Hello
Lemon grass cultivation cannot be done in between mango crop.
Cultivation aspects of Lemon grass
Soil reqirement -
It flourishes on a wide variety of soils ranging from loam to poor laterite with best growth on welldrained sandy-loam soil.
Climate requirement -
The ideal elevation for commercial cultivation ranges from sea level to 300m. Lemongrass requires warm and humid climate with sufficient sunshine and rainfall, ranging from 250-300 cm, uniformly distributed throughout the year.
In the hilly areas of Kerala receiving heavy rainfall, the plant grows luxuriantly and is harvested more frequently but the oil and citral content are less as compared to the plants growing in the regions of less rainfall.
Temperature range of 10-33° C and sunshine is conducive to the development of oil in the plant.
Planting -
Seedlings are planted at a distance of 45 cm in rows, 60 cm apart. It is better to plant on ridges in areas receiving high rainfall.
In case of rooted slips one or two slips are placed into each hole, about 15 cm deep. Deeper planting is dangerous as the plants may develop root-rot during the rainy season. Slips are transplanted firmly into the ground. This is done at the beginning of the rainy season.
In northern India, planting by slips may be done in February if irrigation is available. In such cases, field is irrigated immediately after planting.
. In lemon grass two prominent varieties are there - Krishna & Kaveri.
You have to choose the right variety to your farm land. Or you can cultivate both the varieties. Present market price is around Rs.350/- to Rs.400/- per kg of lemon grass of oil. In good mangement from one acre in an year (3-4 harvests) 70 to 100 Kg oil can be produced.
Regards
Ashwini
