Evaluation of Gamma Irradiation in Controlling Post-Harvest Rot of Ginger and Improvement of Shelf Life

Abstract

Gamma irradiation has emerged as a promising method to enhance the shelf life and control of ginger rot after harvesting. By effectively reducing microbial contamination and inhibiting the growth of spoilage organisms, gamma irradiation offers significant potential in improving storage stability and prolonging the freshness of ginger. This study was carried out at the Division of Plant Pathology located at the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) in Mymensingh, to explore the effectiveness of Gamma irradiation in controlling post-harvest storage rot caused by Fusarium oxysporum in ginger. The study was conducted using a design of complete randomization, and it was replicated three times, and six doses of Gamma irradiation (20, 40, 60, 300, 500, 700 Gy) were applied to ginger rhizomes, which were then stored in three types of containers: natural condition (on brown paper), gunny bag, and poly bag. The experiment also included chemical fungicide, bio-fungicide, and control (without radiation) treatments for comparison. The results showed that the highest suppression of mycelia growth (76.86%) was achieved with a dose of 700Gy. No sprouting was observed at doses of 60, 300, 500, and 700 Gy, even after three months of storage. The lowest incidence of rhizome rot (56.83%, 68.15%, and 87.89% after three months of storage) was recorded at 700Gy on brown paper, gunny bag, and poly bag, respectively. This resulted in a corresponding suppression of rhizome rot of 35.72%, 24.83%, and 12.11% over the control treatment. Overall, Gamma irradiation was found to be advantageous in increasing the shelf life of stored ginger by suppressing sprouting and in lowering the incidence and severity of post-harvest storage rot caused by Fusarium oxysporum. Therefore, Gamma irradiation may be considered as a suitable management practice for controlling post-harvest storage rot in ginger, without any adverse environmental effects.