The quality of seeds supplied by different companies and the farmers’ expectations in growing onions are clashing. Hence, Balwan thought of developing some variety of his own that could provide a high yield to the farmers. Once, Balwan’s brother bought some onions from the neighboring village. Balwan observed that the onions were large and well-shaped bulbs, red-colored, thick, and tight-skinned. Being an experienced farmer, he knew that good quality plants yield good fruits, and hence he started greeting and breeding through selection considering parameters such as the plant’s health, tight skin, large size, and well-shaped red-colored bulb. After years of repeating the same process to purify the variety and stabilize the characters, he finally developed Balwan Pyaj, a good-quality onion variety.
This yield of onion is about 350 q/ha and has a good thickness of rings tolerance to Stemphylium blight and moderate pungency. The onions are 5 cm in diameter with dark red colored globular shaped bulbs. The neck thickness is 0.8 cm, weighing 50 to 60 g. It is attractive compared to conventional ones with firm, bright red colored mild pungent bulbs with an average yield of 200 q/ha.
Balwan Singh, a generous person, gained a very respectful place in the village community and local administrations. Many local and national media covered his innovative work, and he does not mind sharing his knowledge and seeds with other farmers for prosperity