Effect of planting material on growth and seed rhizome yield of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe)

Meristem derived ginger plants cultivar Khing Yai were micropropagated in vitro. Small rhizomes were produced from these plantlets under different photoperiods (8, 10, 12, 14 and natural daylength (12.01-11.19 hrs.)). The performance of small rhizomes produced from micropropagated plantlets as compared with conventionally planting big rhizomes and direct transplanting of micropropagated plantlets was evaluated from growth, rhizome yield and rhizome branching. The conventionally propagated old rhizomes produced more fresh rhizome yield than rhizomes and plantlets from micropropagation but tillering and rhizome branching was more in rhizomes from micropropagation as compared with conventional method and direct transplanting. The result revealed that ginger plantlets produced through micropropagation should be planted for seed rhizome production under greenhouse conditions and after harvest these rhizomes should again be planted for two generations of multiplication which can then be used as mother plants for commercial ginger production.