Bhima Super
From ICAR-DOGR — a kharif-season red onion bred for the wet-season window when Agrifound Dark Red is more prone to bulb rot.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Onion
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 100–110 days after transplanting
- Expected yield
- 280–320 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Released by ICAR-Directorate of Onion & Garlic Research (DOGR) for kharif and late-kharif cultivation
About this variety
Bhima Super is a red onion variety released by ICAR-Directorate of Onion & Garlic Research (DOGR) for both kharif and late-kharif cultivation across states including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Bulbs are round, tapering towards the neck, mostly single-centred. Sown as a kharif crop it matures in 100–105 days at 20–22 t/ha with poor storage life (1–1.5 months); sown as a late-kharif crop it matures in 110–120 days at a much higher 40–45 t/ha with medium storage life (2–3 months).
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
100–110 days after transplanting
Expected yield
280–320 q/ha
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- Moderate storage life — 3–4 months
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Late-kharif sowing roughly doubles both yield (40–45 vs 20–22 t/ha) and storage window (2–3 vs 1–1.5 months) compared with the kharif crop of the same variety — a meaningful timing choice for growers who can pick either window
- Mostly single-centred bulbs, a trait markets prefer over split or multiple-centred bulbs
Things to consider
- Kharif-sown storage life is short (1–1.5 months) — this crop needs to move to market quickly rather than being held
- Even at its best, in the late-kharif window, storage life (2–3 months) is still well short of a dedicated rabi storage variety
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Maharashtra
- Karnataka
Frequently asked questions
Should Bhima Super be sown as a kharif or late-kharif crop?
The same variety performs very differently by window — kharif sowing gives 20–22 t/ha with only 1–1.5 months’ storage life, while late-kharif sowing nearly doubles yield to 40–45 t/ha with 2–3 months’ storage — so the later window suits growers who can hold the crop briefly rather than sell immediately.
Sourced from: Improved Onion Varieties Released — ICAR, Bhima Super — Onion Farming In India, Kisaan Helpline. editorial policy.