Articles
Evaluation of edible ginger as a greenhouse crop
Article number
1251_16
Pages
119 – 124
Language
English
Abstract
Edible ginger (Zingiber officinale) has potential as a greenhouse crop with multiple uses, including food, beverage, medicinal, and ornamental.
In this study we compared plants of edible ginger from different starting material (seed rhizomes, or micro-propagated plantlets planted on two different dates), planted in two container sizes (5.7 or 50.5 L), and grown under either natural photoperiod or long days with night interruption lighting under greenhouse conditions.
Rhizome-grown plants and plantlets (early planting) in both container sizes had similar rhizome fresh mass under natural or long days, but rhizome mass was lower for the plantlets (late planting) grown under long days.
Some plants grown from tissue culture had thin rhizomes that would not be ideal for sale as fresh produce.
Thus, micro-propagated plantlets may be most effective as clean stock material to produce seed rhizomes for second-year production.
Under long days, rhizome moisture content was high compared with plants grown under natural days, and high moisture content would be preferable for the fresh market.
For higher rhizome yield, it may be best to grow plants under long days, and then force dormancy by either drying plants or providing short days.
In this study we compared plants of edible ginger from different starting material (seed rhizomes, or micro-propagated plantlets planted on two different dates), planted in two container sizes (5.7 or 50.5 L), and grown under either natural photoperiod or long days with night interruption lighting under greenhouse conditions.
Rhizome-grown plants and plantlets (early planting) in both container sizes had similar rhizome fresh mass under natural or long days, but rhizome mass was lower for the plantlets (late planting) grown under long days.
Some plants grown from tissue culture had thin rhizomes that would not be ideal for sale as fresh produce.
Thus, micro-propagated plantlets may be most effective as clean stock material to produce seed rhizomes for second-year production.
Under long days, rhizome moisture content was high compared with plants grown under natural days, and high moisture content would be preferable for the fresh market.
For higher rhizome yield, it may be best to grow plants under long days, and then force dormancy by either drying plants or providing short days.
Authors
R. Freyre, S. Flores, C. Gómez, P.R. Fisher
Keywords
long days, natural days, rhizomes
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