Cul t i vat i onOf Vet i ver
Vetiver Area Under Cultivation In India, it is found growing wild in the forests of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. It is also found in some parts of Assam, Jammu, Bihar, Orrisa, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. It is found in semiwild state in East Godavari and Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and its cultivation is picking up in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
Botanical Name : Vetiveria zizanioides Family : Poaceae Plant Discription : It is a tall perennial grass of 1.5 to 2m height.It has a small stout rhizomatous stolon giving rise to spongy fibrous root system which grows 20 to 30 cm deep. The clumps form dense tuft bearing erect linear narrow leaves. The inflorescence is a long panicle.
Centre of Origin : Indian subcontinent Pollination System : Cross pollinated Chromosome No. : 2n=20
Vetiver Diseases Leaf Blight (Curvularia Trifolii) : The infected leaves bear dark spots, which turn black with age. The roots of affected plants become yellow and gradually dry out. Control : Two to three sprays of copper fungicide (0.3%) containing 50 % Metallic copper is recommended as a control measure
Vetiver Harvesting Stage of harvest in vetiver has a definite bearing on the oil yield. Normally the crop is harvested after 15 and 18 months of sowing when the oil content in the root is highest. Thus a crop planted in July is ready for harvest in September-October next year. A light irrigation is given to the field to facilitate digging. During digging the aerial parts of the growing plants are cut off from ground level and roots are dugout in rows. This digging operation is highly labour intensive. Mechanical digging helps in increasing the yield by 15% and saving on labour cost significantly. After cleaning, the roots are separated from the stump and dried in shade for 5 to 7 days to reduce the moisture content to about 10 %.
Yield An average yield of roots from a well managed crop is 14 q/ha. A recovery of 1% of oil is considered satisfactory.
Vetiver Intercultural Operations The growth of vetiver is slow during initial period of 90 days. The first weeding is recommended at 30 days after sprouting. The second and third weeding is given respectively in the months of February and July.
Vetiver Manuring & Fertilization Application of FYM @10 t/ha, one month before planting, gives higher yield. A fertilizer dose of 60 kg N and 25 kg each of P2O5 and K2O gives maximum root yield. A basal dose of one third of N together with whole of P2 O5 and K2 O is placed 10-12 cm deep under the rows during planting. The balance N is given in two split doses, once during September at ridging and the remaining at 8 months age. The fertilizer should be thoroughly mixed in wet soil.
Vetiver Pests White Ants : In dry tract, white ants also attack the roots. Control : Soil application with BHC (5%) 25 kg/ha is recommended during land preparation as a preventive measure.
Vetiver Planting The land is prepared by disc ploughing followed by cross harrowing. It is further levelled and made into small plots. It is planted during May-June in southern part of India while in July-August in north Indian plains. Live rooted slips are planted in the field during rainy season. A fully-grown root clump is divided into 15-20 cm long rooted slips. They are planted of 10 cm deep in rows at a spacing of 60 x 25 cm. thus accommodating about 60,000 plants/ha, which is considered as optimum spacing for higher root yield. During dry spell protective irrigation should be given. These slips commence sprouting in 7 to 10 days. The crop is given support by soil after 60 days by forming 30 cm broad and 20cm high ridge which facilitates higher root development. The ridging significantly increases root yield.
Vetiver Propagation Slips : The plant has a bushy nature and forms clumps during its growth period. The clump is formed by a number of small units known as slips. These slips are used for planting. While preparing the slips for planting, fibrous roots and leaves are trimmed.
Vetiver Soil & Climate Soil Vetiver grows very well on rich sandy loam soils having pH range of 6.0-8.0. Under high soil pH (9.0), the root yield reduces considerably without affecting oil quality. Red lateritic soils with good organic matter are considered ideal as the roots produced in such soils are thick and contain more essential oil but heavier clay soils should be avoided.
Climate The crop prefers tropical and subtropical climate for its proper growth, development and essential oil yield. It grows luxuriantly in places with annual rainfall of about 1000-2000 mm and temperatures ranging from 30 - 40OC with moderately humid climate. In low rainfall areas it can be grown as an irrigated crop.
Vetiver Varieties Hybrid-8 It is a perennial herb reaching a height of 2 m with medium long roots having large number of rootlets per plant containing more essential oil. It possesses 70-85% vetiverol content. This variety produces profuse tillering under light soil texture of moderate fertility and gives a high root yield 12-15 q/ha.
Hybrid-26 This variety has been evolved by NBPGR, New Delhi. The variety gives higher yield of roots (14.58q/ha) with an oil content of 1.5%. It performs better in saline and alkaline soils.
Sugandha This was isolated from a collection made from Bharatpur (North India) material. The cultivar shows higher root biomass and oil percentage. This new variety has a potential of producing 1.4 % oil in fresh root (46% free moisture) and 21.2 q/root/ha. This variety has been developed and released by Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Lucknow
Nilambore It is a popular South Indian variety that produces 3.8 t/ha of fresh roots and 15-22 kg. oil in well managed fields.