Geranium (Pelargonium sp. 'hybrid') essential oil in subtropical and temperate regions of Jammu and Kashmir

Six accessions of geranium (Pelargonium sp. ‘hybrid’) were introduced in temperate and subtropical regions of Jammu and Kashmir. The herbaceous parts in the commercial distillation gave 0.09–0.13% oil on fresh weight basis. The calculated herbage yield (tonnes/ha) and oil yield (litre/ha) varied from 31.5 ± 1.87 to 49.1 ± 2.73 and 32.40 to 57.12, respectively. The geranium oil produced in different regions of Jammu and Kashmir was comparable to that produced in other geranium‐growing areas in India in terms of its major constituents, citronellol (22.5–34.5%) and geraniol (13.9–24.7%), respectively. This suggests that geranium can be successfully grown in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.