Researcher of IPB and National Onion Board Increased National Red Onion Production
Red onion (Allium cepa) was the important commodity in Indonesia. The demand for onion was expected to increase as the population increased and the increase in the people’s purchasing power. The efforts should be made to increase the production, so that the needs and the market demand could be fulfilled. One of the critical points of the onion production was the suitability of the growing environment and climate. Onion was the commodity that had the sensitive characteristics to temperature changes, a combination of day and night temperatures, as well as the moisture..
The development of the onion commodities aimed to improve the production stability, the availability/distribution, the utilization, and the price of onion in Indonesia. This research referred to the research activities that had been done, and took advantage the results achieved by integrating them in the form of the innovative and integrative information and technology packages.
The research that had entered this second year was conducted for four years with the researchers of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) who were competent, consisting of Prof.Dr. Sobir, Awang Maharijaya, M R Suhartanto, Dr. Suryo Wiyono, Yohanis Aris Purwanto, Heri Harti, Endang Gunawan, Kusuma Darma, Ani Suryani, Indah Yuliasih, Anna Fariyanti, and Tania June. Strategic partners were National Onion Board, Ministry of Agriculture, Local Government and farmer groups.
Onion development activities that had been done included the development of the adaptive onion farming system on the climate change and the enviromental condition; the provision and characterization of the genetic resources for the development of the adaptive varieties on the climate change and the planting in the specific local agroclimates; the breeding and biotechnology of onion seeds to cope with the climate change; the production of the locally adaptive local onion seeds; the development of the onion cultivation technology that was adaptive to the global climate change; the development of the integrated pest and biointenstive disinfection technology of the red onion in facing the global climate change; and the development of the long-term storage technology of the fresh red onion at the low temperatures to anticipate the fluctuation in the production as a result of the climate change.
The result of the research in 2016 had produced an outcome of three appropriate technologies, i.e. the package of technology of True Shallot Seed, Integrated Pest Management Technology PHT), and Storage Technology; 1 Prototype i.e. the onion processing (pasta and onion oil). Other than that, in 2016 it had released two varieties of onion, namely Tajuk which was from Nganjuk and Varietas Lansuna which was from Manado. SK of the release of the varieties was issued by Minister of Agriculture with the number of SK No.045/Kpts/SR.120/ D.2.7/5/2016 and SK No. 044/Kpts/SR.120/D.2.7/5/2016.(IR/NM)
