1. Introduction
Onion is nutritious vegetable of the genus Allium cepa which is rich invitamin C with medicinal effect. Onions can be eaten raw or cooked. Over cooking destroys most of its vitamins. The vegetative part grows to the height of 50 cm depending on the variety, rainfall and soil conditions. Onions need hot and warm climate, fertile sandy loamy soil or silty loam, well drained soils with soil pH 6.0-7.0. Onions do best in low warm moist altitudes ranging from 1000-1500m asl.
2. Common Varieties
In Rwanda, we grow red and white onion varieties:
- Bombay Red: early maturing and grows well in warm areas. It produces small to medium onions.
BOMBAY RED
An excellent red onion with very high market demand.
Characteristics:
RED CREOLE
A standard OP red onion with good market demand.
- Red Creole: it is the most preferred variety grown in the northern and western part of Rwanda. It yields big onions but it is late maturing and takes longer in the field ( 5-6 months).
Characteristics:
TEXAS EARLY GRANO
An excellent white onion with mild pungency.
Characteristics:
This is another onion variety from MONSATO SEED CO. grown in Rwanda.
ITS KEY FEATURES INCLUDE:
• Matures in 90 days
• Very high yielding 23 t/acre
• Uniform bulbs shape
• Better storage 6 Months
• Brilliant red color skin outside and inside
• Easy to sell
• Vigorous plant, tolerant to diseases.
It requires well-drained, rich soil, high in organic matter. Optimum pH is 6.2 to 6.8. Requires plentiful, even moisture for good yields.
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