INFLUENCE OF PROPAGULE SIZE AND ORGANIC MANURE ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF GINGER (Zingiber officinalis)

Abstract

Ginger is grown majorly in the derived savannah of Nigeria for its potential healthbenefits, this health related usefulness of ginger have also stimulated farmersconcern for the growing of the plant having realized its efficacy in life changingailments as a result of this the availability of the propagule for planting became soscarce and not within the reach of farmers. Its cultivation has recently beenintroduced to the South western Nigeria. A field trial was carried out at theNational Horticultural Research Institute, Ibadan (Nigeria) to study the influence ofpropagule size and organic manure on the vegetative growth and rhizome yield ofginger in the rainy season of 2008. Propagule size had significant effect on plantheight and number of tillers. 10g propagule size of 28.2 was highest while theorganic manure control was the least for all the vegetative parameters considered.As the rate of organic manure increases, there was an increase in all the vegetativeparameters reaching its peak at 15t/ha and decreased again at 20t/ha. Theinteraction between the propagule size and organic manure was significant for thenumber of rhizomes, number of tillers and the yield. 10g propagule size and 15t/haorganic manure produced optimum growth and yield of ginger.