The botanical name of Ginger is Zingiber officinale Rosc.; it is a member of the family Zingiberaceae
Varieties: Rio de Janeiro, Maran, Nadan, Suruchi, Surabi, Suprabha and Surati.
Season: April - May.
Soil and climate: A friable well drained loamy soil rich in humus with warm and humid conditions with 150 cm of annual rainfall are preferable. Grown as an irrigated crop in humid zones from sea level to an altitude of 1500 metres.
Seed rate: 1500 - 1800 kg of rhizome/ha.
Spacing: For irrigated crop, ridges are formed 40 cm apart and rhizomes planted at 20 cm spacing.
Manures and Manuring
Basal: FYM 40 t, 50 kg P and 25 kg K/ha.
Top dressing: 37.5 kg N and 12.5 kg K/ha each applied on 45th and 90th day.
Aftercultivation: Mulching is done at the time of planting with green leaves. After each top dressing, earth up the plants.
Plant protection against Pests
Shoot borer: Spray dimethoate 30 EC 2 ml/lit or phosphamidon 40 SL 2 ml/lit.
Leaf roller: Spray carbaryl 50 WP 2 g/ha or quinalphos 25 EC 2 ml/lit.
Plant protection against Diseases
Soft rot (Pythium sp.): Lack of drainage and continued dampness expose the plants to infection.
The disease spreads through the seed rhizomes and soil. Provide adequate drainage facilities and select healthy and disease-free seed rhizomes and pre-treat the seed rhizomes. In the field drench the bed with 2.5 g/lit of Copper oxychloride or 1% Bordeaux mixture or Metalaxyl mancozeb 4 g/lit. Treat the seed rhizomes with Mancozeb or Copper oxychloride 3 g/lit or 200ppm Streptocycline for 30 minutes before storage.
Leaf spot: Spray with 1 % Bordeaux mixture or Copper oxychloride 0.25%.
Harvest: The crop can be harvested after 8 - 9 months when leaves start yellowing and drying.
Yield: 12 - 15 t/ha.
