Influence of fertigation levels on ginger (Zingiber officinale) seed rhizome production
1Department of Plantation, Spices, Medicinal and Aromatic Crops, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala Agricultural University, Thiruvananthapuram, India. 2Department of Horticulture, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Palakkad, India. 3Department of Horticulture, Regional Agricultural Research Station, Pattambi, Palakkad, India. 4Department of Plant Physiology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala Agricultural University, Thiruvananthapuram, India. Corresponding e-mail: fathimathhenna99@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i02.46
An experiment was conducted to assess the impact of various fertigation strategies on the production of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) seed rhizomes. The investigation encompassed six distinct regimes, employing a recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) of 0.94: 0.63: 0.63 NPK g per plant, supplemented by 10% and 20% increments of the RDF. These fertilizer applications were administered according to two separate schedules, extending over 240 or 300 days after planting (DAP). Results indicated that higher nutrient doses enhanced vegetative growth and quality traits, whereas maximum yield was achieved with the RDF level applied up to 240 DAP. T1 (RDF up to 240 DAP) resulted in the highest tiller count (29.87) and rhizome weight (400.33 g). T5 (20% increased RDF up to 240 DAP) was superior in plant height (120.79 cm), leaf length (27.69 cm), leaf area (43.63 cm2), chlorophyll (2.37 mg g-1), and oleoresin (7.65%) content. T4 (20% increase in RDF) recorded the maximum number of leaves (27.80) and the highest root fresh weight (141.67 g). The most effective treatment for producing seed rhizomes, using plantlets grown from microrhizomes in a disease-free polyhouse, was the application of a specific ratio of nutrients (0.94: 0.63: 0.63 NPK g per plant) up to 240 days after planting.
