Effect of Seed Density, Number of Seeds Sown Per Hole and Thinning Treatment on Growth Characteristics and Disease Occurrence in Greenhouse-Cultivated Ginseng

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of sowing density, number of seeds sown per hole, and thinning treatment on growth characteristics and disease occurrence in Panax ginseng under direct sowing cultivation in a blue plastic greenhouse. Seedling were grown from 2 or 3 seeds sown, and the healthiest was only retained, while the rest were thinned out at the foliation stage. NOsub3/sub-N, Psub2/subOsub5/sub, and organic matter content differed significantly between growth conditions in the plastic greenhouse and in conventional shade in the soil. Disease also tended to be higher in the conventional shade than in the plastic greenhouse. Plant height and stem length showed an increasing trend with increasing sowing density and number of seeds sown per hole. However, these measures noticeably decreased when thinning treatment was conducted. Growth of the subterranean part of ginseng was not markedly influenced by sowing density, the number of seeds sown per hole, or thinning treatment. Root weight, which is an important factor in yield, was significantly affected by the number of seeds sown and thinning treatment. Interestingly, root weight tended to be higher in the thinning treatment plot than the untreated control plot. Damping-off and root rot increased noticeably as the number of seeds sown increased. Disease also tended to be substantially higher in the thinning treatment plot than the untreated control. However, physiological disorder of the plants did not vary with sowing density, the number of seeds sown, or thinning treatment.