By Dr. Sylvia Mitchell, Contributor 
THE SPANISH introduced ginger to Jamaica around 1525. In 1547, over one million metric tons were exported. Since 1995, the major growing areas in Jamaica experienced a rhizome rot, which has since intensified and spread.
It appears to have started around 1993 but the low levels did not cause concern. Many farmers continued to acquire ginger planting material from infested sources thus spreading the disease. The average damage level was about 55 per cent.
The pathogens Fusarium spp,. Pythium spp., Rhizoctonia spp., Pseudomonas spp. and Verticillium spp. were isolated from diseased rhizomes. Yields have dropped, from 3.8 t/ha in 1994 to 2.5 t/ha in 1997. In 1994, 100 million tons (MT) of dried ginger was exported but only 40 MT in 1998. Dipping the rhizomes in 0.7 per cent tops in before planting increased yields. Three types of ginger can be found in Jamaica 'traditional' ginger is the Jamaican native (world-renown) while the 'non-traditional' ginger include China Blue and Frog Blue these are larger and have a bluish tint while the Jamaican native has smaller rhizomes and has a yellow tint.
GROWING GINGER
Ginger does best where it is hot and moist but needs shade from the noonday sun. Mulching helps prevent drying-out. Ginger feeds heavily. Plant in raised beds, about four to six inches into the soil, and 10 inches apart. Ginger harvested early (at six months) is called 'green' ginger and is aromatic, lemony and mildly flavoured. Harvesting late (eight to nine months) allows the flavour to become stronger and rich in pungent components and is called 'dried' ginger.
The Scientific Research Council (SRC) has been able to produce tissue- cultured ginger plants and has produced distilled ginger oil. The plantlets are being planted in the field to assess disease incidence and yield. These plantlets are not disease-tested nor genetically altered but still are an important step towards the improvement of our ginger industry. Further research and development is needed for the identification of disease-resistant varieties, to improve cultivation practices and to improve value-added processing; biotechnology/genetic engineering is needed for the production of disease-tested and disease-resistant ginger planting material. Such research will be needed if we desire to be productive and more than just
suppliers of raw material.
References
The Ginger Book, the ultimate home remedy by Stephen Fulder
Amazing power of healing plants by Renaldo sosa-Gomez
The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants by Andrew Chevallier
- Dr. Sylvia Mitchell, scientific officer, Biotechnology Centre, University of the West Indies (UWI); email: smitchel@uwimona.edu.jm.
