Influence of land configuration and organic sources of nutrient supply on productivity and quality of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) grown in Eastern Himalayas, India

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) being an exhaustive crop and mostly grown in marginal uplands and sloping lands, requires appropriate nutrition and land management for its organic production. Field experiment was conducted in mid-altitude (999 m ASL) of Meghalaya, India, during 2009–2011 with eight treatment combinations comprising two land configurations i.e. flat bed and raised bed along with four organic sources of nutrient supply i.e. 100% nitrogen (N, 120 kg ha−1) through farmyard manure (FYM), 100% N through vermicompost (VC), 50% N through FYM and VC each [integrated sources of nutrient supply (ISNS)] and farmers practice (FYM 5 Mg ha−1). Results revealed that average rhizome yield under raised bed was 36.6% higher compared to that under flat bed. The rhizome yield of ginger under ISNS (10.21 Mg ha−1) was significantly higher compared to those under VC (11.82 Mg ha−1) and farmers practice (8.6 Mg ha−1). The quality parameters like starch content and ginger powder yield were also significantly highest under raised bed and ISNS. The N, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) uptake under raised beds were 15.6, 27.5 and 63.6%, respectively higher compared to that of flat beds. The soil organic carbon and available N, P and K in soil at the end of the study were also significantly higher under raised bed and ISNS compared to those under flat beds and other sources of nutrient supply. Thus, raised beds with ISNS is recommended for sustainable organic ginger production in hill ecosystems of eastern Himalayas, India.