Shoot emergence of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) as affected by time of lifting, storage, size, and type of planting pieces

Abstract

Dormancy, as indicated by shoot emergence, was shown to exist in ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) rhizome pieces lifted on 5 August 1992 but to be substantially diminished in ginger lifted by 3 September 1992 in southern Queensland. Storage for 7 days on open trays increased shoot number and shoot dry mass relative to 1 day storage. Storage for 14 days also increased shoot number but reduced leaf area. Second-order pieces produced more shoots than third- and fourth-order pieces. Planting pieces of 20-30 g produced fewer shoots than 40- to 50-g and 60- to 70-g pieces. While there are several contributors to poor shoot emergence, dormancy appears to be the main cause in the period to early August. Pre-plant desiccation for 7 days may be a means of improving shoot emergence in ginger planted up to this time. Further trials are being conducted to test this hypothesis.