Setting of Irrigation Method and Irrigation Smount for Sprout Ginseng Culture in Vinyl House
Background : The main ingredients of bed soil specialized for ginseng, which is often used in cultivation of young ginseng, are peat moss, vermiculite and cocopeat. These ingredients are imported from overseas countries because they are not produced in Korea, and thus play an important role in pricing of the bed soil. The bed soil products show satisfactory ability to retain moisture but, are known to require different containers and water management methods depending on the components of the soil and the crops to be cultivated. However, proper studies on cultivation of young ginseng in greenhouses are yet to be conducted, and research data on water management methods and irrigation amount for box culture of young ginseng are largely unavailable. Methods and Results : To establish the proper method of irrigation for cultivation of young ginseng, young ginseng were cultivated while providing water once a week through the method of drip irrigation and the method that combines drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation. To establish the proper amount of water required, each box is provided with 2 ℓ, 3 ℓ and 4 ℓ of water respectively and the growth and development of both above and below aerial parts were examined after 45 days. The growth and development of both above and below aerial parts of young ginseng did not show any statistically significant differences between the two irrigation methods but, the young ginseng provided with water through the method that combines drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation showed a relatively superior growth. Conclusion : Based on the above results, the proper method of irrigation for greenhouse cultivation of young ginseng is to combine the sprinkler irrigation - before budding - and the drip irrigation - after budding. The young ginseng showed the most satisfactory growth when provided with 4 ℓ water once a week, while those provided with less water – 2 ℓ - showed poor growth. For short-term cultivation of 45 days, the growth and development of young ginseng showed little difference regardless of the irrigation methods and the amount of water provided.