Cultivation environment and key points Cultivation environment: Lemongrass fronds like to grow in a warm, moist, all-weather environment and well-drained sandy land. The main planting areas in India are distributed in areas with average temperatures of 18 to 29, average annual rainfall of 70 mm to 410 mm, soil pH of 5.0 to 5.8 (East India) and soil pH of 4.3 to 8.4 (West India).

Nitrogen fertilizer has a greater impact on the yield of above-ground fresh grass, and potassium fertilizer has a greater impact on the yield of citronella oil. Propagation method: Since lemongrass rarely flowers and bears fruit, the main propagation method is root or clump propagation. Mature lemongrass has about 50-200 ramets per bush. Cut off the upper leaves, leaving about 10-15 cm of rooted branches, and plant them directly in the field. Lemongrass meandering can be propagated by seeds, and the sowing rate is about 5-10 kg/ha. Cultivation points: The distance between rows and plants is generally 100X45 cm.

The first harvest is feasible about 6 to 8 months after planting, and then it can be harvested once every 3 to 4 months on average. The report states that fresh grass and essential oil yields are higher when harvested 20 centimeters above the ground. The hay yield can reach about 4-6 metric tons/hectare, and the citronella oil yield is 30-40 kg/hectare (harvested 4-5 times a year). It can be harvested mechanically or manually. Chemical composition: Lemongrass whole plant contains volatile oil (essential oil), which is called citronella oil through steam distillation. The extraction rate of essential oil is about 0.2-0.5. After harvesting, lemongrass should be withered and then extracted.

Citronella oil is generally yellow to dark yellow. More than 100 chemical components can be detected in essential oils, and potassium fertilizer has a greater impact on citronella oil production. The main chemical components are citral 70~80% and myrcene 20%. It also contains citronellal, geraniol, L-borneol, 1,8-p-menthadien-5-ol and other ingredients. These ingredients are mainly used in perfumes and cosmetics. Lemongrass is generally believed to have lower citral content than meandering lemongrass, but the jury is still out.