Ethnobotanical Survey and Agro-Morphological Characterization of Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc., Zingiberaceae) Cultivars in South Benin

Abstract

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc., Zingiberaceae), a cultivated annual herbaceous plant is one of the most important spices consumed in the world with many medicinal properties. It is an income-generating plant for its production. This study aims to document endogenous knowledge on speculation as well as an agro-morphological characterization in order to make it better known and to reveal its potential to the whole world. The ethnobotanical data obtained by a semi-structured survey conducted from a questionnaire in six (06) municipalities in southern Benin made it possible to determine the local taxonomy of Ginger, the cultural practices and the different uses of the species. Ginger has been introduced in Benin for decades and in all the area study. The local names for the species as well as its uses, vary according to locality. As for the agro-morphological characterization, a complete random block device composed of five sub-plots was used. The experimental data allowed us to obtain three classes with all the accessions collected. Ginger cultivation is widespread in the study area with production on a small area. The cultivation techniques adopted do not follow any defined technical itinerary and the production tools are often rudimentary. The cultivation of ginger is therefore limited despite its multiple medicinal and economic potential. The institutions in charge of agriculture do not have data concerning the cultivation of ginger in southern Benin.