INTRODUCTION |
· GINGER (ZINGIBER OFFICINALE) IS ONE OF THE OLDEST SPICES WITH A DISTINCT FLAVOR AND PUNGENCY. IT HAS A WIDE RANGE OF USES THAT INCLUDE CULINARY, FLAVOURANT IN SOFT DRINKS, ALCOHOLIC AND NON ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, CONFECTIONARY, PICKLES, PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATIONS. INDIA IS THE LARGEST GROWER OF GINGER AND ALSO THE LARGEST PRODUCER OF DRY GINGER IN THE WORLD. IN INDIA KERALA, ORISSA, ANDHRA PRADESH, HIMACHAL PRADESH, MEGHALAYA AND WEST BENGAL ARE IMPORTANT GINGER GROWING STATES. |
CLIMATE AND SOIL: |
· GINGER GROWS WELL IN WARM AND HUMID CLIMATE. IT IS CULTIVATED UP TO 1,500M ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL. HOWEVER, AN OPTIMUM ELEVATION FOR ITS SUCCESSFUL CULTIVATION IS 300-900M. MODERATE RAINFALL AT SOWING TILL THE RHIZOMES SPROUT, FAIRLY HEAVY AND WELL DISTRIBUTED SHOWERS DURING THE GROWING PERIOD AND DRY WEATHER ABOUT ONE MONTH BEFORE HARVESTING ARE OPTIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR ITS SUCCESSFUL CULTIVATION. |
· A RICH SOIL WITH GOOD DRAINAGE AND AERATION IS IDEAL FOR ITS CULTIVATION. IT GROWS WELL IN SANDY OR CLAYEY LOAM, RED LOAM AND LATERITIC LOAM SOILS. GINGER SHOULD NOT BE GROWN IN THE SAME SITE YEAR AFTER YEAR. |
CULTIVATION |
· GINGER IS ALWAYS PROPAGATED BY CUTTINGS OF RHIZOMES KNOWN AS SEED RHIZOME OR SETS. RHIZOME SETS SHOULD BE TREATED WITH 0.3% DITHIANE M-45 SOLUTION FOR 30 MINUTES TO CONTROL FUNGAL DISEASES. IF REQUIRED, THEY MAY ALSO TREATED WITH 0.05% MALATHION AND 200 PPM STREPTOCYCLINE. FOR PLANTING, RHIZOME BITS OF 15-20G @ 1, 200-1, 800KG/HA MAY BE USED. |
MANURING AND FERTILIZATION |
· A BASAL DOSE OF 25-30 TONES OF FARMYARD MANURE WITH NPK 75:50:50 KG/HA IS RECOMMENDED. WHOLE OF P2O5 AND HALF OF K20 MAY BE APPLIED AT THE TIME OF PLANTING. HALF OF N IS APPLIED 40 DAYS AFTER PLANTING AND THE REMAINING N AND K20 MONTH AFTER THAT. APPLICATION OF NEEM CAKE (2 TONES/HA)AS BASAL DRESSING HELPS REDUCE THE INCIDENCE OF SOFT ROT OF GINGER AND INCREASES THE YIELD. |
WEEDING AND MULCHING: |
· MULCHING ENHANCES GERMINATION, INCREASES ORGANIC MATTER, CONVERSES SOIL MOISTURE AND PREVENTS WASHING OF SOIL DUE TO HEAVY RAINS. TWO WEEDING’S ARE GENERALLY GIVEN TO THE CROP. THE FIRST WEEDING IS DONE JUST BEFORE THE SECOND MULCHING AND REPEATED DEPENDING ON THE INTENSITY OF WEED GROWTH. |
· MULCHING OF GINGER BEDS HELPS IN SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION. THE FIRST MULCHING IS DONE AT THE TIME OF PLANTING WITH 12.5 TONES OF GREEN LEAVES/HA AND THE SECOND AFTER 40 DAYS WITH 5 TONES OF GREEN LEAVES/HA. |
ROTATION AND INTERCROP OF GINGER: |
· THE CROPS MOST COMMONLY ROTATED WITH GINGER ARE TAPIOCA, CHILI, RICE, GINGELLY, RAGI, GROUNDNUT AND MAIZE. GINGER IS ALSO GROWN WITH MAIZE AS A MIXED CROP AND AS AN INTERCROP IN COCONUT AND ARECANNT GARDENS. |
PLANT PROTECTION |
· SOFT ROT OR RHIZOME ROT: IT IS THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE DISEASE OF GINGER WHICH RESULTS IN TOTAL LOSS OF AFFECTED CLUMPS YOUNGER SPROUTS ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE. FOLIAR SYMPTOMS APPEAR AS LIGHT YELLOWING OF THE TIPS OF LOWER LEAVES THAT GRADUALLY SPREADS TO THE LEAF BLADES FOLLOWED BY DROOPING WITHERING AND DECAYING OF PSEUDO STEMS. |
· TREATMENT OF SEED RHIZOMES WITH MANCOZEB 0.3% FOR 30 MINUTES BEFORE STORAGE AND AGAIN BEFORE PLANTING REDUCES THE INCIDENCE OF DISEASE. CULTURAL PRACTICES SUCH AS SELECTION OF WELL DRAINED SOILS FOR PLANTING IS IMPORTANT FOR MANAGING THE DISEASE. APPLICATION OF TRICHODERMA ALONG WITH NAMESAKE @ 1 KG PER BED HELPS IN PREVENTING THE DISEASE. ONCE THE DISEASE IS LOCATED IN THE FIELD, REMOVAL OF AFFECTED CLUMPS AND DRENCHING THE AFFECTED AND SURROUNDING BEDS WITH MANCOZEB 0.3% CHECKS THE SPREAD OF DISEASE. |
· BACTERIAL WILT: THE FIRST SYMPTOM IS MILD DROOPING AND CURLING OF LEAF MARGINS OF LOWER LEAVES WHICH SPREADS UPWARD. THE AFFECTED PSEUDO STEM AND RHIZOME WHEN PRESSED GENTLY EXTRUDES MILKY OOZE FROM VASCULAR STRANDS. |
· THE SEED RHIZOME MAY BE TREATED WITH STREPTOCYCLINE 200 PPM FOR 30 MINUTES AND SHADE DRIED BEFORE PLANTING. ONCE THE DISEASE IS NOTICED IN THE FIELD ALL THE BEDS SHOULD BE DRENCHED WITH 1% BORDEAUX MIXTURE OR 0.2% COPPER OXYCHLORIDE . |
INSECT PESTS |
· SHOOT BORER: THE LARVAE BORE INTO THE PSEUDO STEMS AND FEED ON INTERNAL TISSUES RESULTING INTO YELLOWING AND DRYING OF LEAVES OF INFESTED PSEUDO STEMS. THE PRESENCE OF BORE HOLE ON PSEUDO STEMS THROUGH WHICH FRASS IS EXTRUDED AND WITHERED AND YELLOW CENTRAL SHOOT IS A CHARACTERISTICS SYMPTOM OF PEST INFESTATION. |
· SPRAYING OF 0.1% MALATHION OR 0.075% MONOCROTOPHOS CAN SEVERELY INFESTED THEY BECOME SHRIVELED, DESICCATED ITS GERMINATION. THE PEST CAN BE MANAGED BY TREATING THE SEED MATERIAL BY QUINALPHOS 0.075% BEFORE STORAGE AND ALSO BEFORE PLANTING. |
· RHIZOME SCALE: THEY FEED ON THE SAP AND WHEN RHIZOME ARE SEVERELY INFESTED THEY BECOME SHRIVELED, DESICCATED AFFECTING ITS GERMINATION. THE PEST CAN BE MANAGED BY TREATING THE SEED MATERIAL BY QUINALPHOS 0.075% BEFORE STORAGE AND ALSO BEFORE PLANTING . |
HARVESTING AND POST HARVEST MANAGEMENT: |
· IT IS READY FOR HARVESTING IN ABOUT 8 MONTHS, WHEN THE LEAVES TURN YELLOW AND STAR DRYING. THE AVERAGE YIELD IS 15-30 TONES/HA. IF THE CROP IS FOR GREEN GINGER, IT IS HARVESTED IN 5-6 MONTHS. RHIZOMES ARE WASHED THOROUGHLY IN WATER 2 OR 3 TIMES TO REMOVE THE SOIL AND DIRT AND SUN DRIED FOR A DAY. |
· FOR PROCESSING INTO ITS PRODUCTS, GINGER RHIZOMES ARE HARVESTED 5 MONTHS AFTER PLANTING. THE RHIZOMES ARE IMMATURE, TENDER AND SUCCULENT. THEY ARE WASHED IN WATER TO REMOVE SOIL AND PROCESSED INTO SALTED GINGER, PRESERVED GINGER IN SUGAR SYRUP OR BRINE AND DRY AND CRYSTALLIZED GINGER. |