Effect of biopriming and planting season on growth, yield and essential oil content of transplanted ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.)

Ginger cultivated as a rain-fed crop in Kerala, requires the storage of seed rhizome for a period of 3 to 4 months. The transplanted ginger crop can reduce the seed rate to 500–700 kg per hectare. The performance of primed protray transplants at various planting times was examined in Zingiber officinale Rosc. variety Aswathy. Irrespective of the priming treatment, the fresh rhizome yield was higher during April (451.83g/p) and the essential oil content was high in the crop raised during March (1.42%). The rhizome primed with Ethephon 200 ppm (372.33g/p) was found superior irrespective of the planting season. Other treatments viz., humigration, T. viridae, P. fluorscens, T.v+P.f and hydropriming (340.21, 343.89, 340.2, 335.94 and 355.62g/p, respectively) were found at par. Priming with a combination of T. viridae + P. fluorscens (0.96%), hydropriming (0.86%), humigration (0.91%) and P. fluorscens (0.87%) were also superior in rhizome oil content. The results indicated that the maximum fresh rhizome yield could be obtained at the optimum time of raising nursery during March (1 MAS) by using seed rhizomes primed with ethephon 200ppm. Seed rhizomes primed with T. viridae, P. fluorscens, humigration and soaking in water can also be recommended considering the higher fresh rhizome yield.