Effects of Storage Methods on Sprouting and Nutritional Quality of Ginger (ZingiberofficinaleRosc) Rhizomes in Different Storage Periods

Purpose: Harvested ginger rhizomes are highly vulnerable to damage during postharvest storage due to soil borne pathogens or pest attack. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of storage methods required for sprouting and maintaining the nutritional quality of ginger rhizomes under different storage periods in the laboratory.  Methods: The rhizomes were stored inside five different storage methods viz., refrigerator, clay pots, pit lined with sand, pit lined with sawdust and black polythene bag with twelve perforations at three different storage periods of one, two and three months. The experiment was laid out in a complete randomized design and randomized complete block design for laboratory and field experiment respectively, replicated three times. Data were collected on temperature, percentage weight loss of stored rhizomes, percentage sprouting, plant height, number of leaves, leaf area and nutritional quality of ginger rhizomes. Data were subjected to analysis of variance using Statistical Analysis System Software (SAS, 2005). Differences among treatment means were compared using Least Significance Difference (LSD) at 5% probability level. Results: The storage methods significantly (P≤0.05) influenced the percentage sprouting, weight loss, growth parameters and nutritional quality of ginger at various storage periods. The highest growth parameters were recorded from rhizomes stored for three months while the least value was recorded from rhizomes stored for one month. Highest percentage sprouting (94.90%) was recorded from rhizomes stored inside pit-sawdust followed by polythene (85.25%) while least percentage sprouting (66.28 %) was recorded from refrigerator. Rhizomes stored inside clay pots recorded least percentage weight loss of 27.89% closely followed by pit-sawdust (28.45%) and retained the nutritional quality of ginger at various storage periods while rhizomes stored inside refrigerator recorded highest percentage weight loss of 62.78.%. Conclusion: In conclusion, storage of rhizomes inside pit-sawdust as well as clay pots for a period of three months before planting produced better ginger growth on the field and maintain the quality of stored rhizomes.