Influence of Different Types of Fertilizers on Yield and Quality of Onion Seeds (Allium cepa L.)

This research was conducted at the Department of Horticulture, Yezin Agricultural University to study different types of fertilizers on yield and quality of onion seeds (Allium cepa L.). There were two experiments; field experiment was from October 2011 to April 2012 and pot experiment was from November 2012 to April 2013. The treatments were five different types of fertilizers: vermicompost (23000kgha-1), poultry manure (9000kgha-1), cow dung (8000kgha-1), inorganic fertilizer (N: P: K at the rate of 125:200:100 kgha-1) and control. Randomized Complete Block design was used with four replications. The data collected were plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of umbels per plant, days to inflorescence emergence, days to 50% flowering, seed yield, 1000 seed weight, germination percent and rate, fresh weight and dry weight of germinated seedlings and seedling vigor index. Plant height of NPK- treated plants was significantly higher than other treatments in the field experiment. In the pot experiment, plant height was not significantly affected by different types of fertilizers. In both experiments, the plant growth parameters such as number of leaves per plant, number of umbels per plant, days to inflorescence emergence, and days to 50% flowering were not significantly affected by different types of fertilizers. In the field experiment significantly higher seed yield was observed in poultry manure and vermicompost-treated plants and the seeds from poultry manure-treated plants gave heavier seedling dry weight among all treatments. In the pot experiment, seed yield per plant was significantly higher in poultry manure and NPK-treated plants than others and 1000 seed weight was significantly higher in all the fertilizers-treated plants than control. In comparing the effects of organic manures with those of chemical fertilizer, significantly higher seed yield was observed in organic manure treated plants than chemical fertilizer-treated ones in the field experiment while chemical fertilizer-treated plants gave higher seed yield than organic manure-treated ones in the pot experiment. Based on the results of this study, poultry manure should be used in the good quality onion seed production in Myanmar