Genetic Conservation and Importance of Ginger in Ethiopia

*Girma Hailemichael, Mohammedsani Zakir and Melaku Addisu*

### **Abstract**

Ethiopia has conducive agro-ecology and is capable to produce various spices, including ginger. Spices research in Ethiopia with various limitations did a lot on ginger technology development and achieved significant results. Acquiring significant number of ginger accessions from domestic and foreign source, variety development, pre and postharvest management practices including protection parts are available. Ethiopians have high spices consumption culture and significant volume of ginger used locally and this can be considered as one of the opportunities. In addition to this, there is significant export of ginger and generating 22.6 million USD in 2008. Though there is such potential for production and export earnings, still there are lots of challenges that keep the performance of the commodity very low. The local grouping of the ginger materials, and the selection and release of two ginger cultivars from Jimma Agricultural Research center/Tepi Agricultural Research Sub Center, confirmed that the country has a high diversity of germplasm. This chapter reviews the ginger germplasm enhancement, conservation, variety development, status of ginger breeding, diversity of ginger, ginger tissue culture, ginger biotechnology.

**Keywords:** ginger, ginger breeding, varieties, diversity, invitro, Ethiopia

### **1. Introduction**

Ginger (*Zingiber officinale* Rosc) is a monocotyledonous, herbaceous, and tropical plant belonging to the family, Zingiberaceae. It has a long and well-documented history of both culinary and medicinal use throughout the world history, especially in medical care in China, India, and Japan. Ginger is a self-incompatible plant that is characterized by high rates of infertility; thus, its genetic diversity occurs through processes of mutation and natural selection alone. Since ginger is one of the major spices, knowing the diversity in depth can contribute to conservation and its use in breeding programs [1]. In Ethiopia, ginger has been used as a fragrance, carminative, and stimulant and has become a major spice in both the local and export markets. Arabs brought ginger from India to East Africa in the thirteenth century [2], and ginger has since been known in Ethiopia and is cultivated primarily in the humid regions of the Southern Nations (SNNPRS). To a lesser extent, ginger production has expanded to Western Oromia and in Amhara region chilga areas. Commercial production of ginger by smallholder farmers is practiced in South region Kambata-Tambaro, Wolaita, and Hadiya zones. According to statistics

from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, 99% of crop production occurred in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's States [3, 4].

Ginger prefers a warm and humid climate, and most soils have sufficient water retention and ventilation. It is cultivated in the tropics up to 1500 m above sea level, but partial shade also increases its yield. The base temperature requirement for ginger is 13°C and the upper limit is 32°C/27°C (day/night), whereas the favorable range is 19–28°C. The optimum soil temperature for germination is between 25 and 26°C, and 27.5°C, which is required for growth. Ginger research has been done in Ethiopia for many years. Jimma Agricultural Research Center (JARC) under its sub-center (before), Tepi Agricultural Research Sub-center was responsible for improving ginger's genetic resources and developing varieties. In this responsibility and action, JARC officially launched two ginger varieties called Yali and Boziab in 2007. The varieties give high yield (200–250 Q/ha of fresh rhizome). Essential oil (1.8–2.5% v/w) and oleoresin (6.01–8.22% w/w) content from these varieties satisfy quality standards. Various technologies on agronomic production and seed rhizome and dried yield rhizome were generated.

Three types of the ginger product known as fresh rhizome, dried rhizome, and extracted rhizome are supplied to the market. Ethiopia used to export fresh ginger to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. Fresh Ethiopian ginger has been reported to be an excellent product with good color and quality and long shelf life [2]. Dried ginger is Ethiopia's most popular ginger product and is mass exchanged by all market participants at various stages of marketing, from local assembly to the export market. The third type of ginger product on the market is extracted ginger products which include powdered ginger, essential oils, oleoresin, etc. [3].

Ginger production and productivity in Ethiopia was challenged by a number of factors; shortage of varieties with full production packages, postharvest practices, lack of value addition, and poor/limited large-scale investments. Demand for ginger increasing in the domestic and foreign market. Ethiopia's diverse climate and soil types greatly contribute to ginger production and these all are good opportunities to conserve ginger genetic resources, improve production and productivity and bring significant income and hard currency for the country.

#### **2. Breeding and genetics**

#### **2.1 Germplasm enhancement**

The first step in doing good breeding research is to obtain a sufficient number of accessions in the relevant or target crop. To achieve this goal in the case of ginger, two key tactics were used: collecting from domestic sources and introduction from abroad. The spices research team started before four and half decades since the start of coffee research as diversification in Jimma Agricultural Research Center (JARC). A few years later, the introduction of ginger accessions began, and at the same time, collecting from several possible ginger-growing sites across the country was undertaken. The collection is always conducted in collaboration with the expertise from Institute of Biodiversity and Conservation (IBC). The significant number of ginger accessions was attained from this activity except that it has been challenged by bacterial wilt of ginger.

#### **2.2 Conservation**

Collected and introduced accessions of ginger were maintained in research plots of Jimma Research Center and mainly in Tepi Agricultural Research Sub-Center

*Genetic Conservation and Importance of Ginger in Ethiopia DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.103072*

before, currently upgraded to Tepi Agricultural Research Center. Despite the threat of the ginger bacterial wilt disease, which destroyed more of the collections, more than 90 accessions have been gathered and some introduced since the research began. Ginger germplasms that have been collected and introduced are evaluated using a variety of criteria. The table below (**Table 1**) displays a sample of the accessions and their sources. We recently established 45 collections in the JARC research plot, which are being used for various research purposes related to ginger bacterial wilt management.
