Effect of Salicylic Acid and Azospirillum on Yield and Quality Characters of Onion (Allium cepa L.) cv. Agrifound Light Red

The present investigation comprised of 18 treatment (1check) combinations of Salicylic acid (SA) and Azospirillum in onion cv. Agrifound Light Red to estimate the best responsive treatments, this work was carried out during Rabi season of 2013–2014 and laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications at Vegetable Research Farm, Department of Horticulture, Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur (M.P.). This study resulted that all the growth parameters under study noted that (T₁₇) Salicylic acid (250 mg/lit.) at 30 DAS, 30, 45, 60 and Azospirillum (5 kg/ha) at 60 DAT was performed superior over control such as highest plant height at 30, 60, 90, 120 DAT (35.18 cm), (38.74 cm), (48.44 cm) and (49.97 cm) respectively, length of leaves at 30, 60, 90, 120 DAT (32.16 cm), (38.74 cm), (43.16 cm) and (45.37 cm) respectively, number of leaf plant⁻¹ at 30, 60, 90, 120 DAT (8.29), (12.44), (17.67), (19.77) respectively, Neck thickness at 30, 60, 90, 120 DAT (12.05 mm), (15.88 mm), (14.20 mm) and (12.91 mm) respectively, dry weight of leaf at 30, 60, 90, 120 DAT (1.80g), (2.50 g), (3.43 g) and (4.05 g) respectively. The growth yield and quality traits also reported best under (T₁₇) as chlorophyll content index at 30, 60, 90 DAT (30.19), (43.36) and (45.36) respectively, TSS (14.08%), average weight of bulb (80.53g), equatorial diameter (64.04mm), polar dimeter (61.40mm), double bulb(0.33%)lowest, A, B and C grade bulb (on weight basis) (38.49%), (66.37%) and (13.29%) respectively, bulb yield polt⁻¹(14.90 kg), marketable bulb yield (28.53 t/ha.), total bulb yield (29.66 t/ha) higher in T_11.