ISHS Acta Horticulturae 358: International Symposium on Alliums for the Tropics
RELEASE OF NEW ONION VARIETY 'KALPITIYA': IMPACT ON DOMESTIC ONION PRODUCTION |
| Authors: | D.S.P. Kuruppuarachchi, W.A.R.N. Fernando |
| Abstract:
Presently, Sri Lanka imports all her requirement of true seeds for large onion (Allium cepa L.). It is estimated that about 12 000 kg of true seed, valued at approximately 10 million rupees, is required per year (Ratnayeka, 1989). As the commercial large onion varieties grown in the country do not set seeds satisfactorily under local conditions, in 1983, several commercially grown large onion varieties were introduced from India and Ethiopia, and their flowering abilities were evaluated at the Agricultural Research Station (ARS), Kalpitiya. As a result of this research a cultivar was developed and released to the farmers in 1992 under the name Kalpitiya. The main advantages of this variety are that it flowers and produces viable seeds satisfactorily under local dry zone conditions without vernalization of mother bulbs. Therefore, good quality seeds of this variety can be made available at a considerably lower price than imported seed. As the seed production technology is now available, onion farmers can produce their seed requirement in their own fields. Shifting large onion cultivation to new areas and off-season cultivation are the likely benefits of the release of this new variety. | |
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