Detailed Explanation of Key Technical Points for Ginger Sprout Production and Cultivation

In recent years, in order to expand ginger exports and earn foreign exchange, various regions have summarized a complete set of supporting techniques for ginger sprout production, achieving relatively high economic benefits. Ginger sprouts are divided into common ginger sprouts and softened ginger sprouts.

The production technology for common ginger sprouts is similar to conventional ginger cultivation techniques, but there are also differences. The main points to master are as follows: (1) Select varieties of the dense-sprout type with many branches, so that the ginger has many branches and a high number of sprouts, and more parts can be used when making ginger sprouts, making it easier to produce more products; (2) Use smaller ginger pieces for sowing, reduce investment, improve the utilization rate of seed ginger, and smaller ginger pieces will not produce too few branches, so it will not affect the number of ginger sprouts; (3) Increase sowing density and increase the number of plants per unit area, so that the number of branches per unit area increases and the number of sprouts is also greater, which is conducive to producing more ginger sprouts; (4) In cultivation techniques, pay attention to strengthening management, apply more base fertilizer, topdress and water early, promote early branching and growth of ginger, and at the same time pay attention to inserting ginger grass densely.

Ginger sprout making can generally begin when the ginger has grown sufficient seedlings and before the rhizome has fully expanded, and can be carried out until the ginger harvest period. The specific method is: use a cylindrical ring knife to encircle the ginger sprout (seedling), turn the knife toward the ginger piece and cut off the ginger sprout (seedling), making a shaped semi-finished product with a rhizome diameter of 1 cm, a length of 2.5-5 cm, and a total length of 15 cm including the rhizome and ginger sprout. After pickling in acetic acid brine, it becomes the finished product. Generally there are three grades: first-grade product rhizome length 3.5-5 cm; second-grade product rhizome length 3-3.5 cm; third-grade product rhizome length 2.5-3 cm.

The cultivation techniques for softened ginger sprouts are as follows: softened ginger sprouts are a new product cultivated under conditions without light. They have the characteristics of being tender, fresh, fragrant, and crisp, and are mainly used for export to earn foreign exchange, with high benefits. To carry out softened ginger sprout production, the following key links must be grasped:

(1) Build a good cultivation site. Idle houses, warehouses, air-raid shelters, or cultivation rooms converted from large sheds, medium sheds, solar greenhouses, etc. can be used. The site needs to be equipped with sprout cultivation seedbeds, heating equipment, and well-built ventilation openings. The seedbed can be made of cement boards or bricks into a multi-layer support form, and can be heated using underground flues or electric heating wires, with ventilation openings left on one side or around the site.

(2) Supporting cultivation techniques are required. Select small ginger pieces that are plump and free of pests and diseases. When promoting sprouting, pile up the ginger seeds to a height of about 1 m, spray an appropriate amount of water, cover with fine sand to preserve warmth and moisture, and maintain a temperature of 25°C inside the pile. Wait until most buds have sprouted but before roots have formed, then select buds and break them into pieces, grading them by bud size for sprout cultivation. Then arrange the seeds on a 4-5 cm thick sand bed, paying attention to arranging the buds neatly and upward, then cover with 5 cm of fine sand. The seed dosage per mu is about 250-350 kg. Immediately after the ginger seeds are placed on the bed, spray water with a watering can to soak through the bed soil, and spray water a second time after most ginger sprouts emerge. Spray an appropriate amount of water 7-10 days before harvesting ginger sprouts according to the dryness and wetness of the bed soil. When spraying water to preserve moisture, according to the growth situation, a small amount of quick-acting nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizer can be dissolved in the water and sprayed, with the concentration required to be less than 1%. Maintain 80%-90% humidity in the cultivation site. Maintain a bed temperature of 25-28°C before and after ginger sprouts emerge, and maintain a bed temperature of 25°C 10 days before harvesting the sprouts. Note that after sprouting, especially a few days before harvesting the sprouts, proper ventilation should be carried out.

(3) Harvest ginger sprouts in a timely manner. When the ginger seeds have been on the bed for 45-50 days and most sprouts and seedlings have grown to a height of 30 cm, they can be harvested. Use tools to lift out the ginger pieces, then break off the ginger seedlings, remove the fibrous roots on the sprouts and seedlings, rinse them clean, and they are ready. Sprouts and seedlings exceeding 30 cm can have the terminal buds cut off.

(4) Carry out appropriate processing. After the sprouts and seedlings are removed, if the rhizome is too thick, use a ring knife to cut off the outer part, grade according to rhizome thickness, then cut off the ginger seedlings so that the total length is 15 cm, and then put them into acetic acid brine for pickling. After pickling is completed, tie them in units of 10 sticks, put them into jars, pour in newly prepared acetic acid brine, seal, and after packing they can be sold externally.