Ginger is an important spice crop cultivated in India in an area of 1,766 hectares. India is the largest producer of dry ginger in the world accounting for more than half the total world production. In Anhra Pradesh, it is cultivated in an area of 2508 hectares mainly in Visakhapatnam ( 1931 ha), Medak (311 ha), Rangareddy (91 ha), Nizamabad (77 ha), Guntur (58 ha), Srikakulam (25 ha) and limited areas in other districts lke Krishna East and West Godavari.

It can be grown in a wide range of soils with good drainage like sandy or clayey loams and red loams to laterite loams. Garden soils rich in humums content are ideal.

Climate

Warm humid weather is congenial.

Season

The seeds will be sown from the end of April to first fortnight of May. Delayed sowing increases, the rhizome-rot disease and reduces the yield.

Soils

Well drained soils are most suitable. The site selected should not have any impervious hard Rock or heavy clay layer within 45 to 60 cm depth impending drainage.

Varieties

Siddipet Local

Suitable for Telangana region.

Bhyri, tuni, Narsipatnam.

Rio-de-Janeiro(Brazil)

It can be used as a fresh ginger, high in fibre prefixed for extraction of oleoresin. Susceptible to diseases.

V1 S1-8, V3s1, -8 V2 E5-2 (171)

Less fibre content tolerant to leaf spot diseases. Good quality with high yield potential.

Seeds and Sowing

Prepare beds of 1.2 m x 1.8m sizes. These beds should be provided with alternate irrigation and drainage channels. The irrigation channels can be 20 to 25 cm depth but the drainage channels should be 45 cm deep.

Procure healthy seed rhizomes from disease free crop, They should be well matured, plumpy and hard when pressed. Before planting, cut the sprouted rhizomes into pieces, weighing about 10-25 g and treat them with 0.3 % Dithane M-45 for half an hour Plant the seed pieces with sprouted buds in the first fortnight of May. Plant the seed 45 cm apart and 10 to 15 cm with in the line 2250 rhizomes sufficient per hectare of planting.

Sowing of cowpea at the rate of 50-60 kg/ha as much crop to provide shade, conserve moisture and ensure better germination of ginger. Sowing of castor on bunds alround the ginger field ( and also at 9 meters intervals within the field ) to serve as wind break and also to provide some shade. Remove cowpea 60 days after sowing and earth up ginger forming ridges and furrows spaced 45 cm apart.

Manures and Fertilizers

Farmyard manure 50 t/ha and P2O5 60 kg/ha should be aoplied as basal dressing.

30 kg of Nitrogen and 30 kg of Potash/ha apply near the rhyzomes at 40h day after planting.

60 kg Nitrogen and 60 kg Potash/ha at 80th day and a final dose of 30 kg Nitrogen and 30 kg Potash/ha should be applied at 120th day followed by eathing up of the crop.

As and when micro-nutrient deficiencies like zinc manganese etc. are observed they may be applied by foliar spray.

Intercultivation

The beds are mulched immediately after planting. Field is hand weeded three or four times and plants earthed up once or twice. The rainfed crop is given a second and a third leaf mulch at the time of weeding, hoeing and earthing up. In coconut and young coffee and orange gardens, ginger is grown as an inter corp.

Irrigation

Irrigate the crop during the different seasons according to the soil and climatic conditions and crop needs. Irrigations may be given a 4 days interval in summer, 7 days interval in post monsoon period. During the rainy season, it may not be necessary to irrigate ginger crop if there is more than 2.5 cm rain in 12 days. During heavy rains, care should be taken to see that there is no stagnation of water in the field after the rain.

Plant Protection

Pests

RHJIZOME FLY (chalcidomyia atricormis)

These maggots are white in colour and stay in decayed rhizomes. Good cultivation practices should be adopted to avoid decaying of rhizomes. Proper drainage should be ensured. If the infestation is high apply phorate 10 g 1.00 kg a.i/ha (10 kg/ha).

SKIPPERS (udaspee folus)

These larvae fold the leaves and feed on the chlorophyll.

control

Spray cararyl 0.1% 50% W.P @ 2g/l of water once in 10 days intervals depending on necessity, 500 l of spray fluid is required per hectare.

Shoot Borer(Dichocrosic punctiferalis)

These larvae bore on shoots, resulting the death of central shoot.

control

Spray endosulfan 0.07% of 35% EC @ 2 ml/l of water about 625 l of spray fluid is sufficient for one hectare.

ROOT GRUBS

At the time of germination these grubs cuts away the growing shoots.

control

Dusting of BHC carbarg 5 % dust 25 kg/ha.

Diseases

SOFT ROT

Symptoms like drying up of the shoot and decaying of rhizomes will be noticed.

control

Treat the seed with Thiran 0.25% @ 2.5 g/l of water. After wards, spraying on the main field is also good to some extent.

LEAF SPOT

Spray dithane M-45 @ 0.20%.

Harvesting and post-harvest Technology

The crop gets ready for harvest from November onwards when the leaves turn yellow and stems begin to dry. A part of it may be harvested a little early, if there is a good demand for green ginger. Complete drying of leaves and pseudostem indicate the maturity of the crop. Leaves are cut close to the ground. Underground rhizomes are dug out by manual labour. In case of poor growth or dull market, the crop can be left unharvested for a year to make up in growth and yield.

Curing

After reserve in a small quantity of rhizomes for seed, the ginger is cleaned of adhering earth and soaked in water to facilitate removal of skin. The skin is scraped off with pieces of sharpened bamboo or bits of sea shells. Scraped produce is washed, dried in the sun for three or four days and hand rubbed. It is again steeped in water for two hours, dried and then rubbed with coarse cloth to remove all remaining bits of skin. Sun drying also bleaches the produce.