Library · Crop guides · Root, tuber or bulb
Onion farming guide for India
Onions have a shallow root system and require frequent, light irrigation leading up to bulb curing.
Englishहिन्दी
Key numbers
- SeasonRabi and Kharifabout 120 days
- Water over the seasonabout 400 mmrain and irrigation together
- Soil pH6.0 to 7.0NPK guide 100:50:50
- Main riskPurple Blotchsee the watchlist below
Typical values for India. Your soil test and your local KVK's advice come first.
When and where onion is grown
Onion is grown as a Rabi and Kharif crop in India: Kharif: June-July; Rabi: October-November transplanting.
Leading states: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka. Soil moisture is best kept around 50 to 65% of capacity for most of the season.
What to watch on your field
What a weekly satellite and weather view of your own field shows at each stage, and when to walk the field.
Establishment
Root and bulb crops are unforgiving of early drought or waterlogging; patchy early greenness is a warning sign.
Canopy development
Healthy, even canopy growth now sets up the yield. Too much late nitrogen delays bulbing or root maturity.
Bulking
Keep soil moisture steady. Big swings between dry and wet cause splitting, misshapen roots and storage rot.
Maturity
Stop irrigation at the right time so skins set for storage; a natural, even fall in greenness signals maturity.
The main risks for onion
Most of these follow the weather. A risky week is a reason to inspect the crop, not to spray by default.
For any spray or dose, ask your KVK or an agronomist. VarshaKrishi's free Watch plan never names a product.
- Purple BlotchThe main risk for this crop in India.
- Purple blotchAlternaria spotting after humid spells.
- ThripsExplode in warm dry weather.
Watering onion well
Light, frequent irrigation that keeps moisture steady, ending at the right time before harvest so the crop stores well.
Crop water use follows the FAO-56 method: the weather sets a reference demand, and the crop's stage sets how much of it the crop uses. That is why the same field needs different amounts in different weeks.
A weekly message about your own onion field.
Watch is free for any field in India: what changed on your field this week, the weather for your village, and a clear note when the satellite cannot see. Decide opens crop by crop after an agronomist reviews each crop model.
1.2 km × 0.9 km · each square 10 m
- Your own field, every week.The squares inside your boundary, compared with your field's own history.
- A clear note when it cannot see.Cloudy weeks and very small plots are named, not guessed.
- Free on Watch.In Marathi, Hindi or English, on WhatsApp.
How each message is made, from which satellites and with which limits: methods and evidence. A real field's year of Sentinel-2 readings, free to download: open data.
Onion: common questions
What soil pH does onion need?
Onion grows best at a soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0. A soil test before the season is the reliable way to know your own field.
How much water does onion need?
About 400 mm over a season of roughly 120 days, from rain and irrigation together. The real need changes with the weather, the soil and the crop's stage, which is why it helps to track your own field week by week.
What is the main disease or pest risk for onion?
Purple Blotch is the main risk. Most risks follow the weather, so a risky week is a reason to inspect the crop. Ask your KVK or an agronomist before any spray.
When is onion grown in India?
Onion is grown as a Rabi and Kharif crop: Kharif: June-July; Rabi: October-November transplanting.
Which states grow the most onion?
Leading states include Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka. VarshaKrishi's free Watch plan covers any field in these states: you need WhatsApp and your field's location, nothing installed in the field.
When is onion farming done in India (pyaj ki kheti kab hoti hai)?
Onion is grown in more than one season in India. The season and sowing window on this page are for India as a whole; for your district and variety, take the sowing dates from your KVK or the state agriculture department's crop calendar.