Method for annual cropping of Pelargonium graveolens for rose scented geranium essential oil in subtropical agroclimates

A method is described for the multiplication of planting material of rose s cented geranium Pelargonium graveolens 'Bipuli', which yields Reunion Islan d quality essential oil, under the agroclimatic conditions of the north Ind ian plains. The plantlets generated from stem cuttings were planted in the field blocks using crop densities varying from 17,000 to 125,000 plants per hectare in February. The top shoots were harvested in May and the ratoon c rop was fully harvested at the end of June. Two harvests from treatments in which there were 71,000 plants per hectare gave about 95 kg essential oil per hectare in the ratio of 1.7:1 in the first and second harvests. The qua lity of essential oil produced had a rhodinol content of 70% in which the c itronellol to geraniol ratio is 1.7. These results demonstrate that the ado ption of geranium cultivation will allow crop rotations such as rice/pigeon pea-potato-geranium for large economic gains per hectare, in subtropical a groclimates.