Onion Fertilizer & Crop Guide: Fertilization recommendations

Basic assumptions for the following fertilization programs:

  • Growing medium: Open field
  • Soil type: Light to medium
  • Expected yield: 65 MT/Ha (85% moisture) 

 

Kilograms of macro nutrients removed by 1 ton marketable product:

N

P2O5

K2O

CaO

MgO

S

3.0-4.0

1.3-1.8

2.5-5

1.0

0.5

1.8-2.8

 

 

 

 Option 1: Base and side dressing with granular ferilizers

StagePre-plantingEstablishmentVegetative growthBulb initiationBulb developmentMaturation
Duration  30 days30 days30 days30 days30 days
Fertilizers (kg/ah)

Haifa Turbo-K™ 15-15-15

400

300

    

Haifa MAP™ 12-61-0

235

 

 

 

 

 

Haifa K-Mag 0-0-22+18MgO+22SO3

250

 

 

 

250

 

Dolomite 26%

254

 

 

 

 

 

Urea 46-0-0

 

 

 

 

226

 

Total nutrients (kg/ha)

N

862

45

 

 

104

 

P2O5

122

 

 

 

 

 

K2O

60

45

 

 

55

 

MgO

30

 

 

 

30

 

CaO

66

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total nutrient supply (kg/ha)

N

P2O5

K2O

MgO

CaO

2351222156066

* In soil with high phosphorus levels use Haifa Turbo-K™ 18-09-18

 

Option 2: Base application with controlled release fertilizer (Multicote™) + side dressing 

Due to the high nutrients use efficiency with Multicote™, application rates can be reduced to about 70% of the N and K2O compared to conventional fertilization.

 

Application rate - % of common practice

% coated nutrients

N

P2O5

K2O

N

P2O5

K2O

Light soil

60-70

100

70

70

-

30-50

Heavy soil

70-90

100

80

50

-

30-50

 

StagePre-plantingEstablishmentVegetative growthBulb initiationBulb developmentMaturation
Duration  30 days30 days30 days30 days30 days
Fertilizers (kg/ah)

Multicote™ Agri 15-15-15

1000

 

 

 

 

 

Dolomite 26%

250

 

 

250

 

 

Multi-K™ 13-0-46

 

 

 

100

 

 

Total nutrients (kg/ha)

N

150

 

 

13

 

 

P2O5

150

 

 

 

 

 

K2O

150

 

 

45

 

 

MgO

25

 

 

25

 

 

CaO

65

 

 

65

 

 

Total nutrient supply (kg/ha)

N

P2O5

K2O

MgO

CaO

16315019550130

 

Option 3: Fertigation program using straight fertilizers

StagePre-plantingEstablishmentVegetative growthBulb initiationBulb developmentMaturation
Duration  30 days30 days30 days30 days30 days
Fertilizers (kg/ah)

Multi-K™ 13-0-46

 

100

140

140

170

 

Haifa MAP™ 12-61-0

 

75

50

50

50

 

Haifa Mag™ 11-0-0+16MgO

 

34

68

68

90

 

Haifa Cal™  11-0-0+26CaO

 

50

50

75

75

 

Ammonium Nitrate 34-0-0

 

25

25

50

50

 

Total nutrients (kg/ha)

N

 

42

48

48

66

 

P2O5

 

46

31

31

31

 

K2O

 

46

64

64

78

 

MgO

 

5

11

11

14

 

CaO

 

13

13

13

20

 

 

Total nutrient supply (kg/ha)

N

P2O5

K2O

MgO

CaO

2041392524159

 

Option 4: Fertigation program using Poly-Feed (NPK soluble fertilizer)

StagePre-plantingEstablishmentVegetative growthBulb initiationBulb developmentMaturation
Duration  30 days30 days30 days30 days30 days
Fertilizers (kg/ah)

Poly-Feed™ 12-43-12

 

45

 

 

 

 

Poly-Feed™ 19-19-19

 

 

240

 

 

 

Poly-Feed™ 14-7-21

 

 

 

300

 

 

Poly-Feed™ 12-5-40

 

 

 

 

675

 

Haifa Mag™ 11-0-0+16MgO

 

 

60

60

110

 

Haifa Cal™  11-0-0+26CaO

 

 

60

60

110

 

Total nutrients (kg/ha)

N

 

5

61

58

110

 

P2O5

 

19

46

21

34

 

K2O

 

5

46

63

270

 

MgO

 

 

10

10

18

 

CaO

 

 

16

16

29

 

 

Total nutrient supply (kg/ha)

N

P2O5

K2O

MgO

CaO

2341203843861

 

Option 5: Base dressing with Haifa Turbo-K and fertigation 

 

StagePre-plantingEstablishmentVegetative growthBulb initiationBulb developmentMaturation
Duration  30 days30 days30 days30 days30 days
Fertilizers (kg/ah)

Turbo-K™ 12-43-12

400

 

 

 

 

 

Poly-Feed™ 19-19-19

 

150

 

 

 

 

Poly-Feed™ 14-7-21

 

 

240

240

 

 

Poly-Feed™ 12-5-40

 

 

 

 

600

 

Haifa Mag™ 11-0-0+16MgO

 

60

60

60

90

 

Haifa Cal™  11-0-0+26CaO

 

60

60

60

90

 

Total nutrients (kg/ha)

N

60

44

49

49

104

 

P2O5

60

29

17

17

34

 

K2O

60

29

50

50

270

 

MgO

 

10

10

10

14

 

CaO

 

16

16

16

24

 

Total nutrient supply (kg/ha)

N

P2O5

K2O

MgO

CaO

3061574594472

Option 6: Base dressing with controlled release fertilizer (Multicote) and fertigation

Due to the high fertilizing efficiency of the Multicote™, the application rate will be only ~70% of the N and K2O common application practice: 

StagePre-plantingEstablishmentVegetative growthBulb initiationBulb developmentMaturation
Duration  30 days30 days30 days30 days30 days
Fertilizers (kg/ah)

Multicote™ Agri 15-15-15

300

 

 

 

 

 

Poly-Feed™ 19-19-19

 

100

 

 

 

 

Poly-Feed™ 14-7-21

 

 

100

150

 

 

Poly-Feed™ 12-5-40

 

 

 

 

600

 

Haifa Mag™ 11-0-0+16MgO

 

60

60

60

90

 

Haifa Cal™  11-0-0+26CaO

 

60

60

60

90

 

Total nutrients (kg/ha)

N

45

35

30

37

95

 

P2O5

45

19

7

11

30

 

K2O

45

19

21

32

240

 

MgO

 

10

10

10

14

 

CaO

 

16

10

16

24

 

 

Total nutrient supply (kg/ha)

N

P2O5

K2O

MgO

CaO

2421123574472

Complementary foliar nutrition

Foliar application of nutrients provides complementary fertilization with high added value, corrective nutrition when deficiencies are noticed and growth boosting during critical stages of the crop development. This foliar nutrition program can be added to all fertilization programs.

 

Stage description

Pre-plant

Establishment

Vegetative growth

Bulb initiation

Bulb development

Maturation

duration

 

30 days

30 days

30 days

30 days

30 days

Fertilizers (kg/ha)

Poly-Feed™ Foliar 21-21-21

 

1 kg/ha, conc. 0.5%

1.5 kg/ha, conc. 0.5%

 

 

 

Haifa Mag™ 11-0-0+16MgO

 

 

 

2 kg/ha, conc. 1%

2 kg/ha, conc. 1%

 

Haifa Bonus™

 

 

 

5 kg/ha, conc. 2% 

5 kg/ha, conc. 2% 

 

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