Series of experiments were undertaken at Plant Tissue Culture
Laboratory, Agricultural Development System Project (ADSP), Ministry of
Agriculture, during the two consecutive seasons of 2005 and 2006, to
determine the influence of different sterilization materials and time, types of
media, different levels of BA and NAA and sucrose concentrations on some
growth and rhizome characters of common (ginger), (Zingiber officinale,
Rosc.). The obtained results could be briefed in the following points: -
Increasing the level of HgCl2 on NaOCl and time of immersing shoot tips, led
to gradual inhibition of survival and contamination (%).- Sterilization with
mercuric chloride at 0.3% level for 5 minutes followed by 1.0% sodium
hypochlorite for 5 minutes also, inhibited contamination completely and 100%
survival. - The best shoot number and root length were resulted by liquid
media supplemented with BA at 3.0 and 1.0 mg/l, respectively. While, solid
medium free from BA gave the best shoot length and number of roots.- Control
treatment produced the highest length of shoot and root as well as number of
roots, but number of shoots was the largest due to 0.5 mg BA + 0.5 mg NAA/l.
treatment. - Raising concentrations of sucrose, reduced survival (%)
gradually. The 70 and 90g/l sucrose resulted the highest formation (%) and
number of rhizomes.
Under greenhouse conditions, the favourable size of rhizome, as well as
the levels of NPK fertilization were evaluated for growth and development of
common ginger, in the two seasons. Plant height, number of leaves and fresh
weights of vegetative growth and rhizomes, were increased progressively by
increasing the size of the planted rhizomes (cuttings) in the greenhouse. The
size of rhizomes (40 – 50g) gave growth values more than double the values of
20g rhizome. - In the greenhouse, raising N or K ratios increased gradually
number of branches, leaves and roots, plant height ,root length and fresh
weight of vegetative growth and rhizomes.