Onion (Allium cepa L.) Bulb Storage in Improved Shaded and Aerated Store in River Nile State, Sudan

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the storability of onion in improved shaded and aerated store in condition of River Nile State, Sudan. Dry onion of cultivar Red Baftaim collected from cultivation sites at Aliab during June 2018 and differentiated into small (50-100 g) and large size (100-280 g) bulbs. Storage started after two weeks curing, under straw shade, in three different sides of the store (North-eastern, the centre and South-western). Keeping material used were jute sacks, plastic boxes, plastic nets, baskets and the fifth part was left without containing material. Ten Kilograms of bulbs were weighed in the beginning of the storage period by early July to determine loss in weight of whole sample after 3 months as first experimentation. In the second experimentation five bulbs in each container were marked, their weight was registered every month to detect periodic trend for weight loss in each keeping material. Results revealed that bulbs kept in jute sacks showed the least sloping change in weight. All other containing material showed higher losses but in an inconsistent trend. While, bulbs stored in plastic boxes showed the highest rotting ratio. The storage side in the store showed no significant differences in trends and final evaluation of percentage losses. The last storing month showed sharper slope of bulb weight loss compared to the starting and the subsequent month, mainly in large size onions. Bulb sprouting was not observed in containers as well as on bulbs without containers.