Growth and Nutrient Accumulation and Export in a Short-Day Onion

Abstract

New hybrid onions that are more productive are currently being cultivated. Information on growth and nutrient accumulation must thus be updated to assist in the refinement of existing recommendations, enabling the better exploitation of the productive potential of these new genotypes. We determined the growth of plants and the accumulation and export of nutrients of the short-day onion ‘Soberana’ established by direct seeding. The experimental design was a randomized block with four replicates and the treatments were evaluation times. Leaf number, tissue dry weight, nutrient accumulation, and the maximum daily rate of accumulation were evaluated throughout the growing cycle. The order of nutrient accumulation was (g plant-1) K (0.72) > Ca (0.38) > N (0.32) > S (0.14) > P (0.08) > Mg (0.06) and (mg plant-1) Fe (2.26) > Mn (1.43) > Cu (0.93) > Zn (0.91) > B (0.85). Macronutrient demand was highest between 61 and 148 days after sowing (DAS), and micronutrient demand was highest between 70 and 148 DAS.

Does high onion plant density increase nitrogen demand?

“…N is the most required nutrient and has important functions in the plant. Among limiting nutrients, N and K are the nutrients most absorbed by onion crops; K is required in larger quantities PEREIRA, 2010;BACKES et al, 2018;MORAES et al, 2018) and is the most absorbed nutrient (MAY et al, 2008;KURTZ;FAYAD;VIEIRA NETO, 2020). The difference between N and K absorption depends on the cultivar/hybrid, growing season, soil type, climate, and cropping system.…”

Untitled

“…A number of agricultural chemists point to a decrease in the mobility of nutrients at the end of the growing season of agricultural crops for the use of mineral fertilisers, and a more prolonged positive effect on the soil nutrient regime for the use of organic fertilisers (Diaz-Perez et al, 2018). According to the results of a number of studies, it was found that the most effective way to improve the nutrient regime of the soil during the entire growing season of plants is to use the organo-mineral fertiliser system (Colla et al, 2018;Moraes et al, 2018;Moraiet & Ansari, 2022). The level of soil fertility also depends on the fertiliser system, since fertilisers affect many parameters of fertility: nutrient regime, absorption capacity, structure and water-physical properties, microbiological activity, etc.…”

“…Different fertiliser systems have different effects on crop rotation productivity and soil fertility indicators (Moraes et al, 2018;Bezabih & Girmay, 2020;). It is established that the effectiveness of fertilisers varies depending on the level of soil fertility, doses and methods of fertilisation, balance in nutrition elements, and distribution of fertilisers between crop rotations (Kuts et al, 2017;Novikova, 2020;).…”