Performance of citronella (Cymbopogon spp.) genotypes for growth, herbage yield and quality under northern dry zone of Karnataka

Abstract

Nine citronella genotypes were evaluated for growth parameters, herbage yield and essential oil content during 2012-2013 at KRC college of Horticulture, Arabhavi, Karnataka, India. There were two harvests in a year first harvest at 9month after harvesting and second at 3 month after first harvest. There was no significant report with respect to tiller number per plant at both the harvest whereas, maximum tiller per plant (87.13 & 106.40 first and second harvest respectively) was recorded in genotype Mandakini. The significant differences were obtained fresh herbage yield. The result revealed that at both the harvest total maximum yield (73.26 t/ha) was recorded in genotype Assam and total minimum yield (40.95 t/ha) was recorded in Java-2. Essential oil content (FWB) shows significant difference only at first harvest, mean of two years showed highest essential oil content (1.115%) in genotype Java-2, followed by in Bio-13 and Manjari (1.060 & 1.036%) and lowest essential oil content (0.593%) was in genotype Ceylon local.