**8.2 Nutrient removal, absorption, usage effectiveness, and indices of INM in ginger**

Rhizomes of ginger primarily remove N and K, remove P and Mg to a lesser extent, and remove Ca to the least extent [76]. According to ref. [77], a buildup of macronutrients in the decreasing sequence of N, K, Ca, Mg, S, and P, as well as micronutrients in the order of Fe, Mn, Zn, B, and Cu. However, nutrient uptake varies greatly depending on the kind of soil, the climate, the amount of nutrients in the soil, and the variety or cultivar grown. Three unique growth phases can be used to categorise ginger's development: active growth (90–120 DAP), sluggish vegetative growth (120–180 DAP), and senescence (180 DAP), during which the rhizome continues to develop up to harvest. According to ref. [78], ginger shoots and leaves are the areas where the majority of the assimilated carbon (C) is transported at the seedling stage. Following

that, as the plant grew, the distribution rate into the rhizome gradually dropped while it steadily increased for shoots and leaves. The rhizome becomes the growth centre during the rhizome's stage of rapid growth because C is mostly transferred from the leaves to the rhizomes at this time. N was absorbed and used in the same ways that C assimilates were. At seedling stage, the shoots and leaves received around 48.41% of the nitrogen (N) absorbed from the fertiliser applied. While 65.43% of the N came from fertiliser applied at different. At seedling stage, the shoots and leaves received around 48.41% of the nitrogen (N) absorbed from the fertiliser applied. While 65.43% of the N from the fertiliser provided at different phases of the rhizomes' growth went to the rhizomes, only 32.04% went to the shoots and leaves. The findings showed that delayed application boosted the rate of fertiliser N consumption.

Increased fertiliser availability, use efficiency, and uptake, improved soil physicochemical qualities, improved growth, and yield attributes, and greater HI (Harvest index) of economically valuable portions were the results of reducing RDF by 25% and replacing that 25% with VC [66]. By enhancing the availability and uptake of these nutrients, the application of 75% RDF and 25% organic manures raised the nutrient harvest indices in ginger. Higher crop harvest indices also indicate that the plant's economic portion contributed to a higher biomass production and, as a result, accumulated more nutrients than other portions. Under 75% RDF with organic manures, higher nutrient usage efficiency was seen in ginger [79].

Due to better nutrient availability, as well as the subsequent impact of integrated nutrient management on crop quality characteristics and higher yield over organic and control practices, higher nutrient removal and NPK uptake under integrated nutrient management practices over organic management were obvious. The direct input of N through inorganic fertilisers and its consistent availability from FYM and VC applied to the soil may be responsible for the increase in N uptake. The production of organic acids during the breakdown of organic manures may have helped to increase the solubility of both applied and native P, which may have contributed to the increase in P absorption under INM. The fact that the combination leads to a rise in root proliferation and, thus, higher nutrient uptake, may also serve as evidence for the higher nutrient uptake under INM. Additionally, INM's contribution to bettering soil aggregation would have resulted in a rise in root biomass and absorption rate. Using the full recommended amounts of NPK from organic sources resulted in noticeably low N, P, and K concentrations in ginger at harvest. This could be as a result of organic matter mineralizing slowly and less nutrients being available for crop growth and development. 35–50 kg P/ha are removed from a heavy ginger crop. Ca concentrations as low as 2 ppm are adequate to produce 90% of the maximum yield in the leaves of healthy ginger plants, which contain 1.1–1.3% Ca. Ref. [79] suggested using the fifth pair of leaves during the 90–120 DAP stage for foliar diagnosis of N, P, and K in order to determine the crop's nutritional needs.

#### **8.3 Economics of INM in ginger**

The primary cash crop for small farmers nationwide is ginger. Despite being one of the major industries in some parts of India, growing ginger has little knowledge regarding its economic feasibility and sustainability under integrated nutrient management. In comparison to organic nutrient management, integrated nutrient management systems produced higher values for a variety of economic factors. This demonstrates that organic nutrient management is the least profitable for farmers, which is clear given lower yields but higher input costs because more sources are

*Sustainable Ginger Production through Integrated Nutrient Management DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.107179*

needed to meet the nutrient need. Given its better yields, integrated nutrient management is undoubtedly advantageous. A combination of FYM with various doses of RDN in INM treatments produced greater BCRs (Benefit Cost Ratios), but lower net returns than VC. The results showed that replacing 25% of the fertiliser dose with VC would greatly benefit the farmers. Cheaper BCR was caused by the lower cost of FYM in comparison to VC, while greater NRR (Net Return Ratio) with VC integration could be attributed to significantly higher yields. At Pottangi, in the Indian state of Odisha, Azospirillum, FYM, and their combinations were studied for their effects. The application of Azospirillum at a rate of 10 kg/ha together with FYM at a rate of 10 t/ha resulted in the highest benefit-cost ratio of 2.4, according to ref. [68].

Based on major coefficient analysis, weighting, and ranking of various nutrition management methods, 100% RDN + RD of FYM received the top ranking because of its substantially greater SQI. Although 75% RDN + 25% N through VC on similar basis + pine mulch was given the second place because to increased biomass and rhizome yield, CQI, MRR, NUE, and harvest index. Thus, the optimum nutrient management module is created by saving 25% of fertiliser and subsequent input costs, which results in increased productivity. This is achieved by comparing the economic and efficiency superiority of 75% RDN + 25% N through VC to 100% RDN + RD of FYM [66].
