Ethephon Reduces Lodging and Enhances Seed Yield and Quality in Onion

Abstract

Onion is an important vegetable crop grown in almost all parts of the World as a flavouring agent in food preparation. It is propagated by seeds and the seed crop is affected by several fungal, viral and bacterial diseases which cause lodging and reduces the seed yield and quality. Onion seed crop was sprayed with different concentration of ethephon (0, 100, 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 ppm) for two duration at 45 or 45+60 days after planting during (DAP) during 2018-19 and 2019-20 rabi seasons. The effect of ethephon on seed yield and seed quality was studied. In comparison to control ethephon application significantly reduced scape length and % lodging by 38.73% and 42.52% respectively. There was 31.90% and 89% enhancement in scape diameter and yield respectively. Ethephon spray also enhanced seed quality, highest germination and seed vigour was recorded in plants sprayed with 600 ppm ethephon at 45 and 60 DAP which was 19% and 51.65% higher than control. Highest seedling dry weight was observed in plants sprayed with 100 ppm ethephon at 45 DAP. Among the treatments, 100 and 200 ppm ethephon applied at 45 DAP had lower lodging and higher seed yield and seed quality. Hence spraying of onion seed crop with 100 ppm ethephon at 45 DAP is beneficial for getting higher seed yield and quality.

Piriformospora indica promotes plant growth, reduces lodging, and enhances seed yield and quality in onion (Allium cepa L.)

“…The conventional method of disease control involves the application of a large quantity of pesticides to the soil/plant, which has resulted in environmental pollution and induced pesticide resistance (Deosi & Suri, 2022;Yalamalle et al 2019a). Despite chemical treatments management of lodging is di cult (Yalamalle et al 2020a). Since the onion is pollinated by honey bees, the use of chemicals in onion seed crop must be kept at a minimum.…”

Ethylene and Chitosan Affected the Seed Yield Components of Onion Depending More on the Dose than Timing of Application

“…However, when aiming at seed production, competition between the vegetative part, especially the bulb, and the flowers may affect the seed yield and require specific management strategies to increase the seed yield and quality [5,11,12], which is a prerequisite for a good-standing establishment [13]. In particular, high resource availability and crop vigour, frequently due to its genetic traits [14], may strongly compete with seed production while, at the same time, increasing the chances of crop lodging and further pathogenic and pest attacks or mechanical yield losses, and seed quality reduction [15,16].…”

“…Nonetheless, the effect of ethylene on onion growth was seen to be either increased or in competition with other endogenous or exogenous PGRs [31]. However, the roles of ethylene on the yield components of the seed production of onion are scarcely known [15,32], as well as information on the effects of the ethylene dose. Chitosan is a natural biopolymer with antimicrobial effects and eliciting and film-forming properties that are widely used in the management of pre-and postharvest diseases and other stresses in plants, including its ability to reduce the transpiration and thus sustain the crop under arid conditions irrespective of the presence of biotic stresses [33]; despite these effects, they might strongly depend on the plant genotype, as seen in Tomatoes, and environmental conditions [34].…”