Production technology of geranium

Production technology of geranium

• 1.
  COLLEGE OF HORTICULTURE OUAT,CHIPLIMA
• 2.
   Common name– Geranium  Botanical name – Geranium graveolens  Family – Geraniaceae  Centre of origin – Cape province of South Africa  Chromosome no. (2n) = 88  Economic part - Leaves INTRODUCTION
• 3.
  Bushy aromatic plant. Green when young & turn brown with age . Inflorescence is umbellate .
• 4.
  Used in cosmetics. Geranium oil is used as perfume . Used in scenting of soaps, face powder & cosmetics
• 5.
   Ideal soilis red lateritic soil .  Also cultivated in soil with pH of 5.5-8 .  Grows upto an altitude of 1000-2000m above MSL , with an annual rainfall of 100-150 cm .  Temperature range between 5-23ºC gives a good yield .
• 6.
  Vegetative method isthe mode of propagation . Herbaceous stem cuttings of 20cm length with 8-10 nodes are taken . Cuttings are treated with IBA . Cuttings are ready to be transplanted within 60 days.
• 7.
   Well decomposedFYM @ 10kg/ha is given .  As a basal dose 35kg SSP & 35kg MOP is given .  2nd dose of 35kg ‘N’ is given 2 months after the 1st application .  20kg of ZnSo4 & 10kg B is given for good herbage .
• 8.
  Leaf Blight –Causal Organism-Alternaria alternata Control – treat the cuttings with 0.03%benlate solution & growing marigold as an intercrop . Root Knot Nematode – Causal Organism – Meloidogyne incognita Control-Application of aldicarb @ 20kg/ha . 1. 2.
• 9.
   Harvesting isdone when leaves turn light green .  Harvesting is done by cutting the terminal portion of shoots consisting of 6-12 leaves .  3 harvests can be taken in a year .  25000 plants /ha yield around 15kg of oil.
• 10.
  The freshly harvestedterminals are used for distillation . The planting material is staked near the still for 12-24 hrs . Oil is extracted by steam distillation method .