MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC CROPS (2+1)

Origin and distribution

Scented geranium is a native of the Cape Province in South Africa. It is commercially cultivated in France, Belgium, Spain, Morocco, Madagascar, Egypt, Reunion Island, Congo, China, India and the former USSR countries. The world production of Scented geranium oil is estimated at 250-300 t, whereas the demand is more than 500 t annually. The first planting of high-yielding P. graveolens, introduced from Reunion Island was grown at Yercaud by a French planter, Ernest Sens in the early twentieth century. From that time onwards it has been cultivated as a commercial crop, but only in high altitude areas with a milder climate. However, the crop also comes up well in the South Indian plains. Presently, it is being commercially cultivated mainly in the Nilgiris and Kodaikanal Hills of Tamil Nadu and in and around Bangalore in Karnataka, also in Uttarkhand in an area of about 2 000 ha.

Area and production
Geranium is cultivated in a meager extent in India, especially in Tamil Nadu in Kodaikanal hills. No precise data is available on production.