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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.

Seeds and planting

Slips are planted at a spacing of 60x45cm spacing accommodating 37,000 slips/ha.
in ridges.

Propagation and Season

June – July. 28,000 slips/ha at a spacing of 60 x 45 cm in ridges.

Manuring

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.

Irrigation

Life irrigation on third day and again at 10 – 15 days interval.

After Cultivation

1 – 2 weedings at the initial stages and earthing up after each harvest.

Plant Protection

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.