Healthy Onions, Happy Roots Quiz Quiz

Enhance your understanding of effective onion nursery management in horticulture with these essential multiple-choice questions. Sharpen your skills in site selection, seed treatment, sowing practices, irrigation, and nursery care for productive onion crops.

1. Choosing the Best Spot

   When selecting a site for an onion nursery, which factor is most critical to ensure healthy seedling growth?

   1. Well-drained, loose soil in an open sunny area
   2. Rocky terrain with minimal soil
   3. Heavy clay soil with waterlogging
   4. Deep shade under tall trees

   Explanation: Well-drained, loose soil in a sunny area promotes strong root development and helps prevent diseases. Heavy clay soil can retain excess water and cause root rot. Deep shade limits light essential for growth. Rocky terrain offers poor support and nutrients for seedlings.

2. Seed Treatment Importance

   Before sowing, why is treating onion seeds with a fungicide recommended in nursery management?

   1. To speed up germination regardless of disease presence
   2. To change the seed's color for identification
   3. To reduce the risk of fungal diseases attacking seedlings
   4. To increase seed size quickly

   Explanation: Fungicide treatment helps protect seeds and young seedlings from soil-borne fungal diseases, ensuring better establishment. It does not inherently speed up germination, increase seed size, or change the color for identification purposes.

3. Sowing Methods

   In onion nurseries, which sowing method is most commonly preferred for uniform growth and management?

   1. Random broadcasting all over the bed
   2. Line sowing with 10-15 cm spacing
   3. Hilling seeds in large mounds
   4. Planting single seeds in pots

   Explanation: Line sowing with proper spacing ensures better management and access to seedlings and promotes uniform growth. Broadcasting can lead to overcrowding and competition. Hilling and planting in pots are not standard nursery practices for onions.

4. Managing Water Effectively

   What is a recommended irrigation practice for onion nurseries to support healthy seedling development?

   1. Light, frequent irrigation to keep soil moist but not waterlogged
   2. Heavy irrigation twice daily
   3. Allowing the bed to dry completely between watering
   4. Soaking the bed once a week regardless of weather

   Explanation: Light, frequent irrigation maintains the moist conditions onions need while preventing waterlogging and disease. Overwatering or completely drying out the bed can harm seedlings, and a schedule that ignores weather can cause stress.

5. Timing and Transplanting

   How can you determine the best time to transplant onion seedlings from the nursery to the main field?

   1. When leaves turn yellow and limp
   2. When seedlings are 12–15 cm tall and have 3–4 true leaves
   3. Only after flower stalks have appeared
   4. Immediately after sowing, while seeds are sprouting

   Explanation: Transplanting at 12–15 cm height with several true leaves ensures optimal seedling vigor for quick establishment. Transplanting during sprouting or after yellowing/flowering can lead to poor results due to weak or over-mature plants.