By Brian Omeni
INTRODUCTION
Ginger is well known in many human communities around the world. It is the underground rhizome of a perennial tropical crop called Ginger plant (Zingiberofficinale). Originally, the plant is a native of South Eastern Asia but over centuries has been introduced to various parts of the world like the Caribbean, the Americas and Africa. Presently, the top growers of the crop includes Jamaica, Indonesia, Fiji etc
A mature ginger rhizome is fibrous and has a striated texture. The outer skin of the rhizome is brownish in colour while the inner flesh depending on the variety may be red, yellow or white.
GINGER IN NIGERIA
Nigeria is one of the top producers of ginger in the world. In the Nigerian market ginger is well known and on high demand even though it is quite expensive. Kaduna State stands as the highest producer of the crop while states like Gombe, Bauchi, Benue, Nassarawa among others are major producers of the crop. In the market, ginger is available in various forms; fresh ginger rhizome, powder ginger and dry ginger rhizome.
GROWING GINGER
For ginger to thrive, the following are required
  • Mulched fertile soil. Loam is the most preferred soil type
  • Ridges should be made for the planting of the crop
  • A minimum annual rainfall of about 1500mm
  • An average daily temperature of about 30°C
  • Viable ginger rhizomes with buds
  • Good drainage to prevent water logging/flooding
CULTIVATION
Ginger is cultivated vegetatively from its rhizomes. The vegetative propagation of ginger involves the following steps;
  1. Sett preparation: When the fingers of rhizomes to be propagated begin to develop buds, they are cut into smaller pieces called SETT. A sett is about 3cm in length with each sett having at least a bud. The set to be propagated is usually stored until signs of growing are noticed before planting is performed.
  2. Planting: Ginger I planted by burying each sett in a hole about 8cm deep with the bud of each sett pointing upwards in the soil. The sett should be spaced 30×30cm apart. Each sett grows into a new ginger plant. Planting should be performed about a month before the rains come.

PLANTING RATE
2500kg per hectare
  1. Fertilizer: Both organic and inorganic fertilizers can be used. Compost manure is preferable. The preferred fertilizer in Nigeria for ginger growing is the N.P.K 15:15:15 which is applied twice; first about twenty days after planting at a rate of 4 bags per hectare. The second application is about 40 days after the first application at the rate of 2 bags per hectare. Urea is used during the second fertilizer application.
  2. Weed control: Controlling weed growth in the ginger farm can be done manually by hand picking or by using chemicals (herbicides).
  3. Pest and disease control: Mites, shoot borers and leaf rollers are some major pests that usually attack ginger plant. These pests can be controlled by using pesticides and insecticides. Captan is used to control some diseases that affect ginger plant like leaf spot.
  4. Harvesting: On the average, ginger takes about nine months from the time of planting to mature. The rhizome can be harvested at different times depending on its purpose. If fresh ginger is required, it is harvested about six month after planting. If a matured ginger rhizome is required, it is harvested nine months after planting. Sometimes the rhizomes are left in the ground for nearly two years for propagation to continue. In Nigeria, harvesting begins in October and runs all through to May. Ginger rhizome can be harvested manually by hand or with machines such as the mechanical digger.
      EXPECTED YIELD
20 tons per hectare
  1. Processing: The activities involved in processing ginger depend on the end product required. When the harvested rhizome is washed with boiling water and dried later, the product is called dried ginger and this can be grinded to produce powder ginger or can be used as a full dried ginger rhizome. The rhizome can also be processed as fresh ginger or be peeled.
USES OF GINGER
  1. It is used as a spice in many local cuisine
  2. Used in bakeries as flavor
  3. A constituent of some local (herbal) medicines
  4. It is used in breweries to produce ginger ale or ginger beer
  5. Ginger plant can be used for landscaping.
Intercropping Coconuts with Ginger
Preparing the seed pieces:
  1. Select fresh and healthy seed pieces weighing at least 20 grams each and showing signs of early sprouting.
  2. Before planting, wash the seed pieces in running water. Then soak them for 10 to 15 minutes in a solution of acidulated mercuric bichloride (for every 20 liters water, add 45 grams captan).
Land preparation:
  1. Prepare raised beds one week before planting to ensure good drainage. Beds with two rows should be about 30cms high and less than two meters wide. Row lengths depend on the farmer’s convenience. When beds are located in areas with high occurrences of soil-borne diseases, such as damping-off, the beds must be sterilized by burning dried rice straw, banana leaves or coconut leaves three times on the soil surface.
  2. Plant the seed pieces about 5cms deep in each hill 25cms apart in double row in each bed. Arrange the hills in a triangular pattern, whether the seed pieces are planted in poorly drained areas or areas. When planted under coconut trees, the seed pieces should be planted 25 to 20cms in shallow furrows of 45cms apart.
  3. At the time of planting, fertilize the soil with complete fertilizer (12-24-12), 400 kg if soil is sandy, 300 kg if soil is clay-loam per hectare.
  4. After planting, mulch the beds or ridges with green leaves (either ipil-ipil or madre de cacao) or rice straw, 10,000 kg /hectare, to prevent the soil from drying and to prevent erosion caused by monsoon rains.
  5. During the second and fourth months of growth, apply fertilizer again. Generally, they should be weeded at least twice during its growth period.
Harvesting: Ginger should be harvested when the leaves become yellow and start to wither. This occurs eight months after planting.
  1. In small harvesting areas, the crop is dug with a spading fork; the plant is pulled out, shakes off the soil and lays them on the bed. Stems are cut off without breaking the ginger bulbs.
  2. In large plantation areas, ginger is harvested by harrowing the soil, and then dried on an open shaded area.