Growth, yield and quality of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) as influenced by planting method, plant density and planting material

Abstract

A study was carried out at Ludhiana (Punjab) to evaluate the effect of planting method,plant density and planting material on growth, yield and quality of turmeric (Curcuma longa).The experiment consisted of two planting methods (flat and ridge), three plant densities(1,66,667; 1,11,111 and 83,333 plants ha-1) and three types of planting material (mother, primaryand secondary rhizomes). Fresh rhizome yield of 164.8 and 160.3 q ha-1 (pooled data) wasproduced in flat and ridge method of planting but the differences were non-significant. Closerplant spacing or higher plant density produced highest fresh, dry and processed turmericyield and it decreased with decrease in plant density; whereas, number and weight of rhizomesincreased with decrease in plant density. Use of mother rhizome as planting material resultedin better emergence (86.6% and 83.1%), taller plants (49.6 and 50.0 cm) with more number ofleaves and leaf area index (4.4 and 3.8), more tillers plant-1 (2.7 and 3.1), higher number(17.09 and 23.89) and weight (136.96 and 227.66 g) of total rhizomes plant-1 as compared touse of primary and secondary fingers as planting material during 2003-04 and 2004-05,respectively. Planting of mother rhizomes produced highest fresh (207.7 q ha-1), dry (46.0 qha-1) and processed (44.1 q ha-1) turmeric yield and it decreased significantly with decrease inseed size. Curcumin content did not change due to different planting methods, plant densitiesand planting materials.