EFFECTS OF PLANT DENSITY. ROW SPACING AND SETT SIZE ON GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT, YIELD AND QUALITY OF GINGER (Zingiber Officinale Roscoe)

EFFECTS OF PLANT DENSITY. ROW SPACING AND SETT SIZE ON GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT, YIELD AND QUALITY OF GINGER (Zingiber Officinale Roscoe)

Abstract:

This study was conducted at the Institute for Agricultural Research. Samaru, Zaria – Nigeria during the .1989 wet season to investigate the effects of plant density,row spacing and sett size on the growth, development,, yield and quality of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rose.) The variety of ginger used was “Tafin Giwa” and the treatment comprised of three plant populations (166,666; 333,333; and 500,000 plants/ha)| three row spacings (10, 20 and 30cm); and three sett sizes (7.5; 15.0 and 22.5gm). The design of the experiment was a split plot with plant density and row spacing combinations as the main plot treatments and sett size as the sub-plot treatment. These were replicated four times. Results showed that generally the growth characters studied and the rhizome yield increased with increasing plant density. At final harvest, the rhizome yield at 500,000 plants/ha was 63% more than that obtained at 166,666 plants/ha. The effect of row spacing on rhizome dry weight was not consistent. Leaf area index (LAI) was significantly higher at 30cm compared with the narrower row spacings throughout the growth period. Consequently, the yield obtained at 30cm row spacing was 39%. and 49%, higher than the yield recorded at 20 and 10cm respective1/. Sett size significantly affected plant height and rhizome dry weight per plant. Higher growth rate were recorded with the largest sett weight (22.5gm) compared with the two smaller sett sizes- Final yield was not significantly influenced by sett size. The quality of ginger was characterised by the oil and ash content in this study. Ginger planted at 333,333 plants/ha produced higher oil content (7.07%.) than those planted at the lowest(166,666 plants/ha) and highest (500,000 plants/ha) densities. Row spacing did not affect the quality of ginger while sett size significantly influenced the oil content. The highest mean oil content (6.9%.) was obtained with the smallest sett compared with the medium and largest sett weights. This study indicated that growth, yield and quality of ginger could be enhanced by planting at high population (500,000 plants/ha) and wide row spacings (30cm). Sett size had no effect on final yield and qua1ity of ginger . The row spacing X plant density and plant density X sett size interactions were significant. There? was a positive correlation between yield and all yield contributing characters studied and a positive and significant correlation between leaf area index (LAI.) and final yield.

EFFECTS OF PLANT DENSITY. ROW SPACING AND SETT SIZE ON GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT, YIELD AND QUALITY OF GINGER (Zingiber Officinale Roscoe)

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