How the SRC and IAEA are using irradiation to make Ginger Rhizome Rot resistant

Ginger farmers rejoice! A solution for Rhizome Rot is finally being developed for Jamaican farmers!

The SRC (Scientific Research Council) in partnership with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) has begun the process of developing Ginger resistant to Rhizome Rot as reported in the article “SRC Begins Project to Eliminate Rhizome Rot”, published December 31, 2015 By Tomeico Gunn, The Jamaica Information Service.

The partnership between the SRC and the IAEA begun almost three (3) years ago as the Ministry of Agriculture was in search of a solution to Rhizome Rot. This as it was affecting Jamaica Ginger Farmers, who mainly cultivate the Jamaican yellow and blue Ginger (Zingiber ofticinale Rose.) variety.

This is economically important to Jamaica, as we are on the cusp of achieving 5% of global demand for Ginger if this works as explained in my blog article entitled “Ministry of Agriculture say Ginger can achieve 5% of Global demand by 2019 - Boost to Ginger Farming Coming as it’s easy to Grow”.

In fact, the shortfall in Ginger (Zingiber ofticinale Rose.) production in Jamaica is so great, some Americans have been coming to Jamaica to farm Ginger (Zingiber ofticinale Rose.) specifically for their purposes since January 2015 as reported in my blog article entitled “doTERRA and FarmupJamaica – Jamaican Ginger shortfall as Red Stripe Project Grow could boost acreage for Ginger Wine and Beer”.

 So what exactly is this Rhizome Rot Disease? 

What is Rhizome Rot - Panama disease for Ginger

Rhizome Rot condition is cause by the presence of the following pathogens on the Ginger (Zingiber ofticinale Rose.) tuber, also called a rhizome:

1.      Fungus Fusarium spp.

2.      Root knot nematode Meloidogyne sp..

3.      Fungi Rhizoctonia solani,

4.      Fungi Pythium sp.

5.      Bacterium Pseudomonas sp.

Ginger plants affected by these pathogens will exhibit the following symptoms of Rhizome Rot:

1.      Stunted and yellow plants

2.      Lower leaves dry out, turn brown 

3.      All aboveground leaves and stems dry out completely

The Ginger (Zingiber ofticinale Rose.) plant collapses slowly over several weeks, with the Ginger Rhizome showing a brown discoloration. Shriveled in appearance, the Ginger (Zingiber ofticinale Rose.) rhizome will eventually decay appearing shriveled on the outside with most of the internal structure becoming knotted and fibrous in appearance when cut open.

Given the fact it takes nine (9) months to grow Ginger (Zingiber ofticinale Rose.) and the variety of pathogens that cause Rhizome Rot, methods of controlling the disease aren't partiality effective.

Immersing the Rhizome seeds in hot water at 50C for 10 minutes, after detecting Rhizome Rot, basically pasteurization does not help. Neither does using pesticides like Ridomil MZ (0.2%) nor Topsin M (0.2%) by dipping the rhizomes seeds for 20 minutes and allowing them to air dry before planting.

The disease pathogens spread from contact with soil. The mere act of going into the field to inspect the plants allows the spores of the bacterium or fungi to travel on your clothing, water boots and on infected Ginger plants being transferred, infecting other infected parts of your field, to quote Executive Director of the SRC, Dr. Cliff Riley: “Once an infected plant is moved from one area and planted in another, the fungus can be transferred”.

This is very similar to the Panama Disease which affects bananas and is cause by a similarly infectious pathogen the Fusarium Oxysporum fungi as explained in my blog article entitled “How the Panama Disease can destroy Caribbean Banana Farming by 2020”.

Like Banana farmers, most Ginger farmers have to destroy their crops by burning as well as abandon field.

They'll also have to sterilize their farm equipment, as the spores can live for years on their clothing, tractors and other field implements e.g. cutlass, hoes, shovels. The field infected with the bacterial spores and fungi will have to be abandoned or used for other crops unaffected by the Rhizome Rot.

So a solution was needed to make the Ginger (Zingiber ofticinale Rose.) plants resistant to the Rhizome Rot pathogens, reviving old abandoned fields to cultivation.

Ginger and Irradiation – Rolling the Genetic Mutation Dice to create Rhizome Rot resistant plants

The Research conducted jointly by the SRC and the IAEA involved using irradiation of the Ginger (Zingiber ofticinale Rose.) plants. This is very similar to heating the Ginger Rhizome seeds in hot water.

The difference, however, is that the heat is transferred using a radioactive source, most likely Cobalt-60 that emits Gamma rays.

Also, it make another case as to why Jamaica had Nuclear Safety and Radiation Act in July 2015 as reported in my blog article entitled “Jamaica passes Nuclear Safety and Radiation Act - Why ICENS Slowpoke is being upgraded and How Nuclear Power may mean Cheaper 4G LTE”; they’d been experimenting with irradiating plants and animals for the past three (3) years!

Irradiation is used in the US of A to kill microorganisms such as E. coli O157:H7, Campylobacter, and Salmonella. This ionizing radiation destroys the bonds in DNA, making the pathogens die and any remaining pathogens unable to reproduce correctly.

The smaller the pathogens, the less DNA they have and thus the higher the dosage of Gamma radiation that will be needed to irradiate them. The exposure to radiation also affects the plant itself, killing any living cells inside of the Ginger Rhizome seeds.

In so doing, it delays ripening of the Ginger Rhizome seeds and may alter the Genetic code of the Ginger (Zingiber ofticinale Rose.). Fortunately the Rhizome Rot pathogens are nematoda, fungi and bacterium and the Ginger Rhizome seeds are not being eaten, meaning the researchers at the SRC and IAEA can irradiate it at levels above those used for food for consumption.

The Researchers at the SRC and the IAEA realized that this alteration seemed to be creating disease resistance in the Ginger (Zingiber ofticinale Rose.), as it seemed to resist exposure to the pathogens that normally cause the Rhizome Rot. The process is very tedious, as after each dose of radiation, you have to plant the Ginger Rhizome seeds and wait another nine (9) months to see if was effective. 

After three (3) years of trial and error, it seems they’re close to hitting paydirt!

Rhizome Rot Resistant Ginger in 2017 – Jamaica may be doing Food Radiation Experiments

But the challenges are obviously great.

The researchers won’t be able to know if they’re gotten lucky until 2017, to quote Executive Director of the SRC, Dr. Cliff Riley: “The challenge that the SRC has, is the length of time that the plant takes to grow, with a nine-month waiting period, and then three to four months for it to re-sprout”.

This shortcut form of GM (Genetic Modification) changes the Genome of the plants, which then can be passed on to the next generation via breeding once the resistance profile of the new Ginger Rhizome plants is known, as Executive Director of the SRC, Dr. Cliff Riley asserts, quote: “Once the plant is resistant to the virus, you can then start using the rhizomes again to cultivate the plant”.

The SRC and the IAEA are basically rolling a genetic engineering dice; irradiating the Ginger Rhizome seeds and then inoculating it with Rhizome Rot pathogens until it a genetically altered version of the Ginger rhizome spontaneously occurs that’s resistant to Rhizome Rot.

One wonders if this can also work with other plants as well, such as bananas suffering from the Fusarium Oxysporum, the fungus that causes Panama disease. But more intriguing; what other Jamaican Government experiments are being conducted using Radioisotopes with IAEA’s assistance?

Here’s the link

Facts about Irradiation

Rhizome Rot Disease of Ginger