Citronella
Botanical Name – Cymbopogon winterianus
Family – Poaceae
Varieties
Java-2, Jorlab-2, Java citronella, Java II, Ceylon citronella and Bio-13, Mandakini
and Manjusha.
Soil and Climate
Soil –
Sandy loam with abundant organic matter and pH of 6.0 is ideal. It comes up well.
Climate-
under tropical and sub-tropical conditions with a rainfall 200 – 250 cm and high humidity.
Slips are planted at a spacing of 60x45cm spacing accommodating 37,000 slips/ha.
in ridges.
June – July. 28,000 slips/ha at a spacing of 60 x 45 cm in ridges.
Basal
FYM 10 t/ha and NPK at 25:40:40 kg/ha.
Top dressing
75 kg N/ha in 3 equal splits of 25 kg each at 3, 6 and 9 months after planting.
Life irrigation on third day and again at 10 – 15 days interval.
1 – 2 weedings at the initial stages and earthing up after each harvest.
Disease
Leaf blight: Spray mancozeb or zineb @ 0.2 % at the onset of disease and second spray at an interval of 15 – 20 days.
Harvest
The first harvest at 6 months after planting. Second and subsequent harvests at two
and a half months intervals.
Yield
Herbage: 20 – 30 t/ha/year.
Oil is extracted by steam distillation. Oil content 0.6% to 0.8%.
Oil
First year : 50 – 100 kg/ha.
Second year: 100 – 150 kg/ha.
Third year : 250 – 300 kg/ha.
