2019 ASHS Annual Conference

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a minor spice in the West, but has gained popularity as a supplement due to the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Preliminary studies indicate that turmeric has tolerance to high pH calcareous soils not found in its cousin, ginger. Due to the lack of seed, turmeric is grown from seed rhizome pieces. The purpose of this research was to develop production systems for turmeric in the US Virgin Islands. Three rhizome seed sizes: single-node (60-90g), double-node (100-130g) and triple-node (140-170g) were planted at 6”, 12” and 18” to determine efficiency of the planting density on rhizome production and size. Results indicated that rhizome seed size was the significant factor influencing turmeric production per plant basis. In-row spacing of 6” and 12” were not significantly different on a per plant basis for the 60-130g rhizome seed piece. However, on a per 100 ft row basis the 6” spacing produces significantly more rhizomes than either the 12” or 18” spacing. A trend indicated that larger seed pieces and in-row distance resulted in thicker rhizomes.