Lemongrass is a tall, perennial grass native to the tropical and sub-tropical climates of South East Asia and Africa. India is the highest producer of lemongrass, where it is cultivated along with the mountain range of the Western Ghats(Maharashtra, Kerala), Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states and beside the foothills of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim in the Himalayan mountains.
The so-called East Indian lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) , also known as Malabar or Cochin grass is native to India, SriLanka, Burma, and Thailand; for the related West Indian lemongrass (C. citratus ), a Malaysian origin is generally assumed. Both species are today cultivated throughout tropical Asia.
The Lemongrass oil is distilled from leaves and flowering tops of Lemongrass. The oil has a strong lemon-like odor, due to a high percentage ( over 75%) of citral in the oil. The characteristic smell of oil makes its use in scenting of soaps, detergents, insect repellent preparations.
Lemongrass characteristics
- Lemongrass is a multiyear crop, which can be used for 5 years.
- Lemongrass grows around 1.8 meters (6ft) in height.
- Leaves are long, green, linear tapering upwards and along the margins.
- Lemongrass is a tropical plant that freezes to death where winter temperatures drop below 15F (-9C)
Lemongrass oil benefits
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) oil has many therapeutic uses below are few
- Lemongrass oil is beneficial for scenting soaps, detergents and insect repellent.
- Consumption of Lemongrass tea aids digestion.
- The presence of Citral in Lemongrass oil is used for perfumes, cosmetics, and beverages.
- lemongrass adds flavoring for culinary purposes.
- Lemongrass oil is also used as an insect repellent ingredient in sprays, candles, soaps, and aromatherapy.
- Lemongrass oil has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.
- Lemongrass oil makes a good preservative.
- Lemongrass oil is good for Stomach and intestinal cramps, High blood pressure, pain and swelling, Cough, Fever, Common cold and Vomiting.
Cultivation of Lemongrass
Lemongrass is very easy to grow and requires low maintenance. a complete guide from soil preparation to the harvest of Lemongrass is shared below:
1. Soil Selection for Lemongrass cultivation
- Soil should be porous. Preferable red soil with a mix of sand.
- Water retention of soil should be low, clay soil is not suitable.
- Rains should be around 200-250cm per year.
- It requires a lot of sunlight and warmth.
2. Sowing period
- The slip of lemongrass which has well-developed roots should be sown directly.
- No transplanting is required.
- 12000 to 15000 lemongrass slips are required for the one-acre plot.
- Each lemongrass slip costs 3Rs.
- The best time to sow lemongrass is between June – August.
- Sow at a distance of 45*45 cm
3. Irrigation for Lemongrass cultivation
- Watering is not necessary during rainy days.
- Water the plants once in 15-20 days.
- It requires a low amount of water.
- Suitable for dry areas and water shortage areas.
- It requires a lot of sunshine, and less rain around 200-250cm per year.
4. Weeding procedure in Lemongrass cultivation
- Initially after sowing Lemongrass once or twice before the first harvest.
- Later weeding should be done, after every harvest.
5. Harvesting Lemongrass
- The complete crop above the ground can be used to extract the essential oil.
- The percentage of citral will determine the quality of Lemongrass oil.
- Harvest the crop from 10 to 15 cm above the ground. Leaving the plant to regrow.
- The first harvest is after 6 months when it is fully grown.
- Successive harvests will be after every 3 months for the next 5 years.
- 10 ton to 14 ton herbage from an acre per harvest can be expected. (10 -14 ton/acre/harvest)
- There are 3 to 4 harvests per year.
6. Lemongrass Essential Oil extraction
- The extraction of this essential oil is done by steam distillation of grass.
- The distillation process should be done for 3 hours to extract complete Lemongrass oil.
- Start oil extraction only after 24 hrs of harvest, as the water content will reduce the moisture content by 30% and improves oil yield. Do not let the herbage to dry in direct sunlight, keep in shade.
7. Aromatic Oil Production from Lemongrass per acre
- In 1-ton herbage 8kg – 10kg of essential oil can be extracted.
- So per acre in a year around 120kg – 150kg of essential Lemongrass oil can be extracted.
8. Purification of Lemongrass oil
The insoluble particles present in the oil are removed by a simple filtration method after mixing it with anhydrous sodium sulfate and keeping it overnight or for 4-5 hours.
9. Storage and Packing of Lemongrass Oil
- The oil can be stored in glass bottles or containers made up of stainless steel or aluminum or galvanized iron, depending upon the quantity of oil to be stored.
- The oil should be filled up to the brim and the containers should be kept away from direct heat and sunlight in cool/shaded places.
Lemongrass plant varieties
There are varieties of Lemongrass plant which differs in herbage quantity and Citral content, some are developed by research centers in India. Here are the best varieties available in the market.
| Lemongrass Varieties | Oil extracted (kg/acre/year) | Citral(%) |
|---|---|---|
| Trishna | 120kg – 150kg | 80-85 |
| cim – Shekar | 140kg – 180kg | 85-90 |
GC report for Lemongrass Essential Oil
Gas chromatography (GC) is a common type of chromatography used in analytical chemistry for separating and analyzing compounds that can be vaporized without decomposition. There should be a peak for Citral, this determines the quality of Lemongrass Oil quality. The purity oil determines the rate in the market. After every oil extraction process, the GC certificate is a must for that batch, to command a better price.
Lemongrass cultivation project report
Complete details of expenditure and profit for the consecutive 3 years of Lemongrass Essential oil extraction.
| Expenditure | First-year | Second-year | Third-year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land Preparation | 5,000 | ||
| Sowing and Transplanting | 4,000 | ||
| Slips(₹3/slip) | 36,000 | ||
| Weeding | 3,000 | 2000 | 2000 |
| Harvesting | 4,000 | 6000 | 6000 |
| Oil extraction | 15,000 | 15000 | 15000 |
| Total expenditure | 67,000 | 23,000 | 23,000 |
| Oil extracted | 60 – 100 kg | 120 – 150 kg | 120 – 150 kg |
| Essential oil Rs 1550 /kg | 93,000 – 1,55,000 | 1,86,000 – 2,32,000 | 1,86,000 – 2,32,000 |
| Total Profit(₹) | 26,000 – 88,000 | 1,63,000 – 2,09,000 | 1,63,000 – 2,09,000 |
We can always save the cost of Lemongrass slips as its expensive for more than one acre of land. A small amount of planning can bring down costs. Sow slips in a quarter of an acre, 4 to 6 months prior to actual sowing. By now the lemongrass will grow and have a lot of slips in the single plant. Each plant can produce more than 100 slips. This can be transplanted to the larger field.
Lemongrass cultivation profit on an average for consecutive 3 years are ₹55000, ₹190000 and ₹190000. Farmers can earn a stable income through Lemongrass cultivation. Most of the water-scarce locations are well suited for Lemongrass cultivation. The demand of Lemongrass oil is an all-time high, as it has a long list of benefits and spread across the market.
Lemongrass cultivation complete information guide
Lemongrass is a perennial grass that can be harvested at 2-3 times during the first year and 3-4 times from second year onward. As this crop can be maintained for 5 years, the above-mentioned schedule starting from irrigation shall be followed for the remaining period with suitable alterations. A complete information guide for Lemongrass cultivation is given below.
| Major activity | Month | Activity details |
|---|---|---|
| Land preparation | May – June | 1ft deep plowing & harrowing |
| Manure and fertilizer application | May – June | NPK is required. Use Natural farming practice – apply Jeevamrutham (every 15 days once) |
| Sowing slips | June – July |
Sowing of healthy
slips at a spacing of 45*45cm |
| Irrigation | June – July | One irrigation immediately after transplanting and subsequent irrigation at 10-15 days interval along with water. |
| Weeding | August- September | Two weeding at 40 days after transplanting and another at 30-40 days after first weeding. |
| First harvest | October – November | Harvest the lemongrass by cutting the clumps at 10-15 cm from the ground level |
| Weeding | October – November | Normal weeding |
| Irrigation | October – November | Irrigation should be given after harvesting. Continue Jeevamrutham every 15 days along with water. |
| Second harvest | February – March | Harvest the lemongrass by cutting the clumps at 10-15 cm from the ground level |
| Irrigation | February – March | Irrigation should be given after harvesting. Continue Jeevamrutham every 15 days along with water. |
| Third harvest | May – June | Harvest the lemongrass by cutting the clumps at 10-15 cm from the ground level |
| Irrigation | May – June | Irrigation should be given after harvesting. Continue Jeevamrutham every 15 days along with water. |
Lemongrass Diseases
Lemongrass is a sturdy plant, but still, sometimes it may get affected by some diseases. Few of the common diseases are listed below:
| Name of disease | Symptoms |
|---|---|
| Red Leaf Spot | Brown spots with concentric rings in the center appearing on the lower surface of the leaves. The spots may be formed on leaf sheaths and midrib. Later the spots merge to form bigger patches and the affected leaves dry away. |
| Leaf Blight | Minute, circular, reddish-brown spots mostly on the margins and tip of the leaves which merge to form elongated reddish-brown necrotic lesions resulting in premature drying of leaves, older leaves are more susceptible to infection. |
| Little Leaf or Grassy Shoot | Stunted growth Little leaf formation in place of the normal inflorescence. |
Hello, I am Siddartha Reddy . A fulltime farmer and blogger who love to share all his farming experiences. Also, a strong supporter of sustainable farming practices. Thanks for visiting our site, let’s make this world a better place to live. Say No to Chemicals and plastics.
Good report. As per our soil conditions pamarosa cultivation guidlines , benefits and project report.
Sure Somanarsaiah. Thank you
I have 7 acre irrigated land in a single patch. I want to cultivate lemon grass/pamarosa which ever is sutable. I want to know about amount of investment required and return per annum . Who is assured buyer of lemon grass oil and interested in to entered in to agreement for continuous buying. My land will be a demonstrative for encouraging other farmers
Binaya,
Please check “Lemongrass cultivation project report” in the same post. It will give investment and profit details. Agreement for continuous buying are 9900120794 – Saatvik (sunflag agrotech). Contact this person for more details
Can you please recommend where I can get CKP25 variety.
For all the best varieties you can contact : CSIR-CIMAP office, its central government initiative(search in google)
Bengaluru office : https://goo.gl/maps/gbDcuZQZF1qiEmaq5
I have drawn interest to deal with lemongrass farm business. My farmland is about five hectares. however the land is typified by alluvial soil since it is located in the river flood plain. Again, can lemongrass do well(grown) in water flooded area though for six moth in the year?
With thanks.
CA. Mahinda
Hi Mahinda,
If the soil is too sandy please go with Vetiver farming. This is most profitable since not all farmers will have access to sandy soil.
Can lemongrass do well in alluvial soil? can it withstand the water lodge for four to six weeks?
Thanks.
No Mahinda, lemongrass and palmarosa won’t do well with water logged land.
Hi Sid, terrific post, thanks for taking time to share this amazing information.
I am looking at Lemongrass oil for commercial purpose and wondered what kind of extraction processes do farmers in India typically use? Specifically, are farmers able to attain consistent purity for their oil, that can meet the demands of Western market?
If you prefer to correspond thru email or phone, please let me know and I will gladly connect with you.
Best regards
Savio
PS: the “Donate” link on your blog does not work 🙂
Hi Savio,
In India, almost everyone uses a steam distillation process, I can write an article on that if you really need info on that. Yes, most of the big farmers, do export their oil to the international market, it all depends on their GC report. As they get saplings from CSIR-Central Institute Of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, the oil output and quality are taken care of.
Thank you, I fixed the “Donate” button. It works only for Indian donors only 🙂
Thanks Sid. That’s good to know that the quality of yield and oil is consistent. One last question, is there an online source to find the GC report for exports from India? Any government database or such?
Thanks again.
Hi Savio,
This is the place for all information on the crop selection to GC data, https://www.cimap.res.in/english/index.php
Can i grow lemongrass in winter season (end October or starting November)?
and can you suggest any hybrid lemongrass platform where i get the best lemongrass leaves to grow. and can i grow another crop in the space between lemongrass?
Hi Atul,
Lemongrass requires lot of Sun and dry land. If you say winter, it should not be single-digit temperature, Lemongrass won’t sustain in low temperatures. Yes you can grow multiple or intercross with lemongrass, it all depends on the spacing you give. For example if you have horticulture crops like mango, guava. Lemongrass is person for intercrop, as you have lot of space in between.
Lemongrass won’t grow under the shade, so please avoid it.
Great Read! Where would I find assured buyers, any links/forums that I can leverage? Also, is there any institute/individual provodinh guidance/training for growing lemongrass?
Hi Kaustubh,
This is the place for all information
https://www.cimap.res.in/english/index.php
Contact any of the professors there, they will help you. The central government is pushing this hard, so they are very well interested.
I belong to western uttar pradesh. How do I know if my soul is suitable for cultivation of lemongrass and palamrosa
Hi Anirudh,
If your soil holds water for a long period of time, it’s not suitable. Clay soil is not suitable. Red soil is good for cultiation.
Thankyou sid,
Which variety of grass is suggested for my region as the temperature sometimes go to single digit during winters.
Crops should sustain very cold season, later on it will get on well. As per my research in Uttar Pradesh people are growing these: aromatic crops like lavender, rosemary, and lemongrass. Please consult closest cmap office : https://www.cimap.res.in/
Dear sir, I am a new farmer of lemongrass crop. I have 35 kg lemon grass oil for sale, please send me buyer details near
meerut utter Pradesh aera.
Hi Sanjay,
Please contact the nearest office: http://aromamission.cimap.res.in/contact-us , they will help you
Hi, where in meerut you r growing lemongrass . Please share your contact detail so we can talk. 9466625066
Sanjay ji, I need lemongrass slip. My number is 9557788881. Plz call or provide your number.
contact this institute https://www.cimap.res.in/english/index.php
Hi Siddharth,
Very informative post. I have an 8 acres of land in Kerala, which I bought around 12 years back. When I bought that land, it had a lot of lemon grass in it growing wildly. It is on a side of a steep hill. I planted rubber in most of the place and am spending around 50K-75K per year to clear the lemon grass which is kind of weed for the rubber plants. Now since the rubber plants are not economical to produce and since I thought why not encourage the lemon grass to grow better rather than spending on destroying them I was thinking of putting up a lemon grass distillation plant. I have a few questions:
1. Can I use the same lemon grass which I have in abundance in the land to cultivate?
2. Is there anyone who can give me expert advise? Do you do consultancy on setting up the whole farmland, distillery, processing and packaging unit?
3. Is the above cost still valid and is it inclusive of the above?
4. Is it able to get an LoI from a buyer against which I can get bank loans?
5. Is there any incentives/subsidy from Central/state government for the whole set up?
Please do contact me on the email and I will share my mobile to connect.
Thanks a lot,
Subhash
HI Subhash,
Thanks for letting us know in detail. Here are the answers :
1. Can I use the same lemon grass which I have in abundance in the land to cultivate?
The hybrid variety is the one that gives more oil. Please check with local (https://www.cimap.res.in/english/index.php) to know which variety is on your farm.
2. Is there anyone who can give me expert advise? Do you do consultancy on setting up the whole farmland, distillery, processing and packaging unit?
Please check this website: https://www.cimap.res.in/english/index.php
3. Is the above cost still valid and is it inclusive of the above?
yes its valid ( market rate of oil fluctuates)
4. Is it able to get an LoI from a buyer against which I can get bank loans?
It depends on the local consumer.
5. Is there any incentives/subsidy from Central/state government for the whole set up?
Yes but you should contact the above people from the website link i shared. CSIR has many initiatives, that can be discussed.
Thanks a lot for the reply. Do you know about this company?
Pacific Agro, 9, Kamlinee Cottage, Sai Krupa Society, Narendra Nagar, Nagpur – 440015, Maharashtra, India
Any review please?
They said they can do all kind of consultancy services and that they can themselves buy the oil from us.
Regards,
Subhash
Sorry, I did not hear. I used to sell locally. I prefer local buyers, even if they pay less.
Hi ,
I am interested in doing lemon grass cultivation in Rajasthan Sirohi district. Just wondering is it possible to do it here.
IT all depends on the soil. Lemongrass is suitable for dry regions too.
what is per Kg for bulk supply of oil say 500 Kg costing at present?
Ajit karmalkar
I am interested in buying lemongrass slips in Bijnor, UP. Approx quantity req. 15-20 thousand slips. Contact 9557788881
Email somanydesires @ gmail . com
we are supplier and manufacturer of Natural Essential oils, at present we need Lemon Grass Oil regular basis about 150-200 kg per month. we understand you are doing contract farming for the same. please let us know the price and quality are available you have.