Cultivation of rose-scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L.) as a multi-harvest perennial crop under the sub-tropical condition of northern Indian plains

Pelargonium graveolens L., frequently known as rose-scented geranium (family: Geraniaceae; 2n = 88), is an herbaceous medicinal and aromatic plant cultivated for its highly valued and significant volatile essential oil. It widely excels in the food, cosmetics, aromatherapy, and medicinal industries. The present study focuses on the perennial cultivation of geranium for taking multi-harvest in a year by the novel shed-saving agro technology (SSAT) technology for generating a higher yield of essential oils. A 5 year field experiment was carried out at the research farm of CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, India. During experimentation, two geranium varieties, V1 ( CIM-Pawan ) and V2 (Bourbon ), were grown under a semi-protected polythene shed and harvested 14 times at various intervals. The study found that the maximum fresh herbage yield (14.04 t ha-1) was recorded in variety V1 at IIIrd harvest. The highest essential oil yield (23.76 kg ha-1) was recorded in variety V1 at the Ist harvest. After carefuly examining the trial results, it is suggested that geranium cultivation can be continued as a perennial crop for multiple harvests under a semi-protective shed to obtain higher yields with better financial returns. In contrast, only 1 or 2 harvests are possible under open (natural) conditions of northern Indian plains.