Ginger with trickle irrigation

Ginger is the traditional product of Shandong province. The large quantities of ginger produced here are destined both for the domestic market and export. But the cultivation of ginger needs a lot of manpower. And since the prime costs for labour and ground go up, the costs for the cultivation of ginger rises too.

Changle Jiaxing Fruit and Vegetable Cooperative near Weifang solved this problem. The company uses a unified water and fertiliser system of trickle irrigation over a surface of 33 hectares. Mrs. Sun elucidates: "with this irrigation system, we can regulate the amount of water and fertiliser for the ginger shoots more precisely. This improves the quality and the production volume. More importantly, we reduce the labour cost, water and fertiliser expenses."

Ginger shoots in the big greenhouses

Big greenhouses seen from the outside. When temperature inside are too high, holes are pierced in the polly to let the heat escape.

Experienced farmers at the cultivation grounds.

Actually, most Chinese farmers are familiar with trickle irrigation. But innovative techniques like soilless culture or trickle irrigation are far from widespread. Chinese farmers believe that setting up such techniques is too expensive. "installing a unified water and fertiliser trickle irrigation system requires a lot of money. But after the investment, you can significantly reduce the cost of personnel, water and fertiliser. So if it is done well, the system saves you money," explains Mrs. Sun.

Apart from the trickle irrigation system, the Changle Jiaxing Fruit and Vegetable Cooperative also built removable greenhouses. According to Mrs. Sun, "there are two reasons for the greenhouses. The greenhouses protect the plants against insects. Secondly, the greenhouses can also be heated in the winter. Northern China generally cultivates in April and May, until the first frost. With the greenhouses, cultivation in March becomes possible. That means the production season is longer, so the production volume is higher."

"If the ginger doesn't get enough water when it is in full growth, the production volume will be significantly influenced. This is when trickle irrigation comes into play. Even though the cultivation area is 33 hectares, a limited supply of water and fertiliser can effectively irrigate all of it. The result is high quality, which is the cornerstone of sales. Currently we export large quantities of ginger to Japan and Europe. They all have confidence in our quality."

For more information,

Mrs. Wang

Changle Jiaxing Fruit and Vegetable Cooperative

Telephone: (+86) 1576 3027 209
Email: skycity2374@163.com