Lemongrass Farming — Essential Oil and Tea Crop

Lemongrass is emerging as one of the most promising aromatic crops for Karnataka organic farmers — particularly on degraded or marginal land where food crops struggle. Once established, a lemongrass plantation yields 4–5 harvests per year from the second year with minimal inputs. Essential oil extracted from the leaves commands ₹1,200–2,500/kg in the aromatherapy, personal care, and food flavouring markets. Dried lemongrass tea and fresh bunches for kitchen use are additional revenue streams. Net income of ₹60,000–1.5 lakh/acre from oil alone makes this one of the best aromatic crops for dryland organic farming.

Variety Selection — Citral Content Is Everything

The commercial value of lemongrass essential oil is determined by its citral content — citral is the primary active compound responsible for the lemony fragrance and the basis for industrial pricing. High-citral varieties command the best prices.

OD-19 (CIMAP): Developed by the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow — the benchmark high-citral variety. Citral content 82–86%; oil yield 80–100 L/acre/year. The most widely grown commercial variety across India; first choice for contract growing arrangements with essential oil buyers.

Pragati (CIMAP): Another CIMAP release with slightly higher biomass yield than OD-19, producing more leaf biomass per cut. Citral content 78–82%; slightly lower than OD-19 but compensated by higher oil volume. Good drought tolerance — suitable for Mandya district conditions.

Cauvery (Karnataka): Developed by the University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot — specifically adapted to Karnataka’s climate. Well-suited to Mandya, Mysuru, and Tumkur districts. Citral content 75–80%; robust field performance in the Deccan plateau climate.

Suvarna (Kerala): Suited to humid coastal and semi-coastal conditions; high leaf yield; slightly lower citral than OD-19 but consistent performance in high-humidity environments.

Slip Propagation — Establishing the Plantation

Lemongrass is propagated from clump divisions (slips) — not seeds. This is straightforward: established mother clumps are divided into individual slips (single tillers with roots) and planted.

Slip preparation:

1. Divide established clumps using a sharp spade — each slip should have 3–5 green tillers and healthy white roots
2. Trim roots to 8–10 cm and trim leaves to 20–25 cm to reduce transplant shock
3. Dip roots in Jeevamrutha for 30 minutes before planting
4. Plant immediately after preparation; do not allow slips to dry out

Sourcing slips: Mother clumps are available from CIMAP regional stations, UHS Bagalkot, and progressive lemongrass farmers. One acre of mother clump can provide slips for 4–5 acres of plantation.

Planting density: 90×90 cm spacing = approximately 4,800 plants per acre. This spacing allows adequate clump expansion over 3–4 years without overcrowding; mechanical weeding between rows is possible in the first year.

Crop Establishment — Year One

The first year is establishment, not peak production. Expect:

• First harvest at 90–120 days after planting (smaller yield — allow full establishment)
• 1–2 harvests in Year 1 at reduced yield (2–3 tonnes biomass/acre vs. 5–6 tonnes in peak year)
• Regular weeding critical in months 1–3 before the clump spreads and suppresses weeds
• Irrigation: once per week in dry months; lemongrass tolerates moderate drought but irrigation significantly improves first-year establishment

Nutrition in Year 1:

• Vermicompost: 2 tonnes at planting
• Neem cake: 150 kg at planting
• Jeevamrutha drench at 30 and 60 days
• Top-dress with vermicompost (1 tonne/acre) after first harvest

Harvest Management — 4 to 5 Cuts per Year

From Year 2 onwards, lemongrass produces 4–5 harvestable cuts per year under Karnataka’s climate (3 reliable cuts in drier Deccan districts; 5 cuts in better-rainfall zones).

Harvest schedule:

• Cut when leaf height reaches 90–120 cm (approximately every 60–70 days from Year 2)
• Cut to 10–15 cm above ground level — do not cut into the crown or below 10 cm (damages next flush)
• Harvest in the morning when oil content in leaves peaks — morning harvest increases oil yield by 10–15% compared to afternoon cutting
• Chopping cut material into 5–10 cm pieces before distillation increases oil extraction efficiency

Biomass yield per cut (Year 2+): 1–1.5 tonnes/acre fresh leaf

Essential Oil Distillation — Options for Farmers

Option 1: On-farm steam distillation: A small portable steam distillation unit (1,000 L capacity) costs ₹80,000–1,20,000. It processes one tonne of fresh leaf into 4–6 kg essential oil per batch. Oil stored in glass or aluminium containers; shelf life 2 years. This is the highest-income option but requires capital and operator knowledge.

Option 2: Contract distillation: Many essential oil processors in Karnataka (especially around Bengaluru, Mandya, and Mysuru) accept fresh lemongrass on contract — they distill and share 50% of extracted oil, or pay ₹0.80–1.20/kg fresh leaf. Lower income than on-farm distillation but no capital needed.

Option 3: Dried lemongrass (tea market): Dry cut leaves at 40–45°C to 10% moisture; pack in 100g and 250g pouches as herbal tea. Premium organic lemongrass tea: ₹400–800/kg dried. This is an excellent entry point for farmers near urban markets without distillation access.

Citral Testing and Premium Pricing

Oil quality (citral %) is tested by buyers before payment. Laboratories that test lemongrass oil include CIMAP Lucknow, Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) Mysuru, and private laboratories in Bengaluru.

• Citral > 80%: Premium price bracket; pharmaceutical and high-grade cosmetics buyers
• Citral 75–80%: Standard food grade; aromatic and flavouring industry
• Citral < 70%: Commodity grade; lower pricing; often result of late harvest or poor variety

Income summary (Year 2+ per acre):

• 4 cuts × 1.2 tonnes fresh leaf = 4.8 tonnes
• Oil yield: 4.8 tonnes × 5 kg oil/tonne = 24 kg oil
• Organic certified, citral > 80%: ₹1,800/kg × 24 kg = ₹43,200 from oil
• Dried tea: 200 kg dried leaf × ₹500/kg = ₹1,00,000
• Combined: ₹1,40,000+ gross; net after costs: ₹90,000–1,20,000/acre

Last updated: March 2026