Onion (Onion cepa L.) is one of the major vegetable crops of Nepalese farmers, but a little
attention on research and development works of the crop has been focused. Different onion
varieties viz; Agrifound Dark Red, N-53, Red Creole, and Bemausami-1) were tested on station as
well as in the farmers' field for off-season production. Among the varieties tested, the most
promising variety Agrifound Dark Red was subjected to further dissemination to farmers' field in
Malika, Naule Katuwal, Bijaura, Chupra and Jarkot of Dailekh district with 8-10 farmers at each
site. Different parameters on onion viz,· plant height, bulb length, bulb diameter, bulb weight, days
to bulb harvest, fresh bulb yield, green tops yield, bulb rings, income from bulbs, income from
green tops, combined income from bulbs and green tops, cost benefit ratio, seed yield and days to
seed harvest were recorded Apart from these parameters, seed quality was also assessed. The three
years mean results (2008109 to 20/0/11) revealed that significant effect of sites on most of the
parameters was observed except in plant height and bulb rings. Similarly, significant effect of years
was observed on bulb length, bulb yield, income from bulb, income from green tops, combined
income from bulbs and green tops, production cost, cost benefit ratio and seed yield excluding bulb
weight, bulb diameter, days to bulb harvest, green tops yield, plant height, bulb rings and days to
seed harvest. The highest off-season bulb (705.30 kg/ropani) was obtained in Malika with maximum
income from off-season bulbs and green tops (Rs. 4297 1/ropani) and cost benefit ratio 1: 4.66.
Similarly. the highest seed yield (31.67 kglropani) was obtained in Malika. The assessment of seed
samples of the same variety showed relatively good germination and other seed quality parameters
as compared to those of imported seed source from India.

Onion (Onion cepa L.) is one of the major vegetable crops of Nepalese farmers, but a little
attention on research and development works of the crop has been focused. Different onion
varieties viz; Agrifound Dark Red, N-53, Red Creole, and Bemausami-1) were tested on station as
well as in the farmers' field for off-season production. Among the varieties tested, the most
promising variety Agrifound Dark Red was subjected to further dissemination to farmers' field in
Malika, Naule Katuwal, Bijaura, Chupra and Jarkot of Dailekh district with 8-10 farmers at each
site. Different parameters on onion viz,· plant height, bulb length, bulb diameter, bulb weight, days
to bulb harvest, fresh bulb yield, green tops yield, bulb rings, income from bulbs, income from
green tops, combined income from bulbs and green tops, cost benefit ratio, seed yield and days to
seed harvest were recorded Apart from these parameters, seed quality was also assessed. The three
years mean results (2008109 to 20/0/11) revealed that significant effect of sites on most of the
parameters was observed except in plant height and bulb rings. Similarly, significant effect of years
was observed on bulb length, bulb yield, income from bulb, income from green tops, combined
income from bulbs and green tops, production cost, cost benefit ratio and seed yield excluding bulb
weight, bulb diameter, days to bulb harvest, green tops yield, plant height, bulb rings and days to
seed harvest. The highest off-season bulb (705.30 kg/ropani) was obtained in Malika with maximum
income from off-season bulbs and green tops (Rs. 4297 1/ropani) and cost benefit ratio 1: 4.66.
Similarly. the highest seed yield (31.67 kglropani) was obtained in Malika. The assessment of seed
samples of the same variety showed relatively good germination and other seed quality parameters
as compared to those of imported seed source from India.