Abstract:
Shallot (Allium cepavarascalonicumBaker) can be a substitute where bulb onion (A.
cepaL. varcepa) does not do well. However, production and productivity of shallot can
be limited due to poor soil fertility; lack of improved production techniques; unimproved
varieties, and high post-harvest losses. Farmers in northeastern Ethiopia rarely apply
fertilizers to shallot. A field study was undertaken in that region in 2007/2008 to determine effects of nitrogen fertilizer on yield and shelf-life of shallot. Treatments were 0,
50, 100, and 150 kg·ha
−1
N and cvs. ‘Huruta,’ ‘Negelle,’ ‘Dz-sht-68,’ and a local landrace.
Application of 150 kg·ha
−1
of N increased marketable and total bulb yields by 26% over
the control. The highest and the lowest marketable bulb yields were for ‘Dz-sht-68’ and
the local landrace, respectively. In storage nitrogen fertilization increased bulb weight
loss in all cultivars, with weight loss being highest for the local landrace. Nitrogen fertilization at 150 kg·ha
−1
N increased bulb rotting up to 79% over the control. Shallot
shelf-life was of short duration. Application of 100 kg·ha
−1
N was optimal for shallot
bulb production without affecting bulb quality.
Keywords Bulb rot, Cultivar, Ethiopia, pungency, TSS.
