- Lemongrass, biomass production, oil yield, Punalur Forest Division, Kerala
Abstract
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) cultivation and oil distillation from its biomass are some of the important sources of earning for the rural people and tribal communities of sourthern Western Ghats in certain specific localities. Punalur Forest Division of Kerala is one such region where some local public involved in these practices. However, no data are available on the biomass production and oil yield of lemongrass for this region. Therefore, the present study has been carried out in this line. The results of the study reports that annual biomass production was greater (9250kg/ha/yr) and comparable to that of the
other lemongrass cultivated areas. Similarly, the oil yield was also higher (46.7kg/ha/yr) and the concentration of oil varied significantly across the harvesting times (0.43-0.63%). The statistical processing of data elucidates that soil pH and calcium content were having significant positive correlation to lemongrass
biomass production. Oil concentration in the biomass was negatively correlated to relative humidity. Therefore, soil nutrient status can be considered as a key factor while preparing the management plan for lemongrass cultivation in Punalur Forest Division