Potential of bunching onion (Allium fistulosum L.) cultivars on oligotrophic peat

A. C. Leong and H. Salbiah

Abstract

Four imported bunching onion cultivars were evaluated on Malaysia’s oligotrophic peat in two experiments. In the first experiment, the cultivars were planted and given two rates of N and K. No yield differences were detected among the cultivars. Only cultivars Ishikura and Feast had single long blanched pseudostems. The other two cultivars, Fragrant and Linda, had many tillers (> 4 tillers) and were more suitable for use as spring onion. The two bunching onion cultivars identified were also taller and had bigger pseudostems than the tillering cultivars. Higher N and K levels resulted in higher yields and taller plants. The N and K levels had no effect on the size of the pseudostem. In the second experiment, the four cultivars were planted at two planting densities. The cultivar Ishikura was taller and had significantly higher yield than the other bunching onion cultivar, Feast. No differences were detected in the pseudostem size of cultivars at the two planting densities. The experiments indicated that bunching onion can be successfully grown in the lowlands of the tropics provided the right cultivar is used, together with suitable agronomic practices.

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