Onions are one of the oldest vegetables in continuous cultivation, dating back to at least 4,000 BC as recorded by ancient Egyptians. This fact is documented in the Bible and Holy Quran.
» The common dry onions (Allium cepa), a member of the Amarylli-daceae family, originated in central Asia (Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan) where it is widely used.
» Dry onions are a crop that lends itself well to small scale and part-time farming operations.
» The term “dry onion” is used to distinguish them from green onions which are pulled while ops are still green and usually before a large bulb has formed.
» Onions cultivars (varieties) are classified into groups according to when they bulb. They can be long-day (14-16 hours), short-day (10-12 hours) or intermediate day types (12-14 hours), depending on the day length required to initiate bulb formation.
» Bulbs vary in colour (red, yellow, and white), shape (round or flattened), and flavour (sweet or pungent).