Registration of developed resilient somaclonal variant of geranium ‘CIM-SANGAM’ with high oil yield and low citronellol: geraniol ratio for cultivation in the North indian plains

Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens), a perennial, multi-harvest aromatic herb belonging to the Geraniaceae family, is renowned for its erect and branched growth habit. Its essential oil, prized for its therapeutic and commercial value, primarily contains citronellol and geraniol as major constituents, alongside several important minor compounds. Existing commercial varieties are inadequate in oil yield, stress resilience, and adaptation to the northern Indian plains, especially due to fungal susceptibility and post-rainy season propagule scarcity. To address these limitations, the somaclonal variation method was initiated in 2020 using the CIMAP-24 (Chinese) line to develop genetically improved clone, which was registered as the new variety ‘CIM-Sangam’ of P. graveolens for commercial application. The developed clone has superior agronomic traits, including strong stems, a high Leaf: Stem ratio of 2.46, oil content of 0.12%, abundant branching, and substantial biomass. The distinctive feature of the clone is enhanced tolerance to fungal infections and biotic stress, particularly during the rainy season, which leads to adaptation in the agro-climatic conditions of northern Indian plains. The developed variety has two main essential oil chemical constituents, Citronellol: Geraniol (C: G) ratio (<2) to meet high oil quality for improved Indian economy. The minor constituents 6, 9-guaiadiene and 10-epi-ɣ-eudesmol are present in a concentration of 3.36 and 0.19%, respectively. Altogether, clone can produce impressive oil yields of 65.0 kg/ha in the first harvest and 32.64 kg/ha in the second harvest. These features make CIM-Sangam a promising variety for sustainable geranium cultivation and essential oil production in the northern plains of India.