingRows 15 cm apart, plants 10 cm apart in the row
- Sowing methodSow on raised beds, in lines 50–75 mm apart so seedlings lift cleanly. For kharif, broad bed furrows 15 cm high and 120 cm wide with a 45 cm furrow drain the rain and cut anthracnose. Trim the seedling tops by a third at transplanting
- IrrigationAt transplanting, three days later, then every 7–10 days: about 5–8 irrigations for kharif, 10–12 for late kharif and 12–15 for rabi. Dry spells followed by heavy watering split the outer scales, so keep it even
- Fertilizer75:40:40 kg NPK per hectare for a kharif crop, or 110:40:60 for late kharif and rabi, where the yield potential is far higher. Nitrogen goes in three parts: basal, 30 days and 45 days after transplanting (ICAR-DOGR)
Soil & climate
Soil
- pH
- 6.0–7.5
Climate
- Temperature
- 13–24°C for leaf growth, 16–25°C for bulbing
- Rainfall
- 650–750 mm
Advantages & considerations
Things to consider
- Yield depends strongly on the sowing window. ICAR gives 19–21 t/ha (190–210 q/ha) for kharif sowing and 48–52 t/ha (480–520 q/ha) for late-kharif sowing.
- ICAR gives 105–110 days for kharif and 110–120 days after transplanting for late-kharif and rabi. In rabi, bulbs can be stored for up to three months.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Delhi
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Karnataka
- Maharashtra
- Madhya Pradesh
- Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Tamil Nadu
The sowing window decides your yield, not the state list
Bhima Red is recommended for more states than any other onion compared here, and that wide list says nothing about what you will harvest. ICAR gives 19–21 t/ha for a kharif sowing and 48–52 t/ha for a late-kharif sowing of the same variety. The window, not the state, is the difference.
So fix the window first. Find out from your district horticulture office or KVK which nursery and transplanting dates count as late kharif in your area, and plan the nursery backwards from that. If your water or your labour only allows the early kharif window, plan on the lower figure and sell early instead of hoping for the higher one. Quoting the 48–52 t/ha figure to yourself while sowing in the kharif window is the commonest way to be disappointed by a good variety.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This is an open-pollinated variety, so seed from a healthy crop of your own can be sown again. Keep seed only from disease-free plants, dry it properly, store it cool and dry, and bring in fresh certified seed every three to four years so the variety does not drift.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Onion variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agrifound Dark Red | Kharif onion with dark, even bulbs for the export trade | 95–110 days after transplanting | 250–300 q/ha | Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh |
| Bhima Redthis page | Onion with the widest official state list, for kharif or rabi | 100–110 days | 190–210 q/ha (kharif) to 480–520 q/ha (late-kharif) | Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu |
| Bhima Super | Wet-season kharif onion, best sown in the late-kharif window | 100–105 days after transplanting (kharif); 110–120 days (late kharif) | 200–220 q/ha (kharif); 400–450 q/ha (late kharif) | Maharashtra, Karnataka |
| N-53 (Nashik Red) | An early kharif red onion to harvest and sell fresh | 90–100 days after transplanting | About 250 q/ha (25 t/ha) | Maharashtra |
| Pusa Riddhi | Rabi onion to store six months and sell in the off-season | 110–120 days after transplanting | 300–350 q/ha | Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Onion is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Onion plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Onion variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Onion into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Onion in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Onion rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Onion seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Who released Bhima Red?
ICAR-DOGR (Directorate of Onion and Garlic Research) released it as a sibling variety to Bhima Super, sharing the same kharif storage-window breeding focus.
Which states officially grow Bhima Red?
ICAR's recommendation covers 8 states for kharif (Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu) plus rabi approval in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
Why does Bhima Red's yield vary so much by sowing window?
Like its sibling Bhima Super, this variety performs very differently by sowing window. ICAR's figures show roughly 19–21 t/ha for kharif sowing versus 48–52 t/ha for late-kharif sowing.
How long does Bhima Red store?
Rabi-harvested bulbs can be stored for up to three months, per ICAR's own variety information.
Is Bhima Red resistant to any specific disease?
No specific disease resistance is listed in ICAR's own variety listing.
Bhima Red or Bhima Super: which of the two sibling varieties should I grow?
Both come from ICAR-DOGR for the same storage window. Bhima Red has the wider official state list and a rabi approval in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, with 480–520 q/ha from late-kharif sowing. Bhima Super is the one bred squarely for the wet kharif window and gives 40–45 t/ha from the late-kharif sowing. Go by what is recommended for your state first, then by how wet your kharif is.
Can I grow Bhima Red as a rabi crop?
Yes in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, where ICAR approved it for rabi. Rabi sowing takes 110–120 days after transplanting and the bulbs keep for up to three months — useful, but still short of a dedicated long-storage rabi variety.
Does Bhima Red need disease sprays?
Plan for it. ICAR's own listing shows no specific bred-in disease resistance, so the crop depends on clean seedlings, good drainage and a watch for leaf blight and thrips rather than on the variety's own defence.
What spacing does Bhima Red need?
Rows 15 cm apart and plants 10 cm apart in the row. Keeping the plant count up is how you hold the yield, because an onion field earns from many even bulbs, not from a few big ones.
How long does Bhima Red take after transplanting?
100–110 days. Fix your harvest date from that and arrange curing space in advance, because onion lifted and left in the sun on the field loses both skin colour and keeping quality.
Sourced from: Onion Agropedia, ICAR-Directorate of Onion and Garlic Research: season calendar, nursery and seed rate, spacing, season-wise fertiliser schedule and irrigation. editorial policy.