EFFECT OF INTRA-ROW SPACING ON GROWTH AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF ADAMA RED ONION (ALLIUM CEPA L.) CULTIVAR UNDER IRRIGATION IN FICHE, NORTH SHOA ETHIOPIA
Abstract

Author(s): Sara Belay, Daniel Mideksa, Solomon Gebrezgiabher, Weldemariam Seifu,*

A field experiment was conducted at Addis Ababa University, Selale Campus Horticulture department demonstration farm to assess the Effect of plant density (intra-row spacing) on growth (days to matur ity, plant height, leaf length and leaf number) and yield components (mean bulb weight, bulb dry weight, fresh biomass yield and dry biomass yield) of Adama red onion (Allium cepa L.) cultivar in 2014/15 under irrigation. The experiment was conducted using randomized complete block design with three replicates. The analyzed result using ANOVA shows significance difference among the treatments. Closer plant spacing enhanced maturity, while wider plant spacing showed slightly delayed maturity. Best plant height (45.90cm), highest leaf length (28.57cm), maximum mean bulb weight (53.34g), maximum dry bulb weight (28.13g), fresh biomass yield (56.56g) and highest dry biomass yield (42.00g) was recorded in plants spaced at 10cm intra-row spacing. Therefore, it could be conclude that, under Fich condition, good quantity of Adama red onion is possible to produce with intra-row spacing of 10cm which was dominant over the other treatments. Keywords: Adama red, cultivar, growth, Intra-row, Irrigation, onion, spacing, yield,