Asian Journal of Research in Botany

Strategies for Onion Post-Harvest Diseases Management

Dilip Kumar Sharma *

Department of Science and Technology, Vardhman Mahaveer Open University (VMOU), Kota, Rajasthan, India.

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

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Abstract

India is first globally in terms of area under onion cultivation and second in terms of output, behind only China in both categories. In comparison to other nations, the production is still fairly low. In India, the crop is the most promising source of foreign cash. The onion (Allium cepa), a crop of commercial significance, is grown extensively all over the globe and used as a vegetable, spice, or flouring agent. In India, onions are one of the most delicate vegetables prized for pungency. It has significant amounts of various phytonutrients, polyphenols, minerals, and vitamins. Domestically the use of common uses for onions in food preparation includes curry, sauce, salad, chutney, puree, and a lot more. Both raw and processed forms of it are used in salads. It reduces blood pressure and perhaps prevents certain types of cancer and diseases. The capacity of onions to be preserved for a long time eight to ten provided they are handled correctly before and after harvest, accounts for their success in agriculture. It is attacked by several microbial diseases like fungal, bacterial, viral and nematode. Approximately 35-40% of onions are lost owing to damage from storage diseases. During the storage of various kinds, the fungal bulb rot contributes to losses of between 15 and 30 percent. Red onion, yellow onion, and white onion are the varieties of onions cultivated worldwide. The development of strategies like bionanofungicides, including the potential use of plant extracts or other bioagents is required to reduce the onion losses during storage.

Keywords: Onion diseases, plant pathogens, diseases management, seed-borne, soil-borne diseases, post-harvest diseases, bio-agents, nanoparticles

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