Progress report for FNE24-096
Project Information
Baby ginger represents a potentially high-value crop of interest to diverse retail customers. While ginger has been grown successfully as a Northeast niche crop, it typically requires substantial initial investment for seed stock and, given the time to harvestable maturity, commitment of a protective growing environment. Ginger has high profit potential as a standalone crop, but these investments may deter farmers from growing ginger. However, cost and time-related barriers to production might be mitigated by reducing infrastructure costs and increasing overall revenue. This project aims to evaluate potential intercropping practices with ginger production and whether ginger productivity can be maintained with lower infrastructure inputs than previously thought. Ginger was grown in raised beds in three different environments—a high tunnel from planting to harvest, an in-field raised bed with cover applied in late summer, and in-field without protective cover. Two additional annual vegetables (carrots and green beans) were interplanted alongside ginger in each of these environments during the first half of the season, with yields of all crops compared across growing environments to determine production success. Demonstrating that ginger can be successfully grown with reduced infrastructure costs while increasing revenue from maximizing production space via intercropping may encourage ginger production among Northeast growers toward boosting farm profits. Findings will be disseminated to regional farmers and Extension professionals via onsite tours and workshops, a conference presentation, and a published fact sheet.
There are two primary objectives for this trial:
Objective 1: Evaluate yield of baby ginger, green beans, and carrots in an intercropping system toward maximizing row-foot profitability of production space.
Objective 2: Compare the productivity of baby ginger and intercropped green beans and carrots across three distinct growing environments (field-grown, no cover; field-grown, late season cover; high tunnel) to demonstrate potential for reduced infrastructure needs.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale), grown as “baby” or “young” ginger in the Northeast, is a high-value crop with a retail value between $14-$20 per pound. Maintenance needs are minimal after planting, with only standard weed control and hilling once or twice during the season required. Pest and disease pressure is low, especially in the Northeast where ginger is treated as a tender annual crop. With a diverse customer base potentially interested in baby ginger throughout the Northeast, there is potential for ginger to boost farm sales and profitability.
However, there are significant production constraints, including the time to maturity (nearly 5 months from planting to harvest) and the need for a protective tunnel to provide a warm environment, particularly during the spring and fall seasons. While the price point at retail sale is high, the commitment to dedicate valuable growing space in a protective tunnel to just one crop (i.e., ginger) for most of the growing season can be a drawback for farmers, especially considering ginger’s harvest and marketing window is limited to 4-6 weeks in the fall.
If farmers can increase the overall revenue from production space dedicated to ginger by interplanting with other crops that can be harvested and sold during the first half of the season, it could further justify the time and space investment. Therefore, this proposal seeks to explore the yield of an intercropping system to maximize row-foot productivity (Objective 1).
Yet even with the potential for additional income from interplanted crops, farmers may still find it difficult to allocate valuable high tunnel space to ginger production. As ginger is most commonly grown in tropical and subtropical climates around the world, it has generally been understood that protective covering is required for Northeast ginger production. In colder states throughout the region, there may not be an alternative, especially when late-season frost can damage this tender crop. However, considering shifting climate patterns in our region, it may be possible to produce strong ginger yields by only providing a protective environment in the fall using a more affordable, temporary structure (i.e., low hoops with row cover), or perhaps without protection altogether in the warmest areas of the Northeast region. Therefore, this proposed trial also seeks to determine the necessity of using protective tunnels for successful ginger production in the Northeast (Objective 2).
This trial aimed to include nine different growing scenarios. Ginger was grown in a high tunnel for the entire season, as is standard practice. Ginger was also grown in the field, unprotected until September when low hoops and row cover were installed over the existing crop to provide late-season protection. Lastly, it was grown in the field without a protective tunnel for the entire season. In addition to the level of protection being trialed, the ginger was interplanted with two distinct crops (Napoli carrots and Provider green beans) and in a stand-alone production setting. The yields of both the ginger and, when present, the secondary crop grown in each of the three environments, were documented and evaluated. Outcomes of this trial, including recommendations for intercropping practices and low-input ginger production in the Northeast, will be shared extensively with regional farmers through on-site farm tours, presentation at a national conference, and publication of a fact sheet.
With high value potential, ginger is a niche crop worth considering for Northeast farmers. Especially as pest and disease pressures evolve in the context of a changing climate, diversified crop production will be key to the success of sustainable farms. However, adoption of ginger by farmers in the Northeast likely depends on maximizing profitability, including by increasing the overall value of the production space and minimizing infrastructure needs. This trial contributes to a growing area of agricultural research that demonstrates ways in which farmers might improve profitability with sustainable ginger production in an intercropping system.
The Rutgers Gardens Student Farm (RGSF) has been in operation since 2016. There is currently just over one acre in production, which produces over $100,000 per year in diversified vegetables. The RGSF has three primary distribution outlets—a farmers market, a CSA, and donations to local emergency food organizations. Revenue from all three outlets support the RGSF’s operational costs. Produce donations comprise 40-50% of the total harvest, which are subsidized by private and institutional contributions.
This project was developed by Farm Manager Alex Sawatzky, who had been growing diversified vegetables commercially in New jersey for 15 years, including baby ginger for 8 years. He also co-authored an article published in 2023 by the Journal of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA), titled Exploring Production Practices and Market Potential of Baby Ginger in Temperate Climates. Unfortunately, during the course of the project, Alex transitioned to a new endeavor out of state. The Rutgers Gardens Student Farm team maintained and harvested the ginger and intercropped vegetables through the duration of the field trial, though data collection was limited primarily to overall harvest weights.
For this trial, field space and specific infrastructure were required. The RGSF high tunnel provided the alternative (to field growing) environment needed for season-long cover of the ginger. Upon inception of the project, the RGSF anticipated having a caterpillar tunnel available as a resource. However, when the trial was reestablished in 2025 (following ginger crop failure during the initial project year of 2024), the caterpillar tunnel was no longer an available option. Instead, the use of low tunnels and row cover provided late-season cover for the ginger plants in this treatment.
Resources pertaining to outreach include the networks cultivated during the Farm Manager’s career as a farmer in the region as well as those established with Rutgers Gardens overall, including those afforded by being affiliated with Rutgers University and Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Additionally, membership in state and national organizations provide a pathway toward conference presentations and fact sheets publications, which are currently in process.
Cooperators
- - Technical Advisor
Research
During the 2024 growing season, this project was initiated at the Rutgers Gardens Student Farm (RGSF), located within Rutgers Gardens- the official botanic garden of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, as planned. Assistant Director of Sustainable Agriculture and Urban Farms Alex Sawatzky led the project; participating in the research plot layout, establishment, planting, and harvesting; and completing data collection, documentation, and reporting for this project. Additional support, including bed preparation, planting, general plant care and maintenance, harvesting, and data collection under the guidance of Alex Sawatzky was provided by RGSF seasonal staff and university student interns.
To meet the project objectives, baby ginger was planted as a stand-alone crop and interplanted with carrots and green beans (Objective 1) in three distinct growing environments- high tunnel cover (HT), late-season cover (LC), and full season field grown with no cover (NC)(Objective 2).
The RGSF purchased ginger seed from Hawaii Clean Seed, a reputable source that offers certified organic seed stock. Upon receiving the ginger seed (rhizomes), the ginger was pre-sprouted in a soilless potting mix in 1020 flats. The flats were placed in a walk-in cooler converted into a sprouting chamber that is climate-controlled with a space heater set at 72 degrees 4 weeks for the pre-sprouting process. When the sprouts began to emerge, the flats were moved onto heat mats in the greenhouse for another 5 weeks. Once the danger of frost passed, the sprouted seed pieces were planted on 5/20/24 in furrows as a single row spaced at 6” in the aforementioned growing environments (high tunnel (HT), field- to be covered (LC), field- remaining uncovered (NC)). Designated high tunnel (existing structure) and field space on the RGSF were allotted to this project.
Each field bed measures approximately 3’x100’. Two full field beds were planted. To establish planting replicates for comparing stand-alone ginger to intercropped plantings (Objective 1), each bed was split into three planting sections: ginger; ginger with carrots; and ginger with green beans. A two-foot buffer was maintained between each section. The high tunnel beds were 3’x32’, so three beds (90 row feet growing space) were planted with ginger. To mimic field plantings, each 32’ bed contained a different crop treatment: ginger; ginger with carrots; and ginger with green beans.
Bed preparation, including compost (2yd3 per 300ft2) and fertilization (2lbs N per 1,000ft2), were the same for all the production spaces to reduce the variability between beds. The ginger was planted after the carrots and beans were already established. Green beans were seeded on both shoulders of the ginger beds on 5/8/24 and carrots were seeded in the same fashion on 4/26/24, so the ginger was planted in-between two rows of the secondary crops on 5/20/24. The interplanted crops were chosen not only because of their diversity of type (root crop, nitrogen-fixing legume), but also because they mature and are harvestable prior to mid-July when the first hilling of the ginger usually takes place.
Carrots and green beans interplanted with the ginger were harvested when they reached maturity, with the final harvest of these crops completed by mid-July. Green beans were harvested three times per week across two weeks (6/26/24 – 7/8/24). All of the carrots were harvested at one time (7/11/24).
The original intention was for the ginger to be harvested from all three growing environments beginning in mid to late September as the ginger plants reach maturity, with two row feet of ginger harvested weekly from each of the three crop treatments within each replicate (54’ total). However, there was a 100% crop loss of ginger due to disease (Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum) and thus there was no ginger harvest data available in 2024.
Due to the full loss of the ginger crop in 2024, we elected to restart the trial during the 2025 season to explore crop yields of ginger, carrots, and green beans across the three distinct growing environments discussed (HT, LC, NC). The trial methods generally followed the protocol initiated in 2024 as noted above, with a few adjustments. Following the extensive disease pressure in 2024, we sought an alternative source of ginger seed in 2025. Though the RGSF utilizes organic practices and is currently pursuing certification, the lack of available certified organic ginger seed necessitated our selection of a conventional seed. Ginger sprouting began on 3/14/25. Green beans and carrots were direct seeded on 5/15/25, at the same time the ginger was transplanted into the raised beds in all three treatment areas. Harvest and yield data is presented below.
The total loss of the ginger crop during the 2024 season was an unexpected and unfortunate experience. The weather during 2024 growing season was relatively abnormal compared to recent years: it was exceedingly hot and dry during crop establishment in the spring, which transitioned to hot and humid in early summer. This likely had some impact on the severity of the bacterial wilt, but it did not cause the disease. Ginger is a crop that is grown in tropical and subtropical regions of the world and is not averse to heat and humidity. However, temperatures of 90 degrees F and above are higher than ideal and do contribute to plant stress. As the disease pressure was consistent in all three growing environments and planting combinations, it is likely that this was a seedborne pathogen that was exacerbated by environmental conditions. The early-season heat may have also contributed to the low carrot yield in the high tunnel in 2024.
While there are no 2024 harvest data for ginger due to crop failure, the yield and projected retail value for the secondary crops (beans and carrots) are summarized in Table 1. During this season, the carrot totals were underwhelming overall. The field-grown carrots intercropped with ginger in the NC treatment had an average yield, with the LC and the HT plantings underperforming. It is unclear whether this was due to environmental conditions or an excess of fertility. Carrots can be negatively affected by excessive fertility, causing them to grow abnormally such as forking. Though the exact percentage was not recorded, a significant amount the carrots grown in all of the intercropping systems were not fresh market quality.
Table 1: Harvest data for beans and carrots intercropped with ginger in three treatments during the 2024 growing season.
|
Crop |
Retail Value |
No Cover |
Late Cover |
High Tunnel |
|
Beans |
$6 / lb |
72.8 lbs ($437) |
88.5 lbs ($531) |
39.3 lbs ($236) |
|
Carrots |
$2.50 / lb |
72.1 lbs ($180) |
58.2 lbs ($145) |
32.1 lbs ($80) |
|
Ginger |
$15 / lb |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
*Beans and carrots were harvested before late cover was applied, so No Cover and Late Cover treatments both reflect uncovered, in-field raised bed production.
The bean yields were the highlight of the trial during the 2024 season. The field-grown beans matched or exceeded industry yield standards (3-4 lbs. per 10 row feet). All of the bean plantings in the trial formed a dense canopy as they reached maturity. While ginger benefits from some level of shade, airflow could be a concern and should be considered when interplanting. However, there were no signs that the ginger planted with the beans experienced greater disease pressure or earlier failing than the ginger planted as a stand-alone crop or with carrots. Like the carrots, the high tunnel beans underperformed, with roughly half the green bean production as the two field beds. This could be attributed to excessive fertility and/or blossom drop due to temperatures above 85 degrees. The bean plants in the high tunnel looked healthy and vigorous but lacked heavy blossom or fruit set. The plants also became infested with spider mites and had to be pulled prior to the final harvest. The hot and dry spring was already conducive to the proliferation of spider mite populations, and coupled with the high tunnel conditions, it was difficult to control.
During the 2025 season, green beans, carrots, and ginger were successfully grown to maturity in most instances (Table 2). From the NC and LC treatments, green beans were harvested beginning 6/30/25; weekly harvests continued through 7/20/25. Both NC and LC green bean crops were terminated on 7/21/25. The green beans in the high tunnel (HT treatment) were subject to spider mite damage (despite being rotated from their 2024 location) and ultimately were decimated by a groundhog who managed to enter the high tunnel. The HT crop was fully terminated on 7/18/25.
The intercropped carrots were harvested at maturity on 7/25/25. As in 2024, high tunnel carrots underperformed. Both the NC and LC treatments, from which carrots were harvested before row cover was applied in the fall, yielded larger harvests. In addition to the potential for the high tunnel environment to have reduced carrot yield, soil may have been a factor. The high tunnel space utilized in 2025 was an area only recently put into production, covered from a heavily compacted grass field. Though best efforts were made to loosen soil and elevate raised beds with airable material, it’s possible that the substrate contributed to stunted growth.
While saleable ginger was harvested from both the NC treatment, which remained fully uncovered for the entirety of the season, and the LC treatment, over which low hoops with row cover was installed late season, the HT (high tunnel) treatment yielded the highest harvest value. Along with yielding the overall greatest weight, and therefore dollar value, of ginger, the ginger within the HT treatment was the first ready for harvest (10/3/25) and remained viable longest into the fall, with final harvest completed on 11/9/25. Ginger grown in the NC and LC treatments was harvested between 10/10/25 and 11/2/25.
Table 2: Harvest data for beans, carrots, and ginger across three treatments during the 2025 growing season.
|
Crop |
Retail Value |
No Cover |
Late Cover |
High Tunnel |
|
Beans |
$6 / lb |
77.8 lbs ($467) |
87.4 lbs ($524) |
2 lbs ($12) |
|
Carrots |
$2.50 / lb |
126.2 lbs ($316) |
213.9 lbs ($535) |
24.5 lbs ($62) |
|
Ginger |
$15 / lb |
65 lbs ($975) |
82 lbs ($1,230) |
216 lbs ($3,240) |
*Beans and carrots were harvested before Late Cover low hoops and row cover were installed.
We sought to determine the yields of ginger along with intercropped carrots and green beans in three distinct growing environments (full-season high tunnel, late-season cover, field grown without cover) to understand row-foot productivity across growing conditions.
While the loss of ginger to disease in 2024 impacted objectives of this field trial, the data gleaned from the production of green beans and carrots in the intercropping trial demonstrates an unexpected benefit of intercropping. Crop loss is a harsh reality for agricultural operators, sometimes occurring without warning and despite the use of best management practices. The intercropping of diversified vegetables such as the green beans and carrots utilized in this trial represents an opportunity for at least partial revenue recovery for farmers in the event of primary crop loss. While the loss of a high-value crop like ginger is substantial, the risk is mitigated by the inclusion of alternative crops that still provide harvest potential, so the production bed space is not a total loss.
Selection of specific crops based on the growing environment in question likely remains important for intercropping success. This trial suggests that, due to the often hot and humid environmental conditions, carrots and green beans may not be optimal companions for ginger in high tunnels, unless they are planted two to three weeks earlier than they would normally be seeded in the field and can be harvested before the summer heat arrives. In the uncovered field spaces, however, carrots and green beans were demonstrated to be viable intercropping choices with solid market potential.
The production of ginger in a high tunnel is consistent with established best practices. Our 2025 harvest data supports that ginger yield is earliest, most reliable, and most abundant within a covered high tunnel system. However, our trial also suggests that outdoor field production of ginger in New Jersey is feasible. For farmers with limited capital available to invest, or those who may need to prioritize existing high tunnel spaces for other crops as part of a rotational or marketing plan, field production of ginger may be feasible with minimal infrastructure expenses. To supplement potentially lower yields of ginger grown in uncovered field spaces or those with limited/late-season cover, crops such as green beans and carrots interplanted with the ginger have the potential to offset lower ginger harvest yield with additional revenue toward an overall retail profit.
Education & outreach activities and participation summary
Participation summary:
Three tours were hosted at the Student Farm across May and June 2024. The tour on 5/15/24 included graduate fellows in an environmental sustainability program; the tour on 6/11/24 welcomed NJ growers as part of a farmer-to-farmer training network, and the tour on 6/22/24 was designed for interested community members, including aspiring farmers. The ginger trial, including the project's goals and a progress update, was discussed at length during each of the three tours.
An Organic Pest and Disease Management workshop was hosted on the RGSF on 9/18/24. Rutgers University plant pathology expert Dr. Any Wyenandt was one of the guest speakers, and he shared his knowledge of the bacterial wilt (Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum) that was found on the ginger samples as well as advice for future mitigation of the disease.
In 2025, education and outreach broadly focused on aspiring farmers and agricultural students. University professors Arianna Lindberg and Joseph Heckman brought students from their classes (Ag in the Landscape and Organic Farming Practices, respectively) to learn about the diverse organic practices utilized on the RGSF. The intercropping ginger trials allowed students to better understand not only the benefits associated with integrated sustainable crop production methods, but also to understand the importance of agricultural research trials in real farm settings.
With field trials now complete, presentation and dissemination of the full project results will be conducted in 2026.
Learning Outcomes
- Seed sourcing is an important consideration for any farmer and requires diligence. Even when a farmer has used the same source for many years, issues with quality and dependability may arise. Sometimes fixing those issues may not be immediately possible but learning from the experience and taking measures to avoid similar challenges in the future are what make a farmer resilient and successful in the long run. The Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum is not a pathogen that many farmers were familiar with, so it was a valuable experience to become more knowledgeable about a serious crop disease that can impact those farms that grow ginger. Knowing potential pests and diseases allows farmers to be proactive instead of reactive when challenging situations arise.
- Intercropping can be a challenging puzzle as there are many considerations to evaluate. Being able to observe with purpose and hypothesize successful and unsuccessful pairings is an important skill. For example, carrots have lower fertility requirements whereas ginger is a heavy feeder. The two might not be the best match unless heavier fertilizer applications can be delayed until the carrots have been harvested or if the regular fertilizer applications required by ginger can be more targeted to avoid overfertilizing the carrots.
- Farm infrastructure such as the high tunnel used to protect the ginger during the 2025 season can be costly. However, the value gained in marketable crops with a high retail price point along with supplemental income potentially generated by additional crops also harvested from within the space can offset and eventually outweigh the investments required. For farms to be financially successful and sustainable, effective business planning and conducting cost-benefit analyses can help determine the utility of infrastructure investments for the farm.
Project Outcomes
While this project experienced crop failure during the 2024 season such that the original objectives could not be met in full, the season yielded interesting preliminary data regarding the intercrops planted with the (failed) ginger crop. The 2025 season confirms the established best practice of cultivating ginger in a high tunnel setting in the Northeast is most likely to yield an earlier, more reliable, and more abundant harvest. However, this trial demonstrates potential for field-grown ginger in New Jersey and also supports the likelihood for additional revenue generation through intercropping.
We were initially unable to answer the question we set out to study due to experiencing crop failure with our ginger. We do not believe our methods contributed to the crop failure, as the results were the same across all three growing environments and crop treatments. We have also grown ginger using this approach previously and have had success with intercropping ginger. Sourcing disease-free seed stock and instituting best practices to ensure crop health in 2025 was key to our successful cultivation of ginger, green beans, and carrots during the reestablished trial. Though certain aspects of our study were limited, we believe the overall outcomes are valuable to existing and aspiring ginger growers.
In particular, organic growers around the country may benefit from these results with regard to the dearth of certified organic ginger seed suppliers. Anecdotally, we understand that many farmers who grow ginger organically source their seed from the same company and many experienced similar losses in 2024. If that source is compromised moving forward, farmers should be made aware so they can make the best decision for their business. For organic growers, this may entail seeking conventional alternatives in alignment with their Organic Systems Plan and certification agency.
Future studies might explore the potential for other tropical plants to be grown alongside ginger in a high tunnel setting to maximize productivity of this high value infrastructure. Our study was limited to an assessment of overall ginger, carrot, and green bean yields; a future study should investigate a direct comparison between ginger yield when planted as a stand-alone crop with that harvested from an intercropped system.