EBOOK ON GINGER AND GARLIC

CHINOMSO FRANKLIN IBEH

CEO ASPIRE FARMS 08037888334

1. Introduction to Garlic Production

• Garlic, Allium sativum, is a member of the onion family.

• Garlic is grown as a multipurpose crop.
• Commercially grown as an annual crop
• It is commonly used as a flavouring additive in meaty relishes,
sauces, soups and also as a medical remedy to treat flu, blood
pressure.
2. Soils and Climate Requirements
• Garlic grows best in well drained fertile soils that are high inorganic
matter.
• Soil pH range 5.5 - 6.0 (Calcium Chloride).
• Before planting, the soils should be well tilled to provide a loose
growing bed for bulb development. The soil must be kept evenly
moist because dry soil will cause irregularly shaped bulbs.
• Crop is frost hardy.
• Optimum temperature is 12-25ºC and the best planting is April to
May.
• Temperatures that are below 20ºC are ideal for bulbing so that the
plant is subjected to a colder temperature and attainsa larger size
before being exposed to higher temperatures.
• Higher temperatures around 30 are required prior to harvestto ripen
the crop, however bulbing will stop if these temperatures occur too
early in the crop’s life.
3. Varieties
There are five basic types of garlic from which cultivars can be
derived or classified:
• Artichoke - heads are characterised by layers of overlapping cloves,
which look similar to an actual artichoke.
• Silver skin - characterized by tallish and sometimes pinkish cloves.
• Porcelain - have very large clove sizes, superior, rich flavour and
full-bodied. Bulbs are smooth and symmetrical with snow white
wrappers enclosing 4 to 8 off-white coloured cloves.
• Purple stripe - characterized by very attractive bulbs with beautiful
purple lines and stripes, and they usually have about 8to 12 cloves per
bulb.
• Rocambole - characterised by rich flavour that is highly sought by
chefs. The cloves are brownish with varying reddish colours.
3. Varieties (cont…)
The five basic cultivars of garlic are further divided into soft neck and
hardneck garlic.
1. Softneck garlic – Do not produce bulbils except in times ofstress.
Invests its energy in production of larger bulbs andmore cloves per
bulb. Artichoke and Silverskin variety garlicsare considered to be the
softneck garlics also known as thegarlics. Softneck garlic is primarily
the one found inmost grocery stores.
2. Hardneck garlic – Produce elongated flower stalks calledscapes and
bulbils at the top of the stalk. Porcelain, PurpleStripe, and Rocambole
types are hardneck garlics. They areconsidered to have more flavour
and to be more gourmettasting than softnecks. However, hardnecks
typically do notstore as long as softnecks. The picture of their
differences is shown below:

PLANTING:
• The recommended planting period is late summer, between April to
May.
• Propagated by segments of bulbs called cloves.
• The cloves should be ideally stored at 0 – 10°C for 30 60 days prior
to planting as this hastens bulbing under long days
• Cloves stored or plants grown above 30° C may not bulb
• After cold storage seperate cloves from bulbs
• Grade your garlic both in size and quality
• Discard diseased, small, soft, damaged and discoloured bulbs
• Use biggest cloves to obtain vigorous high yielding plant
• Separate cloves carefully to avoid double cloves which give twin
plants and misshaped bulbs.
Seed Rate
• The seed rate is 900-1100 kg /ha.
• Do not buy garlic for planting from the produce section in grocery
stores as it would have been treated with anti-sprouting agents.

Planting
Spacing and Planting
• The general recommendation for spacing is 5-8 cm between plants
and 30 to 40 cm between rows. The cloves are planted to a depth of
about 5 cm on raised beds or on the flat.
• Be sure to keep the root end downwards
• Plant with the tip of clove just above ground level.
5. Fertiliser Requirements
• Garlic has relatively low nitrogen requirements compared with many
vegetable crops.
• Phosphorous and potassium are required in large quantities and,
thus, should be generously applied.
• Apply basal fertiliser of Compound C (5:15:12 11S.01B) fertiliser at
the rate of 800-1000 kg/ha.
• Apply Ammonium Nitrate (34.5% N) at the rate of 100 kg/ha 6-8
weeks after planting.
NB. Garlic also responds well to Organic Manure but the prolonged
release of Nitrogen late into the season results in thick necks.
6. Irrigation
• Garlic can be successfully grown using furrow, sprinkler, or drip
irrigation.
• Garlic has a relatively shallow root system and it is, therefore,
sensitive to moisture stress throughout the growing season.
• Furthermore, there will be increased water demand during hot, dry
weather conditions.
• Where the conditions like this prevail, mulching is recommended to
reduce the rate of moisture loss from the soil surface.
6. Irrigation
• The preferred time of irrigation is morning to mid-afternoon, thus,
allowing sufficient time for the plant foliage to dry before nightfall.
• Increase the frequency of watering during bulb enlargement.
• As garlic matures, irrigation should cease preferably at one month
before harvesting.
• This increases harvesting ease and reduces potential deterioration
and staining of exterior bulb sheath leaves.
7. Weed control
• Weed control can be achieved by cultivation, hand-hoeing or by
applying registered herbicides.
• Deep cultivation close to the plants should be avoided as root
damage with subsequent yield losses may occur.
• Each method of weed control may be effective but the best way is to
integrate these methods to ensure a weed free garlic field.
herbicides for weed control in garlic. These are recommended for pre-
emergent control of broadleaf weeds and some annual grasses.
8. Pest Control
Pest Product remedy Application/Comments
Cutworm
Cut stem of young plants at the base
Decis 2.5 EC Apply once only. Mix rate: 120 ml/100 litres water in
500 litres spray mix/ha after emergence of seedling plants over the
plants in the row in a 300 mm band Thionex 50WP
Carbaryl 86WP Mix 200 g/100 litres water and apply 1000 litres
mix/ha over rows
8. Pest Control
Pest Product remedy Application/Comments Thrips
Nymphs and adults rasp leaves and other planttissue to encourage the
release of sap. If damage is severe the plant may wilt and die
Disyston 5G At planting, soil application 110 g/100 m row
Malathion 25WP Full cover spray and repeat every 7-10 days. Mix
500 g/100 lt water (7 day H.I.)
Thionex 50WP Mix 100 g/100 lt water/application. F.C.S.
Repeat as necessary every 10-14 days.
Pest Product remedy Application/Comments
Leafminers (Liriomyza spp.)
Cyromazine (Trigard)
For use on onion and garlic. Do not make more than 6
applications/crop.
Permethrin (Ambush)
Products should be applied according to label directions for that
specific formulation.
Pest Product remedy Application/Comments
Onion Fly
Maggot
Tunnels into the growing point of cloves
Diazinon
Products should be applied according to label directions for that
specific formulation.
8. Disease Control
The major diseases are mostly fungal: White rot, Botrytis and
Downy Mildew and Rust. Bloat nematodes is also common.
Disease Symptoms Management
White Rot - Diallyl Sulfides (Dads)
- Tebuconazole (Folicur) 3.5F
- Iprodione (Rovral) 75WG
Rust - Rust appearence on leaves and is worsenedby high nitrogen
levels
- Dithane M45
- Copper oxychloride

Disease Symptoms Management

Botrytis Neck and Bulb Rot
- Avoid heavy or late applications of nitrogen fertilizer
- Harvest garlic only when the crop is mature and necks are well
cured.
- Handle the crop with a minimum of bruising or wounding.
Downy Mildew
It spreads rapidly in cool humid conditions
- Fenamidone (Reason) 500 SC
- Mancozeb/mefenoxam(Ridomil Gold) MZ
- Mefenoxam/chlorothalonil
(Ridomil Gold/Bravo)
9. Harvesting
• Garlic matures 4-6 months after planting.
• Yield – 8 -12t/ha
• Harvest in August to October when conditions are dry
• Garlic is ready for harvesting when most of the foliage has turned
brown ,dry and bent over
• Timing the harvest correctly is of critical importance.
• If bulbs are picked too early, they will not have achieved full size.
• If left too late, they will be over-sized, split, and may become
woody.
10. Post harvesting Handling
10.1 Curing
Curing is often accomplished in several ways;
1. curing the bulbs indoors using forced air to dry them off or
2. placing them in slotted bins, on wired racks or on open trays in a
well-ventilated building.
10. Post harvesting Handling
10.2 Sorting and grading
• After curing, the garlic tops and the roots should be trimmed.
Topping and root trimming can be done mechanically or by hand.
• Brushing to remove the loose outer sheath is the final step before
marketing.
• Garlic is usually graded by size, with the larger-sized bulbs
commanding a higher price.
• The grading process can also be done manually or mechanically.
10. Post harvesting Handling
10.3 Packing
• Garlic can be packed in a mesh bag or in a well ventilated crate.
• The quantity when packed, should be taken into great consideration
because if too much is packed, there is a lot of heat released and this
can result in loss of quality of the garlic bulbs.
10. Post harvesting Handling
10.4 Storage
• For maximum storage life, garlic should be properly cured and
stored at 0 °C with a 60 to 70 % relative humidity.
• Adequate air circulation and proper storage containers are important
to remove transpired heat and moisture.
• As storage temperatures are increased above 0 °C, the rate of bulb
weight loss also increases.
• Storage life under the mentioned suitable conditions is 6-7 months
depending on the variety of garlic.
• Controlled atmosphere with 0.5 % of O2 and 5 to 10 % of CO2 can
also increase the storage life of the garlic bulb.
10. Post harvesting Handling
10.5 Transport
• The bulbs must be thoroughly dried before being shipped or
transported.
• It is also advisable to have refrigerated transport vehicles if the
garlic bulbs are to be transported to distant destinations.
11. Marketing
• Presently, the majority of garlic is marketed as fresh product to the
fresh produce markets throughout the year.
• The market prices are greatly influenced by the supply.
When the garlic crop is scarce then the prices are high.
• Some producers have contracts with processing industries to which
they supply all their produce after harvest.

GINGER PRODUCTION

1.Introduction to Ginger Production

• Ginger is a very important commercial crop grown for itsaromatic
rhizomes which is used both as a spice and as amedicine.
• The crop is propagated through rhizomes.
2. Soil and Climatic requirements
• Does best in tropical climates with altitudes above 1500m.
• Ginger is not frosty hardy and low temperature induce dormancy.
• Optimum temperatures range between 18-27°C.
• Rain-fed production requires 1000-1200mm precipitation spread
over 8 months
• Require fertile well drained soils - medium sandy loam soils.
• Sensitive to water logging and to potash deficiency.
• Soil pH should be 6.0 - 6.5
• Heavy clays restrict development of rhizomes
3. Planting
• Propagated by portions of rhizomes known as sets or seed pieces.
• Sets should be 2.5cm long and 28-56g with at least one good bud.
• Rhizomes for planting material should be selected at harvest, dried
off and stored until next season.
NB. Damaged or diseased material should not be used for planting
material!!
3. Planting
• Surface of rhizomes should be dry before storing in a dry cool well
ventilated place.
• Sets can be pre germinated before planting by covering with a moist
organic mulch or layer of damp saw dust and sand (5cm deep).
• Seed rate 1.5-1.7t/ha.
• Sets are planted in ridged rows 30cm apart and spacing 15-30cm to
give 111-122 000 p/ha.
• Sets should be planted 5-10cm deep.
• Shoots will show in 10-15days and can extend to 4-8weeks.
4. Fertiliser requirements
• Requires high soil fertility 20-50t/ha well rotted farmyard manure or
compost applied before planting is beneficial.
• 100-200kg/ha nitrogen , 65-100kg Phosphorous and 100-120kg K
recommended.
• Half of the nitrogen, all P and K should be applied as basal dressing
• Half of the remaining nitrogen should be applied in 2 equal doses at
45 and 90 days after planting
• Apply Phosphorous before planting, N and K top dressing should be
applied in bands along the ridges, but not touching the plants.
5. Irrigation
• Rain fed production requires 1000-1200mm precipitation spread
over 8 months with a short dry season around harvesting time.
• Proper drainage channels are to be provided in the inter rows to
drain off stagnant water.
• Irrigation is given at varying intervals of 5 –
10 days as and when required.
6. Weed Control
• Using a hoe, do the first weeding at moulding (6-8 weeks after
planting). Care should be taken to avoid damage or disturb the
rhizomes.
• Two or more weedings may be needed. A machete is best used later,
to avoid damage to hands.
• It is best to avoid land infested with nutgrass as this weed is very
difficult to remove. It will pierce the rhizome and form "nuts" inside
them. It may even reduce the size and yield in infested parts of a field.
6. Pest Control
Pest Effect Control
Shoot Borer - it prepares holes in the pseudo stem.
- Feed on the inner core resulting in holes and central shoot becomes
yellow and withers
- spray 0.1% malathion at monthly interval
Rhizome Flies - the maggots bore into rhizome and feed on it
- spray 0.05% methlyparathion, 2 - 3 times
Leaf Roller - the caterpillar feeds from within the leaf by folding it
- spray 0.05 % dimethoate
Scales - they suck sap from rhizomes and cause them to shrivel and
dry up
- dip the rhizomes in 0.05 % dimethoate at planting
6. Pest Control
Shoot borer Leaf roller
Scales
7. Disease Control
Disease Symptoms Management
Bacterial wilt - leaf margins turn bronze and curl backward.
- whole plant wilts and die.
- base of pseudostem the rhizome emit foul smell
- Spray streptocycline @ 200 ppm
- remove the affected clumps and drench the soil with Copper
Oxychloride 0.2% Soft rot - yellow leaves roots arising
- become rotten and show brown discoloration of the rhizome tissue.
- pseudostem comes off easily with a gentle pull
- proper drainage.
- select disease-free rhizomes for sowing.
- treat seed rhizomes with 03 % Dithane M -45 for 30 minutes before
storage and before planting.
- drench the beds with same fungicide or Captafol @ 0.1 %.
Disease Symptoms Management
Leaf Spot - small oval or elongated spots with white centre and dark
brown margin develop on leaves.
- Spray 1 % Bordeaux mixture
7. Disease Control
8. Harvesting
• The time of harvest after planting depends on the end-use.
• Mature at 8-10 months from planting
• For fresh products and preserves, one should harvestrhizomes while
they are still tender, low in pungency and fibre content, therefore
before they are fully mature
• Harvest for dried spices and oil is best at full maturity, when the
leaves turn yellow; leaving the rhizomes in the ground past that stage
may reduce pungency and oil content, and increase the fibre content
9. Postharvest Handling
9.1 Washing, "killing", drying
• Fresh rhizomes should be washed, and cleaned from debris,shoots
and roots.
• Traditionally, rhizomes are killed by a 10 min. immersion in boiling
water, which also inactivates enzymatic processes then sun-dried.
• Another method is to scrape, peel, or slice rhizomes prior todrying.
• Peeling or scraping is advised for reducing drying time, thus
minimizing mold growth and fermentation
9.2 Grading and packaging
• Quality specifications are usually imposed by the targeted market.
• Proper care must be taken to meet minimum requirements, otherwise
a lot may be rejected and need further cleaning and/or disinfection
with ethylene oxide or irradiation.
• Bulk rhizomes may be packed in jute sacks, wooden boxes or lined
corrugated cardboard boxes for shipping.
9. Postharvest Handling (cont…)
9.3 Storage
Dried spices
• Dried rhizomes, slices, or splits should be stored in a cool
environment (10-15°C). When stored at room temperature
(23-26 ºC), losses of up to 20% oleoresin (dry weight) were observed
on dry ginger after 3 months, and the content of
6) - gingerol decreased
Fresh ginger
• Fresh ginger should be stored in a cold and humid environment.
However, cold storage may not always be available in the reducing
areas. A "zero energy" cool hamber was experimentally designed at
the Peruvannamuzhi IISR farm to store fresh ginger