Onion
Allium cepa
Onion (Allium cepa) is a cool-season biennial grown as an annual, suitable for Zones 3-9. Onions are categorized by day-length response: short-day (Zones 7-9), intermediate-day (Zones 5-7), and long-day (Zones 3-6) varieties. They are a high-value vegetable crop with strong direct-market demand, producing 350-700 hundredweight per acre depending on variety and management.
Crop Snowflake Score
/acre
/acre
/acre
years
Overview
Onions can be started from seed, transplants, or sets. Transplants produce the largest bulbs. Day-length triggers bulb formation: long-day (14-16 hrs) for northern latitudes, short-day (10-12 hrs) for southern. Heavy feeders requiring 120-160 lbs N/acre. Shallow roots demand consistent irrigation during bulb enlargement. Harvest when 1/3 to 1/2 of tops fall. Cure 2-4 weeks before cold storage. Sweet varieties store 1-3 months; pungent storage types 6-8 months. Rotate 3+ years to manage soilborne diseases.
Growing Season
- Plant
- mid March – late April
- Harvest
- early July – late October
- Frost-free days
- 90+
- GDD (base 50°F)
- 1,800 – 2,400
Yield
- Typical yield
- 40,000 lbs/acre
- Productive lifespan
- 1 years
- Years to full prod.
- 1
- Labor
- 210 hrs/acre
Market Fit
Active Regional Buyers
No buyer on record for this crop in the catalog's buyer network.
Price Trend Stable/Up
3-year price trend recorded as "declining".
Supply Below Demand
No buyer network on record — cannot establish that regional demand absorbs additional supply.
Multiple Buyer Channels
0 recorded buyers and 4 documented market channels. Multiple routes to market.
Value-Added Potential
4 documented market channels, including value-added and direct-to-consumer routes.
Market Growth Projected
Mature vegetable market; growth over a 5-year horizon expected to track population rather than outpace it.
Market Channels
Climate Fit
Hardiness Zone Match
Crop tolerates zones 3-9; region spans 5-6. Overlaps.
GDD Sufficient
Crop needs 1800 GDD (base 50F); region accumulates 2500+. Sufficient.
Precipitation Compatible
Crop needs ~18 in; region receives ~38 in/yr. Compatible, irrigation available as supplement.
Frost-Free Season OK
Crop needs 90 frost-free days; region provides ~180. Sufficient.
Chill Hours Met
Not applicable — annual crop has no winter chill requirement.
Climate Trend Favorable
Crop spans 7 hardiness zones (3-9). Wide adaptive range buffers against warming trend.
Soil Compatibility
Soil Texture
Drainage
Infrastructure Fit
Equipment Compatible
5 documented equipment requirements. Within range adaptable from general row-crop or orchard equipment.
Storage Available
2 documented storage/handling requirements, all achievable with conventional on-farm or third-party facilities.
Irrigation Compatible
Requires ~18 in. Deliverable with conventional drip or overhead irrigation.
Field Layout Suitable
Suited to the small-to-mid-size fragmented parcels typical of the region.
Labor Availability
210 labor hr/ac vs catalog 75th percentile 250 hr/ac. Manageable with typical farm labor.
Processing Proximity
No processing or cooperative buyer on record for this crop; product would need to travel or be sold fresh.
Equipment Requirements
planting
Mechanical transplanter or vacuum seeder. 2-4" in-row, 18-24" between rows.
irrigation
Consistent moisture without wetting foliage. Enables fertigation.
spraying
Onions require 10-15 spray applications per season.
harvesting
Loosens soil under bulbs. Bulbs windrowed for field curing.
post_harvest
Tops, grades, sorts for packing. Essential for wholesale.
Storage Requirements
Cold storage (pungent varieties)
Temperature
32–35°F
Humidity
65–70%
Max Storage
240 days
Short-term (sweet varieties)
Temperature
32–40°F
Humidity
65–70%
Max Storage
90 days
Finance Fit
Revenue Above Average
Gross revenue $6,970/ac vs catalog median $5,500/ac. Above median.
Input Costs Acceptable
Input cost $9,000/ac vs catalog 75th percentile $5,387/ac. Above the top quartile.
Payback Period OK
Reaches full production in 1 year. Acceptable payback.
Insurance Available
Federal crop insurance or an equivalent risk product is available.
Revenue Per Labor Hour
Net return per labor hour $-9.67 ($-2,030/ac over 210 hr/ac) vs catalog median $13.16. Below median.
Grants/Subsidies
Vegetable crops are eligible under the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.
Economics Breakdown
| Avg Price/Unit | $0/lb |
| Gross Revenue/Acre | $12,000 |
| Annual Operating Cost | —/acre |
| Establishment Cost | —/acre |
| Total Input Cost | $9,000/acre |
| Net Return/Acre | $3,000 |
| Revenue/Labor Hour | — |
| Crop Insurance | Available |
Source: Penn State Extension Onion Production guide, USDA NASS (2025)
Risk Fit
Manageable Pest/Disease
5 documented risk factors. Within the range manageable by conventional IPM.
Market Diversified
0 buyers, 4 channels. Not dependent on a single outlet.
Low Establishment Risk
1 year to full production. Low establishment exposure.
Climate Resilient
Tolerates zones 3-9 (7 zones). Broad tolerance indicates resilience to seasonal variability.
Regulatory Burden Low
No crop-specific licensing or reporting regime beyond standard food-safety and pesticide rules.
Diversifies Portfolio
Adds a vegetable revenue stream distinct from the region's grape-dominated base.
Known Risks
pest
Most common and damaging onion pest. Feeds on leaves causing silvery streaks, reducing photosynthesis and bulb size. Vectors iris yellow spot virus.
Delia antiqua larvae feed on roots and bulb base, causing wilting and plant death in seedling stage.
Emerging invasive (Phytomyza gymnostoma). Adults puncture leaves; larvae mine leaves and enter bulbs.
disease
Peronospora destructor causes pale lesions turning purplish-gray. Destroys foliage in cool, wet conditions.
Sclerotium cepivorum sclerotia survive 20+ years in soil. Basal rot with white fluffy mycelium.
Nutritional Yield
Macronutrients
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per acre |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 40 kcal | 6,531,696 kcal |
| Protein | 1.1 g | 179,622 g |
| Total fat | 0.1 g | 16,329 g |
| Carbohydrates | 9.3 g | 1,525,151 g |
| Fiber | 1.7 g | 277,597 g |
| Sugar | 4.2 g | 692,360 g |
Key micronutrients
Uncertainty: Per-acre values are estimates that compound the yield range, edible-fraction assumption, and a single representative nutrient panel. Treat them as order-of-magnitude planning numbers, not nutritional advice. Confidence: high.
Ecosystem Services
Ecosystem service data pending.
The next research-agent rotation will document this crop's contributions to pollinator support, soil health, water quality, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.
Nearby Buyers
Data Sources
Every data point on this page is traceable to its source. Below you'll find the complete provenance trail — which sources were used, when data was last verified, and a full change history.
Primary sources: Penn State Extension, USDA PLANTS, USDA NASS, FAO.
Economics data year: 2025 · Region: lake_erie View economics source →
43 tracked changes across 8 data categories