Onions

Varieties

Onion Varieties

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:

  • Very pungent onion
  • Maturity 150 days from transplanting
  • Very popular red onion with farmers and the market
  • Yield potential 16 tonnes per acre
  • Excellent shelf life and transportability
  • Deep purple red colour

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:

  • Well adapted to diverse climatic conditions
  • Maturity 150 days from transplanting
  • Ideal onion for the fresh market
  • Yield potential 16 tonnes per acre
  • Good storage quality
  • Deep red colour

 

TEXAS EARLY GRANO 

An excellent white onion with mild pungency.

 Characteristics:

  • A high yielding variety well adapted for the tropics
  • Maturity 120 days from transplanting
  • Very popular white onion with farmers and the market
  • Yield potential 21 tonnes per acre
  • Excellent shelf life and transportability
  • White colour with golden exterior

JAMBAR F1

  • - Jambar F1: it is a hybrid red onion variety

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.

  • - American Flag Leek

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.