Investigating the effects of different cultivation media and biological and mineral fertilizers on the yield and active ingredients of ginger medicinal plant (Zingiber officinale Rosc)

Zingiber officinale (Zingiberaceae), is a tropical plant with knotted rhizomes.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of using mineral and biological fertilizers based on algae on the quantitative and qualitative traits of the ginger plant and to choose the best cultivation medium.

The experimental treatments included cultivation media in four levels and fertilizers in three levels. Hydrodistilled essential oil of the Z. officinale was analyzed by GC and GC-MS.

The largest amount of biological yield and yield per hectare was observed in the cultivation medium of vermicompost: perlite (70: 30) without fertilizers. The maximum harvest index with an average of 0.9 was estimated in the cultivation media of manure: soil (70: 30) combined with biofertilizer, vermicompost: perlite (70: 30) combined with biofertilizer, and manure: perlite (70: 30) combined with biofertilizer, respectively. The cultivation medium of animal manure: perlite (70: 30) combined with NPK chemical fertilizer produced the largest amount of essential oil. The highest proportion of geranial was observed in the cultivation medium of vermicompost: perlite (70: 30) combined with biofertilizer. The highest percentage of α-zingiberene was observed in the cultivation medium of vermicompost: perlite (70: 30) combined with NPK chemical fertilizer. The highest percentage of neral was obtained in the main treatments of animal manure: soil (70: 30) combined with biofertilizer.

The use of chemical and biological fertilizers combined with organic cultivation media was fruitful and productive to meet the nutritional needs for the production of effective substances in ginger.