Detailed Explanation of High-Yield Formula Fertilization Techniques for Ginger
Ginger has a long growth period and a high fertilizer requirement. Under medium fertility conditions, to produce 2500 kg of ginger per mu, 25-40 kg of nitrogen, 10-22 kg of phosphorus (P2O5), and 30-50 kg of potassium (K2O) are needed. The absorption ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium is 11:1:16 or 1:0.5:2. In addition, calcium, magnesium, boron, zinc, iron, and other medium and trace...
Ginger has a long growth period and a high fertilizer requirement. Under medium fertility conditions, to produce 2500 kg of ginger per mu, 25-40 kg of nitrogen, 10-22 kg of phosphorus (P2O5), and 30-50 kg of potassium (K2O) are needed. The absorption ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium is 11:1:16 or 1:0.5:2. In addition, calcium, magnesium, boron, zinc, iron, and other medium and trace elements are also required. Because nutrient requirements differ at each stage, only through formula fertilization can yield and quality be improved.
1. Apply sufficient base fertilizer. Ginger roots are fine and weak, with a shallow distribution, so heavy application of base fertilizer is the key to high yield. Before land preparation, spread 2500-5000 kg of high-quality decomposed chicken manure per mu. After fertilizing, plow the soil. Make beds 1.2 m wide with trenches 30 cm wide and 20 cm deep, and plant 3 rows of ginger; or make beds 2-2.4 m wide with trenches 40 cm wide and 40-50 cm deep, and plant 4-5 rows of ginger. Before sowing, use 75-100 kg of cake fertilizer and 15-20 kg of ternary compound fertilizer per mu, crush them, apply them in a concentrated manner into the sowing trenches, and mix them evenly with the soil, then water and sow. In ginger fields deficient in zinc and boron, 1-2 kg of zinc sulfate and 0.5-1 kg of borax per mu can be evenly mixed with fine soil or organic fertilizer, applied in the sowing trenches during sowing, and mixed evenly with the soil.
2. Apply topdressing appropriately. During the ginger growth period, topdressing is generally required 2-3 times. In ginger fields deficient in zinc and boron, 0.05%-0.1% zinc and boron fertilizers should also be sprayed 2-3 times at the seedling stage, the tillering stage, and the rhizome expansion stage, respectively.
① The first light application of "seedling-strengthening fertilizer." From leaf unfolding to having 2 relatively large lateral branches is the seedling stage (that is, the "three-pronged stage"), which takes 65-75 days. During the seedling stage, plant growth is small, but the growth period is long. The first topdressing is usually carried out when the seedlings are 25-30 cm tall and have 1-2 branches. The topdressing is mainly nitrogen fertilizer, applying 1000-1500 kg of decomposed human manure or 4-5 kg of urea per mu, applied in furrows or washed in with water when watering. If sowing is too early and the seedling stage is long, fertilizer can be applied 2-3 times along with watering, at the same rates as above.
② The second heavy application of "forking fertilizer" (also called "branching fertilizer," "turning-point fertilizer," etc.). From late July to early August around the Beginning of Autumn, when ginger seedlings are in the "three-pronged stage," the demand for fertilizer and water increases, so topdressing should be carried out together with weeding in the ginger field. Generally, cake fertilizer or farmyard manure is combined with quick-acting chemical fertilizer. Apply 1500-2000 kg of decomposed human manure per mu, plus 25-50 kg of ternary compound fertilizer. Open a fertilizer trench on one side of the ginger seedlings 15-20 cm from the base of the plants, scatter the fertilizer in, and mix it evenly with the soil, then cover with soil to close the trench, earth up the ridges, and finally water thoroughly. If the weather is dry, irrigate once every 4-6 days, always keeping the relative soil moisture at 75%-80%. Earth up around the base of the plants 3-5 times to promote expansion of the rhizomes. When the ginger seedlings grow to 19.8-23.1 cm tall, promptly remove the latent buds emerging from the mother ginger to avoid wasting nutrients. When the ginger seedlings grow to 35-45 cm tall, one or two buds grow out from both sides of the mother ginger; these buds should be retained.
③ The third timely application of "expansion fertilizer" (also called "ginger-strengthening fertilizer," "supplementary fertilizer," etc.). From mid-to-late August to early September, when the ginger seedlings have 6-8 branches, the third topdressing can be carried out as appropriate. Generally, apply 200-250 kg of decomposed cake fertilizer or 25-30 kg of ternary compound fertilizer per mu. At the same time as fertilizing, use furrow irrigation or pouring irrigation to water, to prevent root burn. In dry weather, irrigate about once every 10 days; in hot seasons, water in the morning and evening; after heavy rain, drain water immediately to keep the bed trenches unobstructed. For ginger fields with weak or average growth and low soil fertility, quick-acting chemical fertilizers can be topdressed, especially potassium fertilizer and nitrogen fertilizer; for ginger fields with good soil fertility and vigorous plant growth, nitrogen fertilizer should be applied sparingly or not at all. Ginger prefers shady and humid conditions and cannot tolerate high temperatures and strong light. In hot weather, build a shed for shading. In early to mid-August, remove the growing tip of the ginger plants, doing so once every 7-8 days for 2-3 times in succession; by late August, the ginger branches and leaves are already lush, and the ginger shed can then be removed. Water for the last time 3 days before harvest, so that the ginger blocks can carry moist soil at harvest, which is beneficial for storage. Harvest usually takes place in mid-to-late October before the arrival of the first frost.