Response of Different Substrates and Irrigation Water Levels on Yield and Oil Quality of Ginger Grown in Greenhouse

Growing media and irrigation water levels are the most important factors affecting plant yield and quality throughout the world. The present research was conducted in a greenhouse located in the Bati Akdeniz Agricultural Research Institute between the 2019 and 2020 growing season. The study aims to determine the effects of different substrates and irrigation levels on yield and phenolic and essential oil compounds of ginger (Zingiber officinale) irrigated by means of a drip irrigation system. In order to investigate the effects of different substrates and irrigation levels on the physiological characteristics and yield of ginger, an experiment was conducted as factorial, in which the main factor was three substrates (S1: 75% cocopeat + 25% perlite, S2: 50% peat + 50% perlite, and S3: 25% zeolite + 75% peat) and the sub factor was four irrigation levels (I1:100% I2: 75%, I3: 50%, and I4:25%) were applied experimental plots according to the daily solar radiation values reaching the greenhouse, with 3 replications. The evapotranspiration values ranged between 49.7-198.7 L plant-1 and 51.7-206.9 L plant-1 in the 2019 and 2020 years, respectively. Rhizome fresh weight values for I1, I2, I3 and I4 were determined as 134.8, 94.7, 71.2 and 31.1 g in 2019 and 164.5, 148.1, 95.1 and 74.9 g in 2020, respectively. Water deficit stress significantly (P <= 0.01) increased the 6-gingerol, 6-shogaol, alpha-zingiberene, alpha-farnesene, and geranly-acetate contents while it decreased the beta-sesquiphellandrene and beta-bisabolene content. It was found that the essential oil yield of ginger decreased depending on the increasing irrigation water stress levels.