Ginger Crop Research Articles

Effects of 1,3-dichloropropene as a methyl bromide alternative for management of nematode, soil-borne disease, and weed in ginger ( Zingiber officinale) crops in China

1,3-Dichloropropene (1,3-D) is a potential candidate as a soil disinfectant because of the restriction of methyl bromide (MeBr) in soil fumigation due to its ecological risk. Field trials were conducted to ascertain the efficiency of 1,3-D as a MeBr alternative in ginger ( Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and evaluate its application prospects in China. Five treatments were replicated five times in a randomized complete block design: fumigation with MeBr (400 kg ha −1), three 1,3-D doses (180, 120 and 90 L ha −1), a fenamiphos dose (4.0 kg ha −1), and a non-treated control. Results consistently indicated that MeBr was generally superior to the treatments involving all 1,3-D levels and fenamiphos, which in turn were superior to the control, for improving ginger yield and inhibiting nematode and weed. In both growth seasons, 1,3-D at the dose of 180 L ha −1 was as effective as MeBr in increasing plant height, stem diameter, leaves, shoots numbers and yield, especially in maintaining excellent nematode control efficiency, but it provided relatively poor control over weeds. On the basis of these results, 1,3-D, in combination with other alternatives to MeBr, is recommended to achieve integrated pest management.

Enhancement of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal status of an established ginger crop through a mycorrhizal onion companion crop

Mycorrhiza-free and mycorrhizal seedlings of onion were transplanted in the field along rows of previously established plants of ginger in order to evaluate the possibility of enhancing arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization of ginger via a companion crop. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonization of roots determined 138 days after transplanting of onion showed that roots of all plants were colonized by the fungi. However, the level of AM fungal colonization of onion roots was significantly higher if onion seedlings were colonized by the fungi prior to transplanting than if they were not. Dry matter yield of onion was more than tripled by AM fungal inoculation. The level of AM fungal colonization of ginger roots was significantly enhanced in the presence of a mycorrhizal companion onion, not in the presence of a non-mycorrhizal one. However, the yield of ginger was unaffected by the presence of onion irrespective of mycorrhizal status. Our data raise the possibility that the mycorrhizal status of an established plant may be enhanced through the introduction of a compatible companion crop well colonized by AM fungi.

Integration of minimum tillage, crop rotation and organic amendments into a ginger farming system: Impacts on yield and soilborne diseases

Ginger ( Zingiber officinale) production is facing increasing disease and pest pressure and declining yield with continuing intensive cultivation practices. A four year experiment was established in south-eastern Queensland on a red ferrosol that had a long (>60 years) history of ginger farming. Minimal tillage and organic amendments were compared with conventional practice that involved frequent tillage and soil fumigation using 1,3-dichloropropene (Telone ®). Ginger crops were grown in the second and fourth year of the experiment, following an annual rotation with different cover crops including oats ( Avena sativa), Brassica spp., soybean ( Glycine max) and forage sorghum ( Sorghum bicolour X S. sudanese). A pasture ley of Pangola grass ( Digitaria eriantha subsp. pentzii) provided a treatment continuum from major to minor disruption in the soil's physical fertility and biological communities, and was therefore only planted to ginger in the fourth year of the experiment. Ginger seed-pieces (sections of the rhizome used for planting) were planted into both tilled and untilled beds using a double disc opener on a specially designed ginger planter. Rhizome yield in the final year was greatest (74.2 t/ha) and losses to pathogens ( Pythium myriotylum and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. zingiberi) minimal (7.0%) in the pasture ley that had been cultivated prior to planting ginger. Furthermore, the minimum-tilled cover cropped treatment, which likewise had been cultivated prior to planting ginger, yielded well (62.0 t/ha), with few losses (5.0%) from rhizome rots. Conversely the fumigated treatment had the highest losses (35.9%) due to Pythium Soft Rot and lowest yields (20.2 t/ha). Minimum-tilled plantings of ginger, however, resulted in poor yields (30.9–43.1 t/ha) but had acceptable levels of disease.

Bio-intensive management of rhizome rot of ginger under field conditions.

Use of neem cake at 1kg + 100 gm of Trichoderma harzianum in 3kg FYM mixed for 7 days applied to soil before planting and watering regularly gave maximum yield (13.45t ha -1 ) and minimum disease incidence (5.5%), next best treatment was seed treatment with hot water 51°C + 100gm T. harzianum + 1Kg neem cake at sowing time gave disease incidence (6.75%) and yield (12.03t ha -1 ) both of treatments are statistically at par as regards in disease incidence and yield. The results showed that these safer management tools against diseases in ginger crop gave better protection and pesticide residue free rhizome because of its use as direct consumption without any processing.

Rhizome rot of ginger (Zingiber officinale) caused byPythium myriotylumin Fiji and Australia

Observations on the etiology of rhizome rot of ginger are presented for Fiji and Australia. In Fiji, the disease generally develops during hot, wet conditions in March and April, and often causes losses of more than 50% in seed crops. In Australia, the disease was observed for the first time during the wet summer of 2007–08, almost totally destroying the immature ginger crop in one field and causing 8–30% losses in other fields. Measurements taken when soils were saturated due to almost constant rainfall indicated that many plants died within 3 weeks of showing the first signs of yellowing, with the disease spreading down slopes at rates of up to 4.5 m/day. Pathogenicity tests indicated that the disease was caused by Pythium myriotylum and that the pathogen was capable of destroying ginger rhizomes in 1–2 weeks in saturated soils at temperatures of 26–30°C. The role of the environment in exacerbating the disease is considered and implications for management are discussed.

Unified Discrete Wavelet Transform with Ridge Regression and Principal Component Regression to Predict Concentration of Gingerol Compound in Ginger Crop

Multivariate calibration model can be used as an alternative method to predict the concentration of a gingerol compound. The prediction usually are carried out chemically through a long and expensive process using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) measurement method. Since the number of samples (n) are less than of the number of independent variables (p), and between the independent variables are correlated, so the development of model using conventional regression is not valid. The combination of Discrete Wavelete Transform (DWT) with Ridge Regression and Principal Component Regression have been adopted in this paper to predict concentration of gingerol, and it showed a promising result.

PRODUÇÃO DE GENGIBRE NO MUNICÍPIO DE MORRETES, PR

O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar o processo de produção agrícola desta cultura no município de Morretes (PR), evidenciando particularidades e discrepâncias frente aos modelos já descritos na literatura especializada, a partir de visitas ao campo, observação participante e entrevistas. Identificou-se como principais problemas: preparo do solo e adubação sem prévia análise do solo; rizomas-semente obtidos de forma inadequada e armazenados de forma precária; uso inadequado e acentuado de agrotóxicos, restringindo oportunidades de exportação; pragas e doenças associadas às práticas inadequadas; baixa qualidade microbiológica da água utilizada para irrigação e para lavagem dos rizomas colhidos e; ausência ou inadequação do local de armazenamento dos rizomas. Recomenda-se aos extensionistas rurais e/ou instituições competentes que busquem orientar os produtores de gengibre para promover a adequação das práticas de cultivo desta espécie.

KAJIAN TEKNOLOGI SONIC BLOOM PADA TANAMAN JAHE DI KABUPATEN BOYOLALI

Central Java is one of provinces which producemedical crops such as singer (Zingiber officinale Rose). Recenly, the production technologies is expected to be more enviran-mental soundness. One of such technologies is sonic bloom. Basically,sonic bloom is the factor fertilization technology using main materialof sea weed containing trace mineral which is then combined with sound wave procucingsome ferequency to induce the opening of stomata. The sonic bloom test to ginger crops was carried out in Kembang Villages, Ampel Sub District, Boyolali Regency utilizing land of 1.1 ha wide. Result of the research revealed that in general sonic bloom application, had effects on productions and economic aspects. This technology was able to shorten donmancy periods and induce bud growth. Also, it was able to produce better rhizome vigor, more rhizome with longer adn bigger sizes. In term of yield, sonic bloom technology was able to increase ginger yield of Kapur and Gahaj varieties by 136% and 89%, respectively with better seed quality. In addition, the benefit of sonic bloom applied is better compared to control which gave MBCR values at 4.15 (kapur) and 5.08 (Gajah).

Detection of the low-germination-rate resting oospores of Pythium myriotylum from soil by PCR

To establish a sensitive and specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method for detecting Pythium myriotylum in soils. Oospores of P. myriotylum were separated from large soil particles by flotation in sucrose solution. The thick-walled oospores were disrupted by vortex with sea sand and its DNA was extracted by the Cetyl trimethyl Ammonium Bromide (CTAB) method. The recovered DNA was verified by PCR amplification of a 150-bp target sequence of P. myriotylum. Samples of 10 g of soil were assayed; thus, the detection limit by PCR-based method was 10 oospores per gram soil. The method was successfully applied for the detection of P. myriotylum in soils collected in March, prior to planting of ginger crops. A PCR-based method for detecting P. myriotylum from soil was achieved. The PCR method has allowed us to monitor the presence of P. myriotylum in soil prior planting season as a way of reducing or eliminating disease.

The potential of Brassica green manure crops for controlling root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne javanica) on horticultural crops in a subtropical environment

In glasshouse experiments, Meloidogyne javanica reproduced on Brassica juncea, B. napus and BQMulch, a commercial biofumigant crop consisting of both B. napus and B. campestris. Although nematode multiplication rates were only 3–23% of the rate on a highly susceptible crop (tomato), they were high enough to suggest that Brassica rotation crops will increase root-knot nematode populations to potentially damaging levels in situations where temperatures do not limit nematode reproduction. A field study showed that this problem could be prevented in subtropical climates by restricting the growth of Brassica crops to June, July and August, when low temperatures limit nematode development and eggs are not produced until about 10 weeks after planting. Field and pot experiments in which M. javanica was introduced into soil following incorporation of Brassica residues failed to demonstrate a 'biofumigation' effect, possibly because the soil was too dry or the degree of tissue disruption was insufficient to maximise isothiocyanate release. Numbers of root-knot nematodes were reduced when Brassica roots, leaves and stems were incorporated into soil at 17 t DM/ha, but it is unlikely that this was due to the production of nematoxic chemicals, as large numbers of free-living nematodes multiplied during the decomposition process. From a practical perspective, these results suggest that green-manured Brassica rotation crops are unlikely to be useful for controlling root-knot nematodes on some subtropical horticultural crops that are currently fumigated for nematode control. The susceptibility of brassicas to M. javanica and the need to grow them during winter limits their potential in the vegetable industry, while difficulties in obtaining a biofumigation effect in dry soil will reduce effectiveness in non-irrigated pineapple soils. Brassicas are likely to be most useful in the ginger industry, as they can be grown during the winter break between ginger crops and fields can be irrigated before the Brassica crop is incorporated into soil.