Lemongrass Farming Tips, Tricks and Methods in India

Lemongrass is a well-known aromatic herb crop. It has a pleasant scent with a variety of medicinal properties and a refreshing, lemony flavour. In addition, its dried plants are used to make the lemon flavouring in herbal teas. Therefore, this is an excellent crop for commercial use. So, before cultivating lemongrass for commercial purposes, you should be aware of the business plan for maximum yield and profit.

Business Plan for Lemongrass Farming

Lemongrass is a tropical crop grown for its aromatic oil. So, without further delay, let us learn about farming.

Climatic and Soil Conditions

Lemongrass farming requires temperatures ranging from 10 to 33° C. The rainfall required for this farming in the drylands ranges from 700 to 3000 mm. It produces excellent results in sandy to clay loam soils with pH levels ranging from 5.0 to 8.4 and adequate drainage. At 1500 metres above sea level, we can see the improved yield of this farming.

Hybrid Lemongrass Varieties

Lemongrass comes in a variety of varieties in India. Sugandhi, PRL-16, CKP-25, Pragathi, Praman, OD-408, Kaveri, RRL-39, and Krishna are a few examples.

Lemongrass’s Origin and Distribution

Lemongrass farming is practised in the Indian subcontinent, Africa, South America, Europe, Australia, and North America. It produces wild for all reasons up to 4200 m in elevation. Several plants are only found in India. East Indian lemongrass is located in Maharashtra, Kerala, Assam, and Uttarpradesh. The West Indian lemongrass, on the other hand, is thought to have originated in Malaysia or Sri Lanka. Jammu lemongrass is native to Jammu and Kashmir, Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, and Madhya Pradesh. This crop grows as an irrigated crop in semi-arid tropical conditions.

Lemongrass Production and Area

Currently, India grows this crop on 3,000 ha of land, primarily in Kerala, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Assam. This crop’s annual production in India ranges between 300 and 350 tonnes.

Lemongrass’s Economic Importance

This farming is used to produce oil from the leaves and flowering tops. This oil has a lemon-like fragrance because of the high percentage of citral. As a result, the oil is used to scent soaps, insect repellent preparations, and detergents. This oil contains citral and is used in the perfumery, cosmetics, and beverages. It is also a material for the production of ionones. This oil is high in citral and has germicidal, medicinal, and flavouring properties.

Exports and Market Potential

In the early 1950s, India produced 1800 MT of lemongrass oil per year. This situation no longer exists because several countries have developed agriculture in many parts of the world. India currently produces 1300 MT of lemongrass oil per year. Because China is also a lemongrass exporter, the growing trend in lemongrass exports is slow. Lemongrass oil is traded primarily in Cochin and Mumbai.

Agro-Climatic Prerequisites

Lemongrass can grow in both tropical and subtropical climates, as well as at elevations of up to 900 metres. A warm and humid environment with 250 to 330 cm of rainfall per year and enough sunshine, evenly distributed throughout the year, is ideal for high yielding lemongrass farming. However, it can also grown in semi-arid areas with low to moderate rainfall. Farmers can grow it in a variety of soil types ranging from loam to poor laterite, but for maximum yield, they should select a well-drained sandy loam soil. They should avoid calcareous and saturated soils because they are unsuitable for growing lemongrass.

Lemongrass Applications

• We can use lemongrass oil to make citral, deodorants, polishes, detergents, and waxes.
• We can also use the oil to make soaps, scents, hair oils, and medicines. It is antibacterial.
• It can used as a material to produce Vitamin A.
• In Ayurvedic medicine, lemongrass treats both the mind and the body.
• We can use it to treat severe pain, coughing, high blood pressure, convulsions, achy joints, the common cold, fever, and exhaustion.

Lemongrass Planting Time

The months of March to April are ideal for preparing nursery beds for lemongrass farming. Growth habits must determine the spacing, such as 60 cm x 60 cm between seedlings and 90 cm x 60 cm between slips. We should consider sowing depths of 2 to 3 cm. In the marked fields, we can use 2-month-old seedlings for transplantation.

Preparation for the Field

Farmers must till the ground before planting lemongrass. They can carry out this operation with the assistance of a high-quality tractor and farm machines such as the Preet Harvester and others. The harrow is appropriate for this operation. So that the land is clear of bushes and weeds, pits of 5 cm cubes must made at 15 x 10 cm intervals.

Irrigation 

We do not irrigate the field if the annual rainfall exceeds 650 mm. If the rain does not exceed this amount, you should rinse your area.

Yield and Harvesting

Lemongrass will be ready to harvest in 90 days after you plant it. However, it will frequently come to harvest in around 50 days after each harvesting. Farmers must cut grass 10 cm above the ground and only take 5-6 cuttings per year. This crop can kept in the ground for up to 5 years, depending on soil and climate conditions. Farmers can store harvested plants for up to three days without experiencing any negative consequences. You can also use a thresher with the help of a good tractor and farming tools like John Deere Harvester for harvesting. 

Lemongrass yields per hectare can range between 250 and 300 kg. In irrigated conditions, farmers can earn between Rs. 75000 and Rs. 90000 per hectare per year.

Stay with us to understand more about the various types of farming. We will provide you with more information in our next blog.