Ginger Agriculture in Western Maharashtra: A Comprehensive Review of Cultivation Practices, Production Trends, and Disease Management

Abstract

Ginger, commonly known as, is an important spice and medicinal plant that is valued for its health benefits and economic importance. This overview presents a full picture of how ginger is grown in the Maharashtra region of Western India, including its health and nutritional benefits, production patterns, agricultural practices, and strategies to deal with diseases. We conducted a thorough literature review utilizing academic studies, governmental documents, and extension publications. Ginger has been used in foods and herbal medicine for a long time because it contains bioactive chemicals including gingerols and shogaols that make it an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial. Growing ginger in India is now quite important in Western Maharashtra, notably in the Satara district. Even though the state only makes a minor part of the country's total output, its innovative farms are quite productive. If you want the best rhizome yields, you need loamy soils that drain well, a warm, humid climate (around 19–28 °C and 1500 mm of rain), and to be careful with how you handle nutrients. A lot of farmers are now following the advice to prepare the field, treat the seed rhizome, mulch, drip-fertigate, and harvest on schedule. This has made the quality and quantity better. But it's hard to grow ginger because of pathogens that reside in the soil, such as rhizome rot (Pythium soft rot) and bacterial wilt. These diseases can harm plants if they aren't kept in check. This review looks at how these diseases spread and makes a list of current integrated disease control approaches (cultural, chemical, and biological) that have performed effectively in Maharashtra and other places with similar agroecological circumstances. Some of the main gaps that have been found are the need for disease-resistant cultivars, better seed systems, and better management after harvest. At the end of the report, there are proposals for the future. These include research and extension initiatives that will help Western Maharashtra and comparable places grow ginger in a way that is good for the environment.