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Pingtung County, one of Taiwan's main onion production areas, had a cultivation area of 363 hectares in 2023, accounting for 28.5% of the national cultivation area. However, due to an aging population, the labor shortage issue has become severe, leading to a yearly decline in the cultivation area. Taiwan Seed Improvement and Propagation Station has applied onion seed pelleting technology, coating the onion seeds and using mechanical equipment for single-seedling tray cultivation. This innovation replaces the traditional onion cultivation process, which heavily relies on manual labor during transplanting and harvesting.
The seed pelleting technology developed at the seedling station can alter the shape, size, and weight of the seeds. After pelleting, the seeds have consistent size and shape, making them suitable for precise mechanical sowing. This reduces the need for labor while maintaining the original germination rate of the seeds. Additionally, the pelleted seeds can be stored for a certain period under appropriate conditions.
On October 18, 2024, the seedling station, in collaboration with the Hengchun Township Farmers' Association, invited onion seedling and cultivation farmers to attend an observation meeting on the update and upgrade of seed pelleting equipment. The event was well-received by farmers and cooperatives. Through public-private partnerships, we aim to promote mechanized, standardized onion production and benefit Taiwan's entire onion industry, achieving the goals of labor reduction and lower production costs.
![]() Figure 1、The application of onion seed pelleting technology in single-plant tray seedling cultivation. |
![]() Figure 2, Mechanized pelleting of onion seeds. |
Contact Person |
TSIPS Zeng,Hong-Ru |
TSIPS Liu,Ming-Chung |
Office Tel. | 886-4-25825432 | 886-4-25825402 |
E-mail: | abcu12189@tss.gov.tw | tzong@tss.gov.tw |