Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
Impact of nitrogen fertilization and spacing on the yield and oil content of scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L’Hér.)
Research Articles | Published: 20 September, 2024
First Page: 2069
Last Page: 2074
Views: 2017
Keywords: Scented geranium, Spacing, Nitrogen fertilizer, Essential oils
Abstract
Geranium is an economically important aromatic plant for its highly priced essential oil. However, improper spacing will reduce the amount of essential oil content and crop yield in geranium. It has been observed from this study that spacing, fertilizer and their interaction (SxT) exert significant effects on cuttings and growth parameters, viz., number of leaves, number of branches, fresh weight, dry weight, number of roots, leaf area, root to shoot ratio, essential yield per plant, essential oil/kg, and essential oil/ha under field conditions. Among these fertilizer doses, it was estimated that application of 50 kg N ha−1 in three equal split doses to the cuttings of scented geranium with 100 × 100 cm spacing was recorded to be the best treatment combination for producing more biomass and yield. Maximum essential oil yield (29.54 kg/ha) was obtained from plants grown at a spacing of 100 × 100 cm. Similarly, minimum values of essential oil yield (17.45 kg/ha) were obtained from plants grown at a spacing of 25 × 25 cm. GC–MS analysis of Pelargonium graveolens volatile oil resulted in the identification of 23 constituents, representing 99.06% of the essential oil. The identified compounds like citronellol (42.18%), Cis-Geraniol (14.35%), linalool (4.27%), and isomenthone (3.30%) were the major constituents of this oil. It may be inferred from the above results that under field conditions, all three spacings viz., 25 × 25 cm, 50 × 50 cm, and 100 × 100 cm and different nitrogen doses (25, 50, and 75 kg N/ha) had a significant effect on the growth and yield parameters of geranium plants under field conditions. Results of the present study showed that optimal levels of nitrogen fertilizer and proper spacing can be used to ensure the production of vigorous and healthy cuttings in scented geranium under field conditions.
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Author Information
Faculty of Forestry, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Ganderbal, India