EFFECTS OF RHIZOME STORAGE TIME AND TEMPERATURE ON GROWTH AND CARBOHYDRATE CONTENT OF ORNAMENTAL GINGER

Ornamental gingers are popular cut flowers and have been promoted as a promising potted flower crop because of unique foliage, long-lasting colorful bracts, and few pest problems. Rhizomes of four ginger species (Curcuma alismatifolia Gagnep., Curcuma roscoeana Wallich, Globba winittii C.H. Wright, and Kaempferia galanga L.) were stored for 2, 3 or 4 months at 15, 20 or 25°C to determine the storage longevity of the rhizomes and consequent shoot emergence, growth, flowering and carbohydrate content. These rhizomes were planted in a peat moss: bark:perlite substrate and placed in a greenhouse with 25ºC day/21ºC night temperatures with 40% shade. Plants were fertilized with 200 ppm N. All species survived 4 month storage periods. In general, as storage time and temperature increased, days to emergence and flowering decreased. For Globba, 3 months at 25ºC reduced emergence and flowering time, and increased number of inflorescences. C. alismatifolia did not respond to storage treatments. For C. roscoeana, a 3 or 4 month storage treatment hastened emergence. Kaempferia emergence was hastened when stored at 25ºC. Sucrose, glucose, and fructose content were affected by storage treatments and species. Storage treatments had no effect on starch content.

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