A study of biometric and engineering parameters of ginger rhizomes in the context of harvester design

Abstract

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is one of the most important cash crops and principal spices cultivated in India and abroad. The present study was undertaken to determine the biometric and engineering properties of ginger rhizomes relevant to the design of harvesting machinery. Biometric parameters measured included the number of leaves, plant height, rhizome depth, plant density, plant-to-plant spacing, soil-rhizome composite, rhizome weight, number of rhizome fingers per hill, and weight of rhizome with plant. The mean values recorded were 18 leaves, 23.5 cm plant height, 18 cm rhizome depth, 10 plants/m² density, 12.5 cm spacing, 0.61 kg soil-rhizome composite, 9.5 fingers per hill, and 0.9 kg rhizome weight with plant. Engineering properties measured included size (major, minor, and intermediate diameters), geometric mean diameter, sphericity, rhizome index, bulk density, and angle of repose. The mean values obtained were 8.60 cm, 4.17 cm, and 2.72 cm for major, minor, and intermediate diameters respectively 4.48 cm geometric mean diameter, 0.53 sphericity, 81.91 rhizome index, 442.88 kg/m³ bulk density and 34.33° angle of repose. These biometric and engineering properties provide vital inputs for the design and development of the digging and soil separation units of ginger crop harvesters.