Identification and Registration of a High Essential Oil Yielding Variety (Jor Lab L-14) of Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus L.) Through Mutation Breeding Technique

Abstract

A new high essential oil yielding variety of lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus L.) was developed through mutation breeding technique and registered at ICAR, New Delhi. This genotype was identified through repeated selection in gamma treated mutation populations. After initial screening from M₄ mutation populations, higher essential oil genotype was identified and planted along with two check varieties in four different locations for two years in NE India and found to be stable for all the related parameters of yield. Average essential oil was recorded as 1.35 % and herbage yield was 29.57 tonnes/ha/year which were significantly higher than the check varieties and total citral content was found as 79.5 % which was followed by other minor compounds viz., linalool, iso-eugenol, limonene, α-pinene, geraniol, camphene, nerol, α-terpineol, tricyclene, α-elemol, geranyl acetate, eugenol acetate, citronellal, bicyclosesquiphellandrene, trans-β-ocimene, trans-β-caryophyllene, humulene epoxide ll, caryophyllene oxide and α-phellandrene. This newly developed novel variety was registered at ICAR, New Delhi vide registration no. INGR-18040 and named as ‘Jor Lab L-14’. This variety propagates vegetatively by means of slips and is stable for commercial cultivation.

Key words:

• Mutation breeding
• lemon grass
• essential oil
• gamma radiation
• citral
• high yielding