Mastering Greenhouse Onion Farming Techniques with Onion Doctor in Kenya
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Unlock the secrets of greenhouse onion farming with Onion Doctor, your premier partner for agricultural excellence in Kenya. Dive into the world of polythene-sheeted structures and discover how to optimize onion growth for maximum yields and profitability. This comprehensive guide, infused with keywords like "Onion farming in Kenya" and "Onion Doctor," will equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to thrive in greenhouse onion cultivation.
THE BENEFITS OF GROWING CROPS IN A GREENHOUSE Over time, farmers have come to realize that there are plenty of benefits of growing plants in a greenhouse, especially with the uncertainty in climate change lately. However, before you carry out your greenhouse farming in Kenya, you have to conduct adequate research to ensure that you will reap some of the following benefits. A greenhouse delivers an extended growing season There are consistency and reliability in food production You can plant a variety of crops in a greenhouse It allows you to control the growth environment, humidity levels, and soil easily A greenhouse makes it easy for you to control insect and animal infestation
Factors to consider for greenhouse onion farming The variety of the onion crop. The climatic conditions of the onions. Agronomist practices required by onions. Irrigation method. Availability of the market. Pests and disease management The variety of onions
The variety of onions depends mainly on the type of climatic and the soil factors. The commonly used varieties may include; Neptune F1 variety Bombay red. Red coach F1 Russet F1 Quantifying onion seed for greenhouse onion farming
Quantifying seed required for planting depends on land availability by the farmer. The standard seed required by a greenhouse of 8 meters by 30 meters is approximately 250mg. This quantity is good enough to plants six beds of one meter each with a running length of 30 meters. The numbers of seedlings that can accommodate in a single bay of a greenhouse is roughly 50,000 seedlings thus the 3 months output in terms of kilogram are 3000kgs-5000kgs. These kilograms when translated into Kenyan shillings per kilograms comes to about ksh150, 000 to ksh250, 000
Irrigation methods of greenhouse onion farming Drip irrigation system The commonly used method of irrigation of onion farming is the drip irrigation.
Drip irrigation system commonly used for onion farming are drip line of 10 centimetres, 15 centimetres and 20 centimetres. These spacing dictate the onion spacing along the rows and the column. The GAP ( Good Agricultural Practices) in Kenya recommends these spacing from plant to plant and 30 centimetres from one line to another.
Benefits of best drip irrigation system The drip irrigation system is the most efficient method of irrigation. Through emitters, water is directly delivered to the plant root zone hence economical on water usage. In the best drip irrigation system, there is a constant benefit of water supply in small quantities to the plants. This creates an ideal moist condition for proper growth of most plants. The best drip irrigation system minimizes weed growth since water is only supplied to a particular crop root. The best drip irrigation system helps in the control of fungal diseases which grow very fast under moist conditions. Timeliness and labor-saving. In the best drip irrigation system, the control valves can be managed by one personnel. One person operates the whole system thus minimizing the labor costs. This minimizes production cost. Ease in fertilizer application. , method of liquid fertilizer application (Fertigation) is very easy and fast. Since water emitters are used to directly distribute fertilizers to particular crop/plants
Disease and pest management and agronomy practices Thrips are tiny insects that have onions as most preferred host crop on hot and dry weather conditions. They feed by sucking the plant sap hence opening the onions to attack by diseases like purple blotch. They mostly cause great damage to younger onions when bulbs are forming than older ones hence control measures should be undertaken during early stages of growth. Thrips can cause economic loss by reducing yields by up to 60% if not controlled timely. Symptoms: They cause silvery streaks or patches on the leaves while severe infestation and feeding can result in minute black “tar” like sports on leaves. Younger plant leaves show brown tips and eventually a white color as a result of feeding by thrips. This reduces ability of plants to make food thus resulting in small undeveloped bulbs. The presence of thrips can also be indicated by the black dotted patches of thrips fecal materials produced during their feeding on the onion plant.
Onion Doctor supports small holder farmers across Africa with quality and affordable Onion and Garlic seedlings, Onion seedlings, Farm planning services, Soil testing, Drip irrigation installation and maintenance, Agronomic support, Onion and Garlic value pack, Farm management, E-extension and on-farm training for farmers to optimize on yields and get maximum profits.