Effect of urea and neem cake coated urea on yield, and concentration and quality of essential oil in Java citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt)

Abstract

Java citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt) is an important perennial aromatic grass cultivated in different parts of India. The steam-volatile essential oil from the citronella herb is widely used in perfumery, in manufacture of deodorants and mosquito repellent creams and in flavouring beverages. Systematic cultivation of this crop is being taken up and application of large quantities of N fertilizers was found to increase yield (Narayana et al. 1975; Bommegowda, 1978; Singh, Pathak & Bodoloi, 1980; Prakasa Rao et al. 1983). However, the efficiency of N utilization by this crop was found to be quite poor (Prakasa Rao et al. 1983). No systematic data are available in India on the effect of harvest season and N fertilizers on the principal constituents of citronella oil. Therefore the present experiment was made with two objectives: (i) to determine the effect of harvest season and N fertilizers on the essential oil concentration and the principal constituents of the oil which determine the oil quality, and (ii) to determine the effect of neem cake, an indigenous cheap material which is reported to have nitrification inhibitory properties, on the herb and essential oil yields of citronella.

Agronomic research on medicinal and aromatic plants in India Status and future research needs

“…In palmarosa, application of up to 240 kg N/ha/yr in red soils of Bangalore (Prakasa Rao et al, 1985a), 40 kg N/ha in Delhi (Pareek et al, 1983a), 25.50 kg N/ha in Indore (Maheswari et al, 1992), 25 kg N/ha in Kerala , 80 kg N/ha in Tamil Nadu (Barooah and Khader, 1990) was recommended. Low recoveries of N especially by citronella have been studied in detail (Prakasa Rao et al, 1983b) and improved methods of N application such as split application (Prakasa Rao 1988d), use of NCU (Prakasa Rao et al, 1985b), USG (Prakasa Rao et al, 1984b), amelioration of Fe deficiency (Puttanna et al, 1993), use of organics (Puttanna and Prakasa Rao, 1997) were found to improve the NUE in citronella (table 3). Being perennial, gradual depletion of P and K in long run and need for application of these nutrients in palmarosa has been emphasized (Prakasa Rao et al, 2001).…”