ISHS Acta Horticulturae 275: International Symposium on the Culture of Subtropical and Tropical Fruits and Crops
EFFECT OF 'SEED PIECE' SIZE AND PLANTING DENSITY ON HARVESTED 'KNOB' SIZE AND YIELD IN TWO CULTIVARS OF GINGER (ZINGIBER OFFICINALE ROSC.) GROWN IN SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND |
| Author: | A.W. Whiley |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.1990.275.17 |
| Abstract:
The effects of planting density and 'seed piece' size on harvested 'knob' size and yield were investigated for two ginger cultivars. In the first of two experiments, intra-row spacings were 11.2 and 22.4 cm, with a standard 'seed piece' mass of 70 ± 2 g. Destructive harvests were made on five occasions spanning first harvest maturity (45 to 35% fibre free rhizome; c. 5 months from planting) and fresh weight, 'knob' size and percentage fibre-free rhizome measured. Increased planting density reduced the time to final first harvest maturity (35% fibre free rhizome) by about 10 days and increased yield by between 33 and 44 per cent. There was no effect of planting density on rhizome 'knob' size. However, the 'Fijian' cultivar produced rhizomes with 'knob' size c. 30% larger than the 'Queensland' cultivar. In the second experiment the intra-row spacings were 11.2, 17.0 and 22.4 cm with 'seed piece' masses of 42.5 ± 2 g and 85.5 ± 2 g, respectively. Fresh weight and 'knob' size of rhizomes were measured at crop maturity (c. 9 months from planting). The larger 'seed piece' size increased both 'knob' size (12%) and rhizome yield (26%) while greater planting densities increased rhizome yield by up to 43%. | |
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