Lemongrass

Scientific Name
Cymbopogon
pH
5.0-8.5
Temperature
10-33oC
Rainfall
250-280cm
Sowing Time
March - April
Seed Rate
1.6 - 2 kg/acre
Spacing
60 cm x 60 cm spacing for seedlings and 90 cm x 60 cm spacing for slips
Fertilizer Application
24:20:14 kg NPK kg/ha
Weeding
hand weeding and hoeing to keep field weed free. Mulching is also an effective way to reduce soil temperature along with weed control.
Weed Management
Application of organic mulch @1200 kg/acre. 2-3 weeding should be done in one year. Some organic control should be done such as UV radiation and flame weeding.
Irrigation
In summer season, apply irrigation with interval of 4-6 irrigations. When rains are not in regular pattern then apply irrigation with interval of 3 days in first month and then with the interval of 7-10 days. 4-6 irrigations are necessary for the crop during summer months.
Harvesting Index
Harvesting is done at the interval of 60-70 days.
Harvesting
Sickles are used for harvesting. The harvesting start in May and ends in January month. With the help of sickle, grass is cut at 10-15 cm above from the ground level for harvesting.
Post Harvest Activities
lemongrass is dipped in sodium chloride solution for 24 hours as it will increase the citral content in crop, followed by distillation. Then grass is stored in shady place and is packed
Marketing
Lemon grass has wide range of therapeutic and antimicrobial value. Its leaves are mainly used for preparing various drugs.
Insect
Stem boring caterpillar, Nematodes.
Disease
Long smut, Red Leaf Spot, Leaf Blight, Rust, Little Leaf or Grassy shoot