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In India Lemongrass cultivators face problems with the growth and characteristics of
different cultivars, but even then Lemongrass proves to be a profitable business for
farmers because of the yield and income structure.
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The oil contains a high percentage of terpenes, menthyl heptenone, linalool, geranyl,
acetone, nerol and geraniol after the extraction of citral.
Pragati
Praman
Jama Rosa
1 hectare of land can yield 35 tonnes of herb containing 0.4% oil content.
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RRL 16
The total yield of this variety per hectare is around 15 to 20 tonnes, producing 100 to
110 kg of oil.
There is 0.6 to 0.8% oil content and 80% citral content in the plants.
CKP 25
Some other varieties found in India are OD-48, Krishna, Pragati, Cauvery, OD-19,
SD-68 etc. All these varieties differ based on their oil and citral content. Some of them
have colour variation in their foliage otherwise the rest of the attributes of these
varieties are almost similar.
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alkaline soil facilitate higher citral content of the oil. The variety with high citrates is in
great demand. The dry loamy soil produces grass with high citral content. Places
having the poor soil condition, high alkalinity, hilly areas, degraded forests, mined and
industrial wastelands can all be considered as an option for farming Lemongrass.
The plant prefers tropical and subtropical climate for proper growth. The optimum
temperature range should be around 10 to 33˚C. The plant needs bright sunlight for
the development of oil content. Frost and cold weather are not suitable for cultivating
Lemongrass.
The minimum annual rainfall required for farming Lemongrass is around 700 to 3000
mm. Areas having less rainfall can provide supplemental irrigation during Lemongrass
production.
Another way of propagating Lemongrass is through seeds obtained from the plants.
Immediately after the flowering of the crop, seeds are produced and they start
maturing within the next two or three months. The entire inflorescence is cut for seed
collection. This is allowed to dry in the sun for 2 or 3 days. Upon drying the seeds are
removed by threshing the dried inflorescence. The seeds are again dried under the
sun and before sowing the fluffy mass around the seed is removed. It should be noted
that seeds stored beyond one year lose their vitality; hence they should be used
immediately. It is estimated that one hectare of land will need approximately around 4
to 5 kgs of seeds. Raising the seeds in the nursery is a superior way to obtain the
seedlings rather that sowing them directly on the soil beds in the main area. Raised
beds of dimension 1 x 5 m are prepared and the seeds are sown manually before the
onset of monsoon. The germination of the seeds starts within 5 to 6 days and are
ready to be transplanted within a period of 60 days from sowing.
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Nitrogen has little effect on the oil content and composition, but has an influence on
the citral content for some cultivars. Nitrogen supplied to the plants encourages
vegetal growth.
Compost after distillation is mixed with wood ash can also be beneficial for the plants.
Application of kraal manure to the farm shows positive response from the Lemongrass
plants. 10 tonnes of farmyard manure can be applied to the soil during land
preparation.
If there is a deficiency of zinc in the soil, then 25 to 60 kg of zinc sulphate per hectare
of land can be applied. After each harvest, micronutrients and growth regulators can
be sprayed to keep the plants healthy.
In areas with less rainfall, irrigation should be supplied to the plants at an interval of 3
days during the first month of planting; but subsequently as the plants grow, irrigation
should be provided at an interval of 7 to 10 days. Irrigation cycle should always be
adjusted according to the water holding capacity of the soil and weather conditions of
the region.
The occurrence of disease should be prevented and therefore windbreaks and rain
shelters can be used to prevent and manage diseases. The common diseases found
in Lemongrass plants are long smut, red leaf spot, leaf blight, rust, etc. If the
symptoms of diseases are severe, then spraying chemical fungicides is recommended.
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can increase growth in the plants. Too tall grass has lower oil yield and so plants are
not allowed to grow beyond a certain height. Harvesting the grass in the morning is
preferred so that the evaporation of dew is possible without color loss. Harvesting can
be done either mechanically or manually. Grass is cut 10 to 15 cm from the ground
level, otherwise there could be a delay in regrowth. Upper parts of the plant contain
most oil content. Lower leaves have less oil content, so cutting the plants too low is not
recommended.
Three harvests are possible for the first year of planting and in the subsequent years 5
to 10 harvests can be expected. The harvest obtained each year depends greatly on
the soil moisture level, management practices and weather of the region. Harvesting
just during the winter season is helpful because root reserves are build up easily
facilitating faster regrowth. Care should be taken such that the plant is not allowed to
flower profusely as this will reduce the overall oil yield. It is estimated that the
Lemongrass planted in one hectare of land produces 250-300 kgs of oil depending on
the density of planting and the supply of water and nutrients.
The harvested leaves can be stored under the shade for 3 days without any change in
quality or can be distilled immediately when fresh. If the leaves are allowed to wilt then
it is observed that the moisture content is reduced and the process of drying gets
easier and consumes less fuel. During distillation, water and Lemongrass oil vapours
are mixed and passed through a condenser. The distillate is collected into a separator,
where the oil floats on the top and is drawn off continuously. The collected oil is
filtered manually or by the use of chemicals.
The oil is graded based on the amount of citral content. This citral is a terpene
aldehyde used in the manufacture of vitamin A. The colour of the oil is yellow and is
viscous in nature. It has a strong fresh smell of grass, lemon tea and herb.
The oil is volatile in nature, so it should be handled with care and packed firmly to
avoid formation of steam channels.
The oil obtained from Lemongrass should be stored in a dark, airtight glass container
so that it is not exposed to heat or heavy metals. To improve the shelf life of the oil it
should be refrigerated and tightly capped. The oil being acidic in nature can destroy
rubber and plastic within no time.
The cost of Lemongrass cultivation in one hectare of land is estimated here. The
project doesn’t discuss about the details of land, transport and other miscellaneous
charges involved during the process of cultivation. Only the investment for important
materials and labour required during cultivation are mentioned here for reference.
During the practical deployment of the project all the above mentioned categories have
to be considered after a thorough market research. It should be noted that once
Lemongrass is planted it can produce up to 4 years.
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Cost of Lemongrass planting material: Rs 5 per slip (average price range is Rs 0.5 to
5).
No. of grass slips per hectare: 50,000 (depending on the planting structure, it may
vary in between 35000-50000).
Particulars Investment in Rs
Total oil produced from 1 hectare of Lemongrass farming in one year: 480 kgs.
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NABARD is also providing assistance to farmers in the form of loans. The exact details
could be obtained on the NABARD website.
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