This document provides information on the production technology of turmeric. It discusses the origin, uses, botany, varieties, climate and soil requirements, cultivation practices, harvesting, post-harvest processing, and diseases and pests of turmeric. The key points are: turmeric originated in South-East Asia, India is the leading producer, it is cultivated between 1500-2500m elevation with annual rainfall over 1500mm, and harvesting occurs 7-9 months after planting between January to March.

1. PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF
Turmeric

2. TURMERIC
S.N: Curcuma longa L.
Family: Zingiberaceae
Chromosome no: 2n=63
Origin: South-East Asia
Uses:
 Turmeric is used as condiment, dye, drug and cosmetic in
addition to its use in religious ceremonies.
 India is the leading producer and exporter of turmeric in the
world.
 Coloring agent: curcumine

3. Botany
 It is a herbaceous perennial with a thick under ground rhizome.
 The leaves are broadly lanceolate with long stalks.
 The flowers are born on separate peduncle.
 There are four important species of curcuma.
(a) Curcuma longa (b) C. aromatica
(c) C. angustifolia (d) C. amada
Plant Rhizome Flower

4. C. amada
C. aromatica C. angustifolia

5. • Turmeric can be grow from sea level to 1500 m above sea
level.
• Optimum temperature: 20-350C
• Annual rainfall: 1500 mm or more.
• It thrives best in well-drained sandy or clay loam soils with a
pH range of 4.5-7.5.
VARIETIES:
Rajendra Sonia, Prabha, Pratibha, Kranti, Krishna,
Rashmi, Roma, Sudarshana, Saguna, Suroma, Suvarna,
Duggirala, Tekkurpet, Sugandham, Amalapuram, Erode
Local, Salem, Alleppey and Lakdong.
CLIMATE AND SOIL

6. Cultivation Practices
• Propagation:
 Whole or split mother and finger rhizomes weighing 35 to 44g
are used for planting.
 Seed rhizomes treatment: Mancozeb 0.3% (3 g/L of water) for 30
minutes, shade dried for 3-4 hours and planted.
 Seed rate: 2,500 kg /ha.

7. • Preparation of land:
 The land is prepared starts in early monsoon and soil is
brought to a fine tilth by four deep ploughings.
 Bed size: 1.0 m width, 30 cm height and of convenient length
are prepared with spacing of 50 cm between beds.
 Planting is also done by forming ridges and furrows.

8. • Planting:
Sowing time: Kerala and other West Coast areas: April-May.
A.P and Tamilnadu: May – June or July – August
Spacing: 30 cm x 25 cm on beds.
45-60 cm x 25 cm on ridges.
Manures and fertilizers:
FYM or compost: 30-40 t/ha
N:P:K- 60:50:120 kg/ha
Mulching
Dried leaves @ 12-15 t/ha.

9. • Irrigation
 15 to 23 irrigations are to be given in clayey soils and 40 irrigations in
sandy loams.
• Weeding
 Weeding has to be done thrice at 60, 90 and 120 days after planting
depending upon weed intensity.

10. • Mixed cropping
Turmeric can be grown as an intercrop in coconut and
arecanut plantations.
It can also be raised as a mixed crop with Chillies, Colocasia,
Onion, Brinjal and Cereals like Maize, Ragi, etc.

11. Harvesting & Yield:
 Seven to nine months after planting.
 The crop is generally harvested during January to March.
 Average Yield: 25-35 t/ha fresh rhizomes.
• Preservation of seed rhizomes:
 Rhizomes are stored by heaping in well ventilated rooms.
 They can also be stored in pits with saw dust, sand along with leaves
of Stychnos nux-vomica (Kanjiram).
 The rhizomes are to be dipped in quinalphos (0.075%) and mancozeb
(0.3%) solution for 20-30 minutes.

12. Post harvest processing
 Boiling
 Drying
 Polishing and colouring.
 The dry recovery of the different turmeric varieties vary widely
ranging from 19 to 23%.
• Boiling/curing
 Cooking of fresh rhizomes in water until soft before drying.
 45 to 60 minutes for fingers and 90 minutes for mother rhizomes
 Boiling destroys the vitality of fresh rhizomes, avoids the raw odour,
reduces the drying time and yields uniformly coloured product.

14. • Drying
 The cooked fingers are dried in the sun by spreading in 5-7 cm thick
layers on the drying floor.
• Polishing and colouring
 The dull appearance of dried ginger is improved by smoothening and
polishing the outer surface by manual or mechanical rubbing in rotatory
drums.
 Hence, to obtain attractive product, two methods are followed:
1. Dry colouring
2. Wet colouring
100 kg of half boiled turmeric is as follows, Alum 0.04 kg, Sodium
bisulphate 30 g, Turmeric powder 2.00 kg, Conc. HCl 30 ml and
Castor seed oil 0.14 kg

15. Cleaning, grading, packing and Storage
 Turmeric of commerce is graded in three ways:
1. Fingers: Size of fingers is 2.5 to 7.5 cm in length & 1 cm in
diameter.
2. Mother rhizome: In the middle; ovate in shape and are of
shorter length and having larger diameter than the fingers.
3. Splits: Splits are the mother rhizome that have been split into
halves

16. Major diseases of Turmeric
Diseases
1. Leaf blotch: controlled by spraying mancozeb 0.2%.
2. Leaf spot: copper oxychloride (0.2%).
3. Rhizome rot: Treating the seed rhizomes with mancozeb 0.3% 30
minutes prior
Root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.): Pochonia chlamydosporia can be applied
to the beds at the time of sowing @ 20 g/bed (106 cfu/g) for management of
nematode problems.

17. Insect pests of Turmeric
1. Shoot borer: Spray malathion (0.1%) at 21 days intervals
during July to October.
2. Rhizome scale: Treat seed material with quinalphos (0.075%)
(for 20-30 minutes) before storage

18. Which of the following is the origin center of turmeric?
A. S. Africa
B. South-east Asia
C. S. America
D. None
What is the harvesting time of turmeric?
A. May-June
B. July to sep
C. Jan-March
D. Nov-Jan

19. GINGER

20. The essential oil and oleoresin are used in the manufacture of
flavoring essences and in perfumery.
Used in the production of ginger beer, ginger wine, cordials and
carbonated drinks in confectionery, pickles and pharmaceutical
preparations.
 Flavour: Zingiberene
Pungency: Zingerol
Botanical Name: Zingiber officinale
Family: Zingiberaceae
Origin: South East Asia

21. Flower
Leaves
Plants

22. Soil:
•Deep, well drained, friable,
loamy and rich in humus.
•The ideal soil pH: 5.5 to 6.5.
Climate:
•Requires warm and humid
climate.
•Annual rainfall 120 -250 cm.
•Shade loving plant.

23. Varieties
High yielding types: Rio de Jenerio, Maran and
Mahima
Less fibre content: Jamaica, China, Bangkok
High oleoresin: Rio de Jenerio, Kuruppamadi and
China
High dry ginger recovery: Nadia, Maran and Tura
High volatile oil: Sleeva local, Ernad Chernad and
Narasapattam

24. Ginger varieties
IISR Mahima
IISR Varadha Jamaica

25. Anamika Wayanad Local
Jorhat Rio de janerio

26. Land preparation
 Land is ploughed 4-5 times to bring the soil to a fine tilth.
 Prepare beds of 1 m width, 15 cm height and 3 m length,
 About 2,000 beds of 3 m x 1 m size are prepared in one hectare of
land.
 Being an irrigated crop, the ridges are formed 40 cm apart.

27. Planting season & spacing
 Planting time: Feb-March.
 Spacing: 30 cm x 25 cm under the bed system of planting.
 A bed of 3m x lm can accommodate about 40 plants.
 Early planting of ginger is beneficial as the crop can grow
sufficiently to withstand heavy rains.

28.  Propagation: Rhizome.
 Cut into small pieces of 2.5 to 5 cm
length, weighing 25 to 30 g, with a
minimum of 1 or 2 good buds.
 Seed treatment with 0.3% Dithane M-
45 for 10-20 min, against Fusarium
root-rot, or bavistian @ 3g/kg of the
seed rhizome.
 SEED RATE:
 About 1,500-1,800 kg sets are
required to plant one hectare area.
PROPAGATION

30. Manures & fertilizers
 FYM or compost: 25-30 tonnes/ ha.
 N:P:K- 100:50:50kg/ha.
INTERCULTURAL OPERATIONS
 Irrigation: mid-sep to mid-nov.
 Weeding: 2-3 hand weedings;
 Earthing up: 45 and 90 DAP
 Mulching: sugar cane trash, wheat straw, paddy straw, finger millet,
barely straw, coconut leaves, banana leaves
 Cropping system: in Kerala inter cropping with Tapioca, Chilli,
Groundnut and Maize, inter-crop in Arecanut and Coconut gardens.

31. Harvesting & yield
 Ginger is a 7-8 months' duration crop for dry ginger especially and the
crop is meant for green ginger, it is harvested in 5-6 months.
 Maturity indices: In dec-Jan when the leaves turn yellow and start
withering, rhizomes become more fibrous and pungent and are better
suited to the production of dried ginger.
 A light irrigation is provided 4-5 days before harvesting and clumps are
lifted carefully with the help of a pick-axe or a digging fork.
 Avg. yield: 10-30 tonnes/ha.

32. The best method is to store the ginger in pits.
Immediately after harvest (in Dec-Jan) healthy and plumpy rhizomes are treated with
0.25% wet cerasan or agelal chemical for about 30 min.
Later dried under shade & stored in pits at a cool place.
Pit size generally 90 cm depth with convenient length and breadth.
A layer of sand is spread at the bottom of the pit & seed rhizomes are placed till a top
space is left in between the rhizome and wooden planks and then closed with a fine
layer of sand.
Moisture loss of 1 year old rhizome was significantly higher than that of 2 year old
rhizomes, during storage in paper bags or moisture free polythene bags at 35 to 380C
with RH ranging from 82 to 89%.
Stored in cool and dry place.
STORAGE AND SEED GINGER

33. Processing of ginger
1. Fresh ginger:
 Used as fresh vegetable purpose.
 in the local market it is a major
commodity.
 soon after harvesting are
thoroughly washed in water 2-3
times remove any soil and dirt.
 graded depending upon the
requirement in the market.

34. For this purpose, the harvested rhizomes are soaked in
water overnight and rubbed well between to remove the
adhering soil.
After thorough cleaning, they are removed from the water.
The outer skin is removed with a split bamboo with a
pointed end, taking care to see that only the outer skin is
peeled as otherwise the essential oil glands beneath the skin
will also get damaged and thus the oleoresin will be lost.
The peeled rhizome is washed and uniformly sun-dried for a
week.
The dry ginger is rubbed together to remove dry foreign
matter.
On an average, 16-25 kg dried ginger is obtained from
100 kg green ginger
Dry Ginger

35. Dry Ginger Sliced Dry Ginger Ginger Candy
Salted Ginger Ginger powder Ginger paste

36. Preserve ginger

37. Ginger beer

38. Pest & diseases
Diseases:
1. Soft rot (Pythium aphanidermatum)
 The disease is favoured by high soil moisture content of the soil.
 Seed treatment with COC 3g/kg of rhizome, rhizomes may also
dipped in Blitox (0.3%).
2. Leaf spot: (Phyllosticta zingiberi)
 This disease is controlled by spraying Dithane M-45 (0.2%) or
Bordeaux mixture (1%) at 15-day intervals.

39. 3. Bacterial wilt: (Ralstonia solanacearum)
 This disease is controlled by spray of
streptocycline (200 ppm) during the month of
June.
4. 'Yellows' disease (Fusarium oxysporum
f.sp.zingiberi)
 Foliar yellowing, starting from the base
 The rotting of the pseudostem, stunting of the
plant, poor rhizome development and rotting of
the rhizomes.
 Seed treatment with mancozeb+bavistian
(0.25%)

40. Pests of ginger
Pest:
1. Shoot borer (Conogethes punctiferalis)
 The larvae bore into the shoots, and the plants wilt and eventually
die.
 Monochrotophos (0.01%) or Rogor (0.01%) or Dipel (0.3%)
should be given as a precautionary measure and also the seed
rhizomes may be dipped in 0.1% Quinalphos for 5 minutes before
planting.
2. Rhizome scale (Aspiodiotus hartii)
 Infests rhizome, feeds on plant sap, cause withering.
 controlled by the application of Quinalphos or Fenthion (0.1%).

41. Shoot borer
Larva
INFESTATION ON THE SHOOT INFESTATION OF RHIZOME SCALE

42. Which of the following is the pungency agent of ginger?
A. Gingiberene
B. Gingerol
C. Curcumine
D. Linalool
Dry ginger is harvested after how many months after planting?
A. 6 months
B. 5 months
C. 10 months
D. 8 months