**8. Integrated nutrient management (INM) in ginger**

It is crucial to provide the soil with sufficient levels of vital nutrients in a balanced proportion at the proper time and in the right manner for the cultivation of any crop. The combined effect of organic and inorganic fertilisers in integrated nutrient management strategies would be a useful approach to acquire higher yield and higher-quality produce, as described above, both of which have their own downsides. Every crop should use integrated nutrient management strategies, which combine different inorganic, organic, and biological sources of nutrients. The methods used in conventional and organic production differ fundamentally [65, 66]. In addition to the biomass yield of a crop, the nutrient management techniques used for its cultivation are likely to have an impact on the crop's quality, the soil's fertility, and the overall economics of its cultivation. Talk about the modern idea of "farming for health," the sustainability of natural resources, notably soil, and lastly the stability of the farming community's financial situation. Numerous investigations on INM in ginger have been published.

The Kerala Agriculture University (KAU) has suggested a general nutrient dosage for ginger for the state of Kerala. Well-decomposed cattle manure or compost must be applied at the time of planting, either by disseminating it over the beds prior to planting or applying it in the planting pits. Neem cake, applied at a rate of 2 tonnes per hectare during planting, aids in decreasing the prevalence of rhizome rot disease/ nematode and improving production. Two to three separate applications of the fertilisers are required. At the time of planting, a full amount of phosphorus is sprayed as basal. At 45, 90, and 120, equal split doses of N and K are top dressed (120 DAP. A basal application of zinc fertiliser up to 6 kg/ha (30 kg of zinc sulphate per hectare) in soils lacking in zinc produces good yield. For a greater yield, foliar treatment of a micronutrient mixture tailored for ginger is also advised (dosage @5 g/L) twice, at 60 and 90 DAP.

By considering different soil features, plant production and quality, crop and soil quality, and economics, ref. [67] thoroughly assessed the various nutrient management strategies used in ginger from 2015 to 2019 in Punjab. Farmyard manure (FYM), vermicompost (VC), urea, single superphosphate, and muriate of potash were among the 14 nutrient management techniques used. According to the study's findings, applying 75% RDN plus 25% N through VC resulted in higher crop yield and crop quality, with yields rising by 103.1%, 21.9%, and 75.7%, respectively, above absolute control, RDN, and organic management. Under this treatment, the maximum harvest index (71.4%) and crop quality index (20.0) were obtained. According to reports, 25 to 30 tonnes of bovine dung and an 8:8:16 fertiliser mixture applied at 450 kg/ha were helpful in Kerala to increase production.

Ref. [57] conducted a field experiment to know response of organic manures and fertilisers to yield and nutrient uptake of ginger (*Z. officinale* Rosc.)" was conducted at Agronomy Farm, College of Agriculture, Pune during summer 2006. The data revealed that recommended dose of fertiliser +25 t FYM/ha favourably influenced yield and uptake of nutrients by ginger followed by the application of 50% N through recommended dose +50% N through poultry manure. It is, therefore suggested that application of recommended dose of fertiliser +25 t FYM/ha to ginger planted on flat bed in clay loam soil is best combination.

The highest fresh rhizome yield (1.87 t/ha), lowest rhizome rot (11%) and oleoresin content (5.82%), were obtained with 100% recommended rates of fertilisers, along with Azospirillum application at a rate of 10 kg/ha combined with FYM at 10 t/ha [68]. Soil application of Gigaspora at the time of planting (2.5 g/ rhizome) was also found to increase the yield as in the case of pine needle organic amendment and seed treatment with *T. harzianum*. Also, the effects of humic acid fertiliser on soil urease activity and available N content, N uptake, and rhizome yield were reported [69]. Ref. [69] reported that the highest yield of rhizome in tribal areas of Orissa as obtained with farm yard manure at 25 t + NPK 75, 50 and 50 kg/ha respectively. The yield of ginger was more when 20 t of FYM and 125 months gave maximum green ginger yield [70].

In ginger, oil content did not vary significantly among the treatments, as shown in **Table 3**. However, the fibre content was significantly reduced in the organic system of nutrient management. Interestingly, both oleoresin and starch contents were the maximum in the organic system of nutrient management, and, in both cases, there were statistically significant differences among the three systems of nutrient management. The maximum yield and oleoresin content was obtained with the application of 10 t/ha of FYM + 1.25 t/ha of compost +20 kg/ha of Azospirillum, which also showed higher nutrient uptake [71].

### **8.1 Soil quality under INM in ginger**

It is critical to investigate how integrated nutrient management regimes affect the biochemical and microbiological characteristics of soils used for ginger growth [72]. There are, however, very few papers that examine the effects of various nutrition regimens on ginger yield and quality while also involving a number of field tests. However, it is crucial to simultaneously determine how they affect a variety of soil physicochemical and biological properties [73].

Organic and integrated nutrient management resulted in a decrease in bulk density and consequent increase in soil porosity. While subsequent modifications brought about by organic nutrient management were in the scale of a 9.2% drop in bulk density and an 11.6% increase in porosity, integrated nutrient management led to a 5.7% decrease in bulk density and a 7.0% increase in porosity. These findings are supported by the fact that the decomposition of organic materials generated organic acids, which directly altered soil pH and indirectly affected bulk density by forming soil aggregates and increasing soil porosity.

By taking a variety of soil conditions into account, ref. [66] thoroughly assessed the various nutrient management strategies used in ginger from 2015 to 2019 in


**Table 3.** *Effect of different nutrient management systems on the quality of ginger.*

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

Punjab. The study found that the highest soil quality index (SQI) was achieved with the 100% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) and FYM, whereas 100% NPK through FYM increased the soil's organic carbon, physical qualities, and microbiological characteristics. SQI grew to 0.63 with integrated nutrient management and to 0.36 with organic management.

Cropping requires ploughing, which upset the stability and distribution of soil aggregates [74], exposing soil organic C to quick oxidation. So, when ginger was grown without organic supplementation, soil organic carbon decreased by 4.1% under control nutrient management, whereas SOC (Soil Organic Carbon) increased by 24.3% under integrated nutrient management. Also, plant residue C would have been deposited as a result of INM because of its favourable effects on root, vegetative growth, and yield. The results showed that FYM was more effective at raising SOC than VC among INM treatments (Vermicompost). This is because FYM has more lignin, polyphenols, and a greater C/N ratio than VC. Thus, the FYM-C was more resistant to breakdown than the VC due to greater lignin and polyphenol concentrations that resulted in the formation of stable complexes with proteins of plant origin. Due to this fact, FYM-treated plots outperformed VC-treated plots in terms of maximal breathing capacity (MBC). MBC and microbial activity in these soils increased due to the application of organics, either alone or in combination with inorganics, which created a more suitable environment for rapid microbial growth. The direct addition of nutrients through organic manures and enhanced activity of soil microorganisms, which converted organically bound nutrients to inorganic/available forms in the soil, may be blamed for an increase in available nutrients through INM over organics and control [68]. By momentarily immobilising the chemical fertiliser, the organic manures would have also improved its effectiveness by lowering the leaching of plant nutrients. The solubilisation effect of organic acids generated from the breakdown of organic manures on applied SSP (20% Ca) and native soil Ca may also be responsible for the increased exchangeable Ca under INM treatments compared to control. All micronutrient cation (Mn, Cu, and Zn) contents were strongly impacted by the combination of organic and inorganic sources, with the exception of Fe [37]. The creation of higher solubility organic chelates and mineralisation of organically bound forms, which reduces the susceptibility of the micronutrients to adsorption, fixation, and/or precipitation, could also be the cause of this rise in micronutrients in comparison to the control treatment, the application of cow dung and poultry litter enhanced the soil's pH, organic matter, total nitrogen content, accessible P and K contents, and exchangeable K, Ca, and Mg contents [75].
