After severe waterlogging, how to maintain yield and quality of green onion and improve earnings for farmers

AgroPages accompanied Leili to the green onion planting area in north Hebei Province in China, where heavy rainfall prevailed this summer and autumn, resulting in severe waterlogging. 

The waterlogging resulted in fungal and bacterial diseases, such as root lodging, stem decay and the premature failure of the tip that damaged the green onion plants. 

These diseases have led to a sharp decrease in the green onion yield, whilst the green onion market appeared very good this year, with prices between RMB3.60 and RMB4.00/kg. Hence, growers were very worried about the damage from waterlogging.

In the Lincheng area of Hebei Province, it has rained continuously for over half a month after earthing up of green onions in September, which led to a yield of around only 1,500 kg per mu in lots of croplands in this harvesting season. Recently, Yang Jiqiang’s family in Sangshu Aodong Village, Lincheng, began harvesting green onion using Leili’s solutions. This is the second year he has used the solutions from Leili. Last year, his family produced 7,500 kg of green onions per mu using Leili’s solutions, setting a local record. Let us look at the yield and quality of the green onions planted by his family, under the adverse impact of the rainy weather and the severe waterlogging this year.

On November 5, 2021, Yang’s family began harvesting green onions, which could thrive even in the continuous rainy and waterlogging circumstances. The leaves were green; tip yellowing was minimal; onions remained white and longer, with a certain weight. The yield is high, which reached 6,000 kg per mu, on an on-site measurement. Buyers offered to purchase the product at nearly RMB4.00 per kg, which is RMB0.10 higher than others.

Yang says that due to the exceptional weather this year, the yield per mu did not reach 7,500 kg per mu last year, but he is pretty satisfied. The per mu yield would be only 2,500 – 3,000 kg if he had not applied Leili’s solutions.

This is a comparison between the green onions planted by Yang’s family. On the right, we see the green onions which used Leili’s solutions, where the leaves are greener during seedling. In the mid and later stage of growth, plants get thicker rapidly, becoming more evident after continuous rain, while the tips of the control group begin to dry up and turn yellow, with a premature failure. The green onions applied with Leili’s solutions suffer less yellowing and tip failure while the white stem grows and becomes thicker. It is seen from the picture that the green onions that applied Leili’s solutions on the right are taller than the control group, with a stem diameter of 3.5cm, which is 1cm thicker than the control group, with greener leaves, higher content and less dry tips.

On November 2, 2021, Yang’s green onions, that applied Leili’s solutions, were harvested, arriving at a 5,500 kg per mu yield.

Leili’s precision solution of stress resistance and yield increase, used by the family, comprise the following:

Base fertilizer: Haijushou of (15-10-15) 25kg + Leili Huxi Base of 2 bags + Leili Duobao of 10kg.

Topdressing: Harvest Powder balanced of 10kg + Fudisheng of 2.5L, applied twice.

Foliar spray: Leili 2000 + Leili Safeguard.

Local farmers told us that Leili’s solutions could help to maintain a high yield of green onion under the stress of waterlogging. Farmers made a detailed calculation, showing us that the spending on Leili’s solutions is per mu RMB300 higher than conventional fertilizer applications. Under the adverse situation this year, the yield per mu increases by 3,000 kg per mu, which brings forth an additional income of over RMB10,000 income at the selling price of nearly RMB4.00 RMB/kg. Under the typical weather condition in the past years, the per mu yield of green onion applied with Leili’s solutions increased by 1,500 to 2,000 kg.

Leili’s base fertilizer solution can improve and maintain soil condition, which increases soil fertility and permeability. In a continued rainy period, it reduces reproduction of harmful soil bacteria, supports loose soil around plants, promotes root growth and reduces premature failure. The solutions would show a more prominent effect in adverse circumstances. The Harvest Powder + Fudisheng solution, while making up for the nitrogen phosphorus and potassium required by onion growth, also makes up for trace elements such as Fe and Zn. Meanwhile, its alga substance promotes root development to form a robust root system, improving nutrient utilization, enhancing stress resistance and encouraging plants to grow bigger and thicker. The foliar spray Leili 2000 and Leili Safeguard can reduce the occurrence of foliar diseases, enhance photosynthesis, promote nutrient accumulation and increase the weight of single green onion.