What are the latest reasons for high yields of Welsh onion?

Allium vegetables have always occupied an extremely important position in vegetable production in China. According to statistics, the cultivated area of Allium vegetables accounts for 10% of China's total vegetable sowing area, and their output accounts for 7% of total vegetable production. Moreover, Welsh onion has strong adaptability, whether on residents' rooftops or in their yards, in farmers' fields, or on small balconies at home, Welsh onion can be grown. Today, we mainly discuss how farmers can grow Welsh onion and how to achieve high yields.

In fact, the planting density of Welsh onion varies completely depending on the variety, cultivation method and product requirements. A reasonable planting density can effectively improve the marketability and yield of Welsh onion. Below, we share some cultivation experience for some common Welsh onions.

For Welsh onion types with long white stalks, sparse planting is best during cultivation; on the contrary, for Welsh onion types with short white stalks, dense planting should be used. This is one of the most basic rules of Welsh onion cultivation, so how exactly should they be planted? Please read on.

1. Furrow planting of Welsh onion

For Welsh onion varieties with long white stalks, the furrow spacing should be 80 to 100 cm. If too narrow, it is not conducive to earthing up during planting; if too wide, land use is unreasonable and the yield per unit area is affected. 18,000 to 22,000 plants can be planted per mu; for Welsh onion types with short white stalks, the furrow spacing can be appropriately reduced to 50 to 70 cm, and 22,000 to 28,000 plants can be planted per mu.

2. Bed planting of small Welsh onion

Compared with Welsh onion, small Welsh onion is generally planted in flat beds in rows or in clumps. For row planting, the row spacing is 20 cm and the plant spacing is 3 to 5 cm, and 60,000 to 80,000 plants can be planted per mu; for clump planting, the clump spacing is 20 cm, with 3 to 5 plants per clump being best.

Besides mastering planting spacing, fertilizer application rate and method are also important factors affecting Welsh onion yield. How should fertilizer be applied to increase Welsh onion yield? Below we introduce fertilizer application rate and principles respectively.

1. Fertilizer application rate for Welsh onion

Generally, Welsh onion under high-yield conditions can reach 5,000-6,000 kg/mu, so Welsh onion has a high demand for nutrients. Under normal conditions, producing 1,000 kg of Welsh onion requires 2.7-3.3 kg of pure nitrogen, 0.5-0.6 kg of phosphorus pentoxide, and 3.3-4.0 kg of potassium oxide. The absorption ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is 1:0.4:1.3, and it is very sensitive to potassium and nitrogen nutrition. 

2. Fertilization principles for Welsh onion 

During Welsh onion cultivation, if potassium fertilizer is not applied or is applied sparingly, the soil's available potassium content will drop sharply and the nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium ratio will become seriously unbalanced, leading to intensified pests and diseases, reduced yield, poorer quality, and lower economic benefits from growing Welsh onion. In fact, potassium fertilizer can promote the growth of Welsh onion and improve resistance to pests and diseases. Potassium deficiency in Welsh onion leads to slow growth and development, short plants, short white stalks, and low yield. After years of trials, applying potassium fertilizer increased Welsh onion yield by 22.3%-28.2%, vitamin C content by 7.20%-16.0%, soluble sugar content by 15.5% and 12.7% respectively, and reduced nitrate content by 22.6% and 26.5%; it increased income by 1,690-2,000 yuan per mu, and the output-to-input ratio of potassium fertilizer application was as high as 72.42 and 40.67:1. The balanced fertilization technology for Welsh onion centered on supplemental potassium fertilizer covered more than 35,000 mu, with an average yield increase of about 20%. In fertilizing Welsh onion, attention should be paid to the principle of balanced fertilization. Balanced fertilization can increase the vitamin C and soluble sugar content of Welsh onion, reduce harmful substances such as nitrate, and improve the internal and external quality of Welsh onion. More importantly, balanced fertilization has an extremely significant effect on increasing Welsh onion yield.

The above is a summary of experience from four aspects: variety, planting method, fertilizer application rate and fertilization method, mainly aimed at farmers growing Welsh onion and how to achieve high yields. We hope it can provide some help and reference for growers who intend to start growing Welsh onion or are already growing it.