Effects of Nursering and Tranplanting Dates on Quantitative and Qualitative Characters of Long-day Onion (Allium cepa L.) Cultivars

Effects of four different planting and transplanting dates on two long-day cultivars of onion were investigated in Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Station of Neishabour during 2002-2003. Cultivars were planted in nursery in 10-day intervals, beginning from 14 February, then transplanted to the field after 60 days,(from 14 April). They were arranged in split blocks in the form of randomized complete block design with 8 treatments and four replications. Bulb length, bulb width, bulb length/width ratio, number and thickness of edible layers, neck thickness of onion, multikindness and bulb yield were measured during growing season, harvest and storage. Results showed that cultivar statistically affected multikindness. Transplanting date affected number of edible layers, multikindness and yield, significantly, so that the first and fourth dates had maximum and minimum yields, respectively. Finally, regard to the reverse relationship of unsuitable storage traits (neck thickness and bulb length) and yield with first transplanting date, it is recommended that 24 April is the best transplanting date for Neishabour area.