How to fertilize ginger? Key points of scientific fertilization techniques
Ginger refers to the tuberous rhizome of plants in the genus Zingiber. It is warm in nature, and its unique “gingerol” can stimulate the gastrointestinal mucosa, causing the gastrointestinal tract to become congested, enhancing digestive capacity, and can effectively treat abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and other conditions caused by eating too much cold and cool food. After eating ginger, a person will feel the body heat up, because it can dilate blood vessels, speed up blood circulation, and prompt the pores on the body to open, which not only can take away excess heat, but also drive out pathogens and cold qi from the body at the same time. When the body has eaten cold and cool things, been caught in the rain, or stayed in an air-conditioned room for a long time, eating ginger can promptly eliminate various discomforts caused by heavy cold in the body.
The Dajiang Association of the Economic Development Zone of Qingzhou City, Shandong Province, is a major ginger planting and breeding institution in China. The ginger varieties planted and sold by the Dajiang Association mainly include: Shandong Dajiang, Mianjiang, Xiaohuangjiang, Shannong Dajiang No. 1, Laiwu Dajiang, Laiwu Xiaojiang, Daroujiang, Zhugenjiang, Laifengjiang, Zunyi Baijiang, Zhangliangjiang, Xiaohuangjiang, wild ginger, and more than twenty ginger varieties.
Nutritional value of ginger
Ginger contains pungent and aromatic components. The pungent component is a kind of "ginger ketone" in aromatic volatile oil. Among them are mainly ginger oil terpene, water fennel, camphor terpene, gingerol, eucalyptus oil essence, starch, mucilage, etc. The edible portion is 95%. Every 100 g contains 172 kj of energy, 87 g of water, 1.3 g of protein, 0.6 g of fat, 2.7 g of dietary fiber, 7.6 g of carbohydrates, 170 μg of carotene, 28 μg of retinol equivalent, 0.02 mg of thiamine, 0.03 mg of riboflavin, 0.8 mg of nicotinic acid; vitamin C 4 mg; potassium 295 mg, sodium 14.9 mg, calcium 27 mg, magnesium 44 mg, iron 1.4 mg, manganese 320 mg, zinc 0.34 mg, molybdenum 0.14 mg, phosphorus 25 mg, selenium 0.56 μg. It also contains components such as gingerol that promote the secretion of digestive fluids.
Scientific fertilization techniques for ginger
The rhizome of ginger absorbs relatively little nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium during the seedling stage. During the vigorous growth period, phosphorus absorption increases slowly, while demand for nitrogen and potassium surges, especially with the highest potassium requirement in the early part of the vigorous growth period, followed by nitrogen fertilizer; in the middle and late parts of the vigorous growth period, nitrogen absorption exceeds potassium, and potassium absorption exceeds phosphorus. Therefore, in production, formula fertilization should be carried out according to the fertilizer requirement pattern of ginger, and timely topdressing with nitrogen fertilizer helps increase yield.
Fertilization of ginger is divided into base fertilizer and topdressing. Base fertilizer is divided into organic fertilizer, cake fertilizer, and chemical fertilizer. Organic fertilizer is broadcast before sowing in combination with land preparation, generally applying 5-8 cubic meters of high-quality decomposed chicken manure per mu, followed by rotary tillage; cake fertilizer and chemical fertilizer are applied in concentrated furrows, that is, before sowing, crushed cake fertilizer and chemical fertilizer are applied in a concentrated manner into the sowing furrow, generally applying 75-100 kg of cake fertilizer per mu, 50 kg of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compound fertilizer, or 25 kg each of urea, superphosphate, and potassium sulfate.
In addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer, generally three topdressings are carried out. The first topdressing is “strong seedling fertilizer”: during the seedling stage, plant growth is small and fertilizer demand is not high, but the seedling growth period is long. To promote robust seedling growth, the first topdressing is usually carried out when the seedlings are about 30 cm tall and have 1-2 branches. This topdressing is mainly nitrogen fertilizer, and 20 kg of ammonium sulfate or diammonium phosphate can be applied per mu. If sowing is too early and the seedling stage is relatively long, 2-3 applications can be made along with watering, with the same application amount as above.
The second topdressing is “turning-point fertilizer”: around the Beginning of Autumn, this is the turning point for ginger growth and also the turning point for nutrient absorption. After this, the plant grows faster and accumulates a large amount of nutrients to form product organs. Therefore, the demand for fertilizer and water increases. To ensure high yield of ginger, around the Beginning of Autumn, combined with weed control in the ginger field, the second topdressing is carried out. This topdressing plays an important role in promoting tillering and rhizome expansion. This topdressing generally combines cake fertilizer or farmyard manure with long-lasting fertilizer effects and quick-acting chemical fertilizer. Per mu, use 70-80 kg of crushed cake fertilizer, 3-4 cubic meters of decomposed chicken manure, 50-100 kg of compound fertilizer, or 20 kg of urea, 30 kg of diammonium phosphate, and 50 kg of potassium sulfate. Open a fertilization furrow on one side of the ginger seedlings 15 cm from the base of the plant, scatter the fertilizer into the furrow, mix it evenly with the soil, then cover with soil to close the furrow, earth up, and finally water thoroughly.
The third topdressing is “strong ginger fertilizer”: in early September, when the ginger seedlings have 6-8 branches, which is also the period of rapid rhizome expansion, the third topdressing, called “strong ginger fertilizer,” can be carried out according to plant growth. For ginger fields with weak or average growth and ginger fields with low soil fertility, quick-acting chemical fertilizer can be topdressed at this stage, especially potassium fertilizer and nitrogen fertilizer, to ensure the nutrients needed by the rhizome. Generally, 25-30 kg of compound fertilizer per mu, or 2.5 kg each of ammonium sulfate and potassium sulfate. For ginger fields with high soil fertility and vigorous plant growth, nitrogen fertilizer should be applied less or not at all to prevent excessive vegetative growth of stems and leaves from affecting nutrient accumulation.
Zinc fertilizer and boron fertilizer can usually be used as base fertilizer or foliar topdressing. When used as base fertilizer in ginger fields lacking zinc and boron, generally apply 1-2 kg of zinc sulfate and 0.5-1 kg of borax per mu, mix evenly with fine soil or organic fertilizer, and apply it in the sowing furrow during sowing and mix evenly with the soil: if used as topdressing and foliar spraying, 0.05%-0.1% borax can be used at 50-70 liters per mu, sprayed three times respectively at the seedling stage, tillering stage, and rhizome expansion stage.