POST HARVEST AND

VALUE ADDITION of onion

Prof. Dr. Tanveer Fatima Miano
Department of Horticulture
Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam
Email: tfmiano@sau.edu.pk
2023
Objectives of Postharvest technology
1.To reduce loss in quantity or volume and the product’s
qualitative or nutritional value.
2.To maintain the excellent quality of the produce (color, taste,
flavor, aroma).
3.To increases the shelf life of the crops.
4.To keep the fruits or vegetables or commodities free from
insects and pests.
5.To get vegetables fresh all year round.
ONION AVAILABILITY SEASON
onion is grown under three crop seasons i.e
• kharif, late kharif and rabi.
Main crop is harvested in rabi (60%) and 20% each in kharif and late kharif
• Kharif Onion is available from October to December, late kharif onion is
available from January to March. From April to May rabi onion is
available.
• Stored onion of rabi is used for domestic, the storage of rabi onion is
indispensible for regular vegetables, however losses are inevitable during
storage. It has been estimated that 40 to 50% of the production never
reaches to the consumers due to postharvest losses.
ESTIMATED LOSSES IN ONION AT
VARIOUS LEVELS
•  In a recent loss assessment study, total postharvest loss for
onions,
• from the farm to the retail level, is about 35 percent
•  (5 percent from farm, 12 percent from wholesale, and 18
percent from retail). This is a huge loss for onion growers.
Causes of Losses/Factors affecting quality
1. Pre harvest Factors
• Variety selection Carbondioxide
• Light Use of chemicals
• Temperature Planting density
• Humidity Mineral Nutrition
• Pest and Diseases
• Water/Irrigation
• Rainfall
• Day length/Photoperiod
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Causes of Postharvest Losses in Onion
• Post harvest loss results from fungal or bacterial rot at harvest to a
couple of months and
• from weight loss or physiological disorder such as transluscent or
water scale in intermediate day type onions.
• physiological weight loss,
• sprouting and
• variation in the storage duration is either due to pre- and post
harvest environmental conditions or are stored mostly in shelters at
ambient conditions.
SPROUTING IN ONION
CONTI.
• Excessive and/or too frequent (twice or more per week) watering can
cause a reduction in storability of onion bulbs.
• Ideal onion water needs are to irrigate to a depth of an inch (2.5 cm.)
once a week.
• Using potassium at various growth stages (early seedling development
to maturation) resulted in a considerable reduction in the per-centage
of rotting and sprouting onion bulbs across the storage periods.
 O ST
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Preventing Postharvest Losses in Onion
• Post harvest losses can be prevented by
• proper curing of onions after harvest.
• Putting them in a well ventillated storage structures where
there is good air circulation.
• Further it depends upon genotype to genotype.
• If you are trying to store kharif onion it will not store.
• While harvest neck cutting should be done leaving 1-2 cm neck
region and curing should be done in shade.
Preventing Postharvest Losses in Onion

• Avoid excessive irrigation

• Avoid excessive use of nitrogen
• Appropriate field curing
• Avoid mechanical injuries
• Avoid excessive air humidity. Recommended storage conditions:
0 C, 65% to 70% relative humidity.
• Establishment of value addition chains.
• Proper Storage establishment on a joint farming community.
• E-Commerce market
The following signs show that the onion has reached its
maturity stage:

• The neck of the onion can no longer support the weight of

the foliage, thus it falls over.
• Plants don’t put on new leaves.
• Leaves start drying and the plant is resistant to pull out of
the ground.
• Bulb matures between 100 says and 140 days from date of
sowing.
 Harvesting
• Only top onions when the neck is dry and no green tissue
remains (roll the neck of the onion bulb between your fingers if
the tissue doesn’t slide, then it’s ready for topping).
• Stop irrigation at maturity about one to two weeks before
harvest to prevent bulbs from being water logged.
• Harvest bulbs during the cooler part of the day (early morning
and late evening) but not on a wet day. This will prevent the
occurrence of brown stains and black mould.
• You can use a fork to loosen the bulbs before pulling the top by
hand. Be careful when pulling out; avoid damaging the bulbs.
•  If the plant comes out of the ground easily, then it is ready for
harvest; but if not, it is an indication that the root is still very
active and bulbing is not complete.
Field drying and curing
• Layer the onion bulbs in such a way that the leaves lay over the
bulbs to protect them from direct sun impact. The bulbs can
also be dried in a greenhouse or high tunnel. The temperature
should be below 850F.
• Curing is the drying process intended to dry off the neck and
outer scale leaves of the bulbs to prevent loss of moisture and
attack by decay during storage.
• Heat, good ventilation and low humidity are essential for
curing. Usually, the outer layer of the bulb that is contaminated
by soil falls away easily when the bulbs are cured.
ONION DRYING METHODS
Grading and packaging
• After curing, onions are graded before they are stored or
transported to the market. The thick necked, bolted, double,
injured and decayed bulbs are picked out.
• The onions are graded into extra-large (6cm diameter), medium
(4-6cm diameter), and small (2-4cm diameter).
• Packaging should be small for easy handling during
transportation. Onions can be packed in open mesh jute bags or
wooden basket.
• The use of nylon net bag for packaging onions is recommended
because it results in less storage loss due to the good ventilation it
provides.
Storage
• Onions should not be stored unless adequately dried either
on the field or by artificial means. It is important to dry the
neck tissue and outer scales until they rustle when handled,
otherwise the bulb will rot in storage.
• They may be stored in bulk in special houses made up with
thatched roof and walls made up of bamboo and wire mesh
for good air circulation. Onions are spread on dry and damp
proof floor or racks.
PACKING AND TRANSPORTATION OF ONION IN PAKISTAN
MARKET
LOOK OF
ONION
 ITI O N
A D D
A L U E
I O N V
ON
FREEZE DRIED ONIONS FOR EXPORT
THANK YOU