Ginger Farming for Success

Introduction

The botanical name of Ginger is Zingiber officinale. It is widely used as a spice crop. Ginger is valued for its medicinal properties and is a popular home remedy for acidity, cold, cough, etc. It is the root (rhizome) of the plant that is most useful. Recognizing Ginger is very easy as the leaves carry the pungent smell typical of Ginger. Apart from their use as a spice, young roots of Ginger are used as flavoring agents in Chinese and Japanese cuisine.

Ginger plant looks slender like a reed which is 3-4 feet tall. The leaves are thin and green in color. The beauty of the plant is that it produces pink and white flower buds in clusters which bloom into yellow flowers. Some people use this plant for landscaping owing to this precise reason. When the stalk starts withering, crop is harvested and rhizomes are washed.

Suitable Climate for Ginger Growing.

Ginger is cultivated at an altitude of 1500 meters above sea level in warm and humid climate. A moderate rainfall during sprouting time and a heavy, well-distributed rain at the time of growth is the most ideal situation for growing Ginger. In case of absence of showers during sprouting period, the crop must be irrigated. The soil must stay moist so that sprouting happens. However, the weather must be dry before harvesting.

Ginger can grow under both irrigated and rain-fed conditions. The best time for planting is just after the pre-monsoon showers. In case there are no pre-monsoon showers, then irrigation is necessary. Else the seed rhizomes would dry up.

Soil Requirements

Ginger can grow in all sorts of soils. Well drained sandy loam, red soil and clay-loam soils rich in humus with fairly good Potash content are best for its cultivation. The soil should be well aerated. Heavy soil should be avoided. Soils with high organic matter are preferred; Incorporate FYM (Farm Yard Manure) or compost during land preparation. Ensure Soil has good internal drainage while laying out field. Over watering or stagnant water is harmful to Ginger.

Home hobby enthusiasts would do well to make a potting mixture of equal parts of compost, perlite and peat moss or coir.  Another potting mixture may be suggested to contain of 5 parts of wood chips, one part of peat moss and one part of perlite/vermiculite.

Crop Rotation

Ginger is an exhausting crop as it draws a huge amount of nutrients from the soil. Therefore, crop rotation is necessary. It is most commonly rotated with tapioca, maize, paddy, ragi and vegetables. It is also mixed with castor and red gram. In Kerala, it is grown as an inter-crop with areca nut, orange, coffee and coconuts. Avoid cropping potatoes, chilies, tomatoes, peanuts and brinjal since they are hosts for Ralstonia solanacearum which is a wilt causing agent.

The pH level for Ginger between 5.5 and 6.5 is good; however they can tolerate with reduced productivity pH range of 4 – 9.

Sowing period

Sowing is done in May in good pre-monsoon rainfall areas which will good yield. Otherwise, sowing is done in February to March with irrigated conditions. It is a 6 – 8 month crop. 

Planting material

Well developed, healthy and disease free, whole or split, mother rhizomes weighing 35-44g are used for planting. For organic production, the seeds may not be treated with chemicals.  

The seed rhizomes are cut into small pieces of app 5 cm length. Each one should have one or two good buds. Seed rate varies from region to region from app 1500 to 1800 kg/ha. Treat rhizomes with M45 for about 30 minutes. Thereafter, dry the same in shade before planting.

Land preparation

Land is prepared by ploughing 3 or 4 times (or as required). The earth should not have any lumps or boulders. It should be well aerated. Apply FYM and mix well. The areas where the rainfall is sufficiently early, crop can be planted during April-May with the receipt of pre-monsoon showers. Some places soil is burned to remove any pests and diseases.

Prepare beds of 15 cm height 1 m. wide and any convenient length. Small pits are made with a hand hoe in the beds in rows with spacing of 25x 30 cm and covered with soil or dry powdered cattle manure. The optimum spacing in furrows and ridges is about 45-60 cm between the beds    and 25 cm between the plants.

Fertilization

Fertilizer application actually depends upon the soil of the farmer. It is recommended to have the soil and water analyzed before deciding on the actual quantity of fertilizers.

Farm yard manure @20 t/ha and Neem cake are applied as basal dressing. Beds are earthed up each time after top dressing. The NPK recommendation is 125:37:37 kg per ha. Whole Phosphorus (P) and Potash (K₂O) is given as basal dose at the time planting while Nitrogen (N) is applied as 25kg each at basal, 40 and 90 days after planting i.e., 75 kg N.

Companion Plants

Ginger grows well with most plants, as it likes filtered  light. Growing under fruit trees is fantastic, also grow with tomatoes, Chilies, coconut, and banana..

Irrigation

Before land preparation, field should be wetted and then plowed. Light irrigation is required after planting. During build up of crop adequate irrigation is required. There should be no irrigation and dry conditions are required one month before harvesting.  Ginger is grown as rain fed crop.

Production

Mulching and Weed control

Apply mulching layers immediately after planting with tree leaves, purali, sugarcane trash or whatever available with the farmer. This may be up to about 5 cm height. Weeding operation may be done after about 30 days when mulch should be removed first.  Apply Mulch after weeding and application of fertilizes. Repeat operations at each fertilizer application.

Pests and Diseases Control  

Some information on insects, pests and disease of Ginger is discussed below. The control measures depend upon type and intensity of the problems and also whether organic or inorganic pesticides are to be used as decided by the Farmer. For more information on pests and diseases please go through my blog on same.

• Shoot and Fruit Borer: spray Malathion/Endosulfan/Chloropyrofos. Spread Phorate.
• Rhizome scale:  Dip rhizomes in Quinalphos 0.1% both prior to storage and sowing.
• Scale insects: Spraying of Parathion (0.03%) emulsion, Dimethoate 150 ml and 250 ml kerosene oil in 100 liter of water or Malathion@ 0.1 % or Carbonyl @ 0.05% plus oil 1%.
• Rhizome rot: Precaution: Dip in M-45 solution both before storage and before sowing. After attack: drench with M-45 solution.
• Fungal diseases, brown powdery on leaves. Remove such leaves. Spray Neem oil one teaspoon into approximately 10 liters of water.
• Leaf blight makes leaves turn yellow. Therefore, even though the vigor of the plant may not be much affected, plant look becomes ungainly. Remove such leaves.
• Gummosis: Scraping off the affected area and application of Bordeaux mixture or Copper Oxyfluoride.
• Anthracnose: Dried twigs are pruned off first. This to be followed by two sprays of Carbendazim @1 grams/liter or copper oxychloride – 3 grams/liter fortnightly. Spray of Zineb or Mancozeb may be regularly done weekly.

Harvesting

Ginger crop is generally of 6 – 8 months.  6 months for vegetable and 8 months for dry Ginger. The exact time period will also depend on the variety chosen when sowing. Plants are ready for harvesting when leaves of Ginger turn yellowish and dry. Gather by hand picking the clumps. Clean from mud and other materials.

Processing for marketing

Curing

Vegetable Ginger: Wash the harvested rhizomes in water and sundry for one day to obtain fresh vegetable Ginger.

Dry Ginger:

1. Soak rhizomes in water for 8 hours or so.
2. Rub the rhizomes and clear any extra from the surfaces.
3. Wash again in water
4. Scrap the skin of the Ginger very lightly and very carefully.
5. Wash and sundry for one week
6. Rub the dry rhizomes against each other.  This will remove any loose skin particles and dirt.

Uses of Ginger

• Condiment
• dye
• drug
• cosmetics
• religious ceremonies

Seed storage 

Store seed rhizomes after heaping under a higher ground in shade and plastered with mixed cow dung.  Alternatively, storage can also be done in pits dug in earth and covered. Treat with M-45 and Quinalphos solutions before storing.

Further reads:

agrifarming.in

indiaagronet

About nkp

Hi ; I have had opportunity to travel widely and have keen watched whatever farming practices the local farmers were engaged in. Back home been growing gerberas mostly in polyhouses, but outside in kitchen garden as well. i love these hardy perennials. good for business too if done in a routine orderly scientific manner. Also engaged in farming of wheat and organic vegetables on a small scale for me and family. My service profile has been that of an electronic and telecom engineer and now am engaged in web site creation and blogging.