Efficacy of Marine Amino Acids on the Quality, Quantity and Morphology of Torch Ginger (Etlingera elatior)

Abstract

Four month old of torch ginger were planted at the Faculty of Agriculture, Thaksin University, Phatthalung Campus. Watering system was installed, and the plants were watered every morning and evening. Additionally, weeds were removed every month. Two months after planting, the torch gingerwere treated with Marine Fish Amino acids (MFA) through foliar spraying. The spraying was conducted every two weeks.MFA divided into five levels: 0.00, 3.00, 6.00, 9.00, and 12.00 ml/l. In this experiment, a concentration of 0.00 ml/l (control treatment). Quality,quantity, and morphology of the torch ginger were measured included plant height, canopy width, leaf width, number of shoot,stalk length, stalk width, flower length, flower width, floral bract width, floral bract length. Additionally, force applied to the torch ginger. The experiment was a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four blocks.The results found that plant height, canopy width, leaf width, and the number of shoots varied between without the spreyed of MFA. At the 12^th month, 6.00 ml/l was in the highest number of shoots,  an average of 18.25 shoot. However, this was not statistically different from the concentrations of 9.00 ml/l and 12.00 ml/l, which had average 18.14 and 18.16 shoot, respectively. The hardness of torch gingerin the control treatment was the highest and statistically different from the other treatments. The control was a hardness of stalk flower about 3,221.85 g, followed by treatments 2, 3, 4, and 5, which was hardness 2,159.08, 2,010.23, 1,495.76 and 1,337.22 g, respectively.Similarly.The control treatment exhibited the highest floral bract force value at 1,288.44 g, followed by treatments 2, 3, 4, and 5, which was floral bract values about 765.05, 706.05, 697.52, and 677.96 g, respectively.