Evaluation and Characterization of Six Sudanese Onion Cultivars By Mohammed Ahmed Eltayeb B.Sc. (Agri.) Honours (2000) Sudan University of Science and Technology A thesis submitted to the University of Khartoum in partial fulfillment Of the requirement for the degree of Master of Science Supervisor Prof. Abdalla Ahmed Abdalla Department of Horticulture Faculty of Agriculture University of Khartoum July 2006 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Iam greatly indebted to prof. Abdalla Ahmed Abdalla for his supervision, guidance and valuable suggestions. I feel obliged to the Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC) and my friends in Hudeiba Research Station for financial support. Thanks are due to my colleagues and members of the Horticulture Department family and Faculty of Agriculture University of Khartoum for their help. ABSTRACT This research was carried out at Hudeiba Research Station Farm, in the River Nile State, in season’s 2003/04-2004/05 to study the performance of six Sudanese open pollinated onion cultivars namely; Saggai, an improved cultivar with pink red skin color; Kamleen with yellow skin color; El-Hillo (Nassi) white skin color; Abufrawa with deep red skin color; Wadhamid with yellow skin color and Zeidab with red skin color. The results showed a considerable variation in vegetative growth among the six cultivars, where cultivars Kamleen and Wad hamid produced more foliage than others and earliness bulbing. Cultivar Kamleen gave the highest total and marketable yield (ton/ha), while Zeidab gave the lowest yield in the two seasons. The released cultivars, Saggai, Kamleen and El- Hilo showed the best quality characters. Cultivars Wadhamid, Abufrawa and Zeidab gave the lowest values in quality characters. Cultivar Abufrawa matured earlier, while cultivar Saggai matured latest. ﺔﺣوﺮﻃﻷا ﺺﺨﻠﻣ ﻲﻤﺳﻮﻣ ﻲﻓ ﻞﻴﻨﻟا ﺮﻬﻧ ﺔﻳﻻﻮﺑ ﺔﻴﻋارﺰﻟا ﺔﺒﻳﺪﺤﻟا ثﻮﺤﺑ ﺔﻄﺤﻤﺑ ﺔﺳارﺪﻟا ﻩﺬه ﺖﻳﺮﺟأ ﺔﻴﻧادﻮﺴﻟا ﻞﺼﺒﻟا فﺎﻨﺻأ ﻦﻣ ﺔﺘﺳ ﺺﺋﺎﺼﺧ ﻢﻴﻴﻘﺗو ﺺﺤﻔﻟ 05/2004-04/2003 (ﻮﻠﺤﻟا) ﻊﺻﺎﻧ ، نﻮﻠﻟا ﺮﻔﺻأ ﻦﻴﻴﻠﻣﺎآ، نﻮﻠﻟا ﺮﻤﺣأ ﻦﺴﺤﻣ يﺎﻘﺳ ﻲهو ﺢﻴﻘﻠﺘﻟا ﺔﺣﻮﺘﻔﻣ ﺮﻤﺣأ باﺪﻳزو نﻮﻠﻟا ﺮﻔﺻأ ﺪﻣﺎﺣدو ،ﻦآاﺪﻟا ﺮﻤﺣﻷا نﻮﻠﻟﺎﺑ ةﻮﻳﺮﻓﻮﺑأ ،نﻮﻠﻟا ﺾﻴﺑأ .نﻮﻠﻟا ﻲﻄﻋأ ﺚﻴﺣ ﺔﺘﺴﻟا فﺎﻨﺻﻷا ﻦﻴﺑ يﺮﻀﺨﻟا ﻮﻤﻨﻟا ﻲﻓ تﺎﻓﻼﺘﺧا دﻮﺟو ﺞﺋﺎﺘﻨﻟا ﺖﺤﺿوأ ﻚﻟﺬآو فﺎﻨﺻﻷا ﺔﻴﻘﺑ ﻊﻣ ﺔﻧرﺎﻘﻣ يﺮﻀﺨﻟا ﻮﻤﻨﻠﻟ لﺪﻌﻣ ﻲﻠﻋأ ﺪﻣﺎﺣدوو ﻦﻴﻴﻠﻣﺎآ نﺎﻔﻨﺼﻟا ﺎﻤه ىﺎﻘﺳو ﻦﻴﻴﻠﻣﺎآ نﺎﻔﻨﺼﻟا نﺎآ ﺔﻴﻘﻳﻮﺴﺘﻟا ﺔﻴﺟﺎﺘﻧﻺﻟ ﺔﺒﺴﻨﻟﺎﺑ ﻦﻜﻟو ﺔﻴﺟﺎﺘﻧإ ﻲﻠﻋأ يﺮﻀﺨﻟا ﻮﻤﻨﻟا ﻲﻓ ﺞﺋﺎﺘﻨﻟا ﻲﻧدأ باﺪﻳز ﻒﻨﺼﻟا ﻲﻄﻋأ ﺎﻤﻨﻴﺑ .ﻦﻴﻤﺳﻮﻤﻟا ﻲﻓ ﻞﻀﻓﻷا .ﺔﻴﻋﻮﻨﻟا صاﻮﺨﻟاو جﺎﺘﻧﻹا ﻲﻓو ﺔﺟودﺰﻤﻟا لﺎﺼﺑﻸﻟ ﺐﺴﻨﻟا ﻞﻗأ ( ﻮﻠﺤﻟا ،ﻦﻴﻴﻠﻣﺎآ ،يﺎﻘﺳ) ةزﺎﺠﻤﻟا فﺎﻨﺻﻷا ﺖﻄﻋأ .(باﺪﻳزو ،ﺪﻣﺎﺣدو، ةﻮﻳﺮﻓﻮﺑأ)ةزﺎﺠﻤﻟا ﺮﻴﻏ فﺎﻨﺻﻷا ﻊﻣ ﺔﻧرﺎﻘﻣ ،(نﻮﺒﻨﺒﻟا) ةﺮهﺰﻤﻟاو صاﻮﺨﻟاو ﺔﻴﺟﺎﺘﻧﻹا ﺚﻴﺣ ﻦﻣ لوﻷا ﻒﻨﺼﻟا ﻮه ﻦﻴﻴﻠﻣﺎآ ﻒﻨﺼﻟا نأ ﺖﺤﺿوأ ﺔﺳارﺪﻟا .ةﺮﻴﺧﻷا ﺔﺒﺗﺮﻤﻟا ﻲﻓ ءﺎﺟ باﺪﻳز ﻒﻨﺼﻟا ﺎﻣأ ،يﺎﻘﺳ ﻒﻨﺼﻟا ﻪﻴﻠﻳو ﺔﻴﻋﻮﻨﻟا ﺮﺧﺄﺘﻣ ﻒﻨﺻ يﺎﻘﺳ و ﺞﻀﻨﻟا ﺮﻜﺒﻣ ﻒﻨﺻ ةﻮﻳﺮﻓﻮﺑأ ﻒﻨﺼﻟا نأ ﺖﺤﺿوأ ﺞﺋﺎﺘﻨﻟا .ﺞﻀﻨﻟا LIST OF CONTENTS Page Dedication…………………………………………………………………………… Acknowledgement……………………………………………………………………....i Abstract………………………………………………………………………………..ii Arabic Abstract………………………………………………………………………..iii List of Contents………………………………………………………………………...v List of Tables…………………………………………………………..........................viii List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………..x List of Plates……………………………………………………………………………xi CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………1 CHAPTER TWO; LITERATURE REVIW………………………..............................5 2.1. Origin……………………………………………………………………………….5 2.2. Plant description……………………………………………………………………..5 2.3. Cultivars……………………………………………………………………………..6 2.4. Cultivars characters………………………………………………………………...11 2.4.1. Color and skin……………………………………………………………………11 2.4.2. Shape and size……………………………………………………………………13 2.4.3. Bolting……………………………………………………………………………13 2.4.4. Doubles…………………………………………………………………………15 2.4.5. Dry matter content and pungency………………………………………………...16 2.5. Climatic requirements……………………………………………………………...17 2.5.1. Soil type…………………………………………………………………………17 2.5.2. Photoperiod……………………………………………………………………..17 2.5.3. Temperature……………………………………………………………………..19 CHAPTER THRE: MATERIALS AND METHODS………………………………22 CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS.....................................................................................28 4.1. Vegetative Growth…………………………………………………………………28 4.1.1. Number of leaves/Plant…………………………………………………………..28 4.1.2. Plant height (cm)…………………………………………………………………31 4.1.3. Bulbing ratio……………………………………………………………………..31 4.1.4. Plant fresh weight (g)………………………………………………………….....34 4.1.5. Plant dry weight (g)………………………………………………………………37 4.1.6. Neck length (cm/plant)…………………………………………………………...40 4.1.7. Days to maturity………………………………………………………………….45 4.2. Yield and quality characters………………………………………………………..47 4.2.1. Total yield (ton/ha)………………………………………………………………47 4.2.2. Marketable yield (ton/ha)………………………………………………………..47 4.2.3. Number of small bulbs…………………………………………………………..51 4.2.4. Number of large bulbs…………………………………………………………..51 4.2.5. Average bulb fresh weight (g/bulb)………………………………………………52 4.2.6. Average bulb dry weight (g/bulb)………………………………………………..52 4.2.7. Bulb diameter (cm)……………………………………………………………...52 4.2.8. Bulb length (cm)…………………………………………………………………53 4.2.9. Bulb shape index…………………………………………………………………53 4.2.10. Total soluble solids (T.S.S)…………………………………………………… 57 4.2.11. Dry matter content (%)………………………………………………………….57 4.2.12. Percentage of double bulbs……………………………………………………..57 4.2.13. Percentage of premature bolting………………………………………………..58 4.2.14. Percentage of offtype…………………………………………………………..58 4.2.15. Percentage of rotting……………………………………………………………59 CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION ……………………………………………………71 REFEFRENCES………………………………………………………………………76 APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………………87 LIST OF TABLES TABLE TITILE NO 1. Number of leaves /plant at different stages of six Sudanese onion cultivars evaluated at Hudeiba Research Station Seasons 2003/04 and 2004/05………….29 2. Plant height at different stages of growth of six Sudanese onion cultivars evaluated at Hudeiba Research Station Seasons 2003/04 and 2004/05…………..32 3. Bulbing ratio at different stages of growth of six Sudanese onion cultivars evaluated at Hudeiba Research Station Seasons 2003/04 and 2004/05…………..35 4. Fresh weight (g/plant) of six Sudanese onion cultivars evaluated at Hudeiba Research Station Seasons 2003/04 and 2004/05………………………………38 5. Dry weight (g/plant) of six Sudanese onion cultivars evaluated at Hudeiba Research Station Seasons 2003/04 and 2004/05……………………………….41 6. Neck length (cm) of six Sudanese onion cultivars evaluated at Hudeiba Research Station Seasons 2003/04 and 2004/05…………………………………………..43 7. Days to maturity of six Sudanese onion cultivars evaluated at Hudeiba Research Station Seasons 2003/04 and 2004/05…………………………………………..46 8. Total yield (ton/ha), marketable yield (ton/ha), number of large bulbs and number of small bulbs of six Sudanese onion cultivars evaluated at Hudeiba Research Station Seasons 2003/04 and 2004/05………………………………..48 9. Bulb fresh weight, bulb dry weight, bulb diameter, bulb length and bulb shape index of six Sudanese onion cultivars evaluated at Hudeiba Research Station Seasons 2003/04 and 2004/05…………………………………………………..54 1. Total soluble solids, dry matter content, doubles (%), premature bolting (%), Off type (%), and rotting (%)of six Sudanese onion cultivars evaluated at Hudeiba Research Station Seasons 2003/04 and 2004/05………………………60 List OF FIGURES Fig. Title No. 1. Number of leaves/ plant……………………………………………………………30 2. Plant height (cm)…………………………………………………………………..33 3. Bulbing ratio……………………………………………………………………….36 4. Fresh weight (g/plant)………………………………………………………………39 5. Dry weight (g/plant)…………………………………………………………………42 6. Length of the necks (cm)……………………………………………………………44 7. Total yield (ton/ha)…………………………………………………………………..49 8. Marketable yield (ton/ha)…………………………………………………………….50 9. Bulb fresh weight (g)…………………………………………………………………55 10. Bulb dry weight (g)………………………………………………………………....56 11. Total soluble solids………………………………………………………………….61 12. Percentage of doubles……………………………………………………………….62 13. Percentage of bolting………………………………………………………………..63