Figure 1: A) Lemongrass plantation at Gariaband, Chhattisgarh; B) Rosagrass plantation at Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh; C) Lavender plantation at Dansal, J&K D) Lavender plantation at Batote, J&K; E) Ocimum plantation at Kurma, Bhuj
; F) Lavender plantation at Gool, J&K; G) Lavender plantation at Saangaldan,J&K; H) Ocimum plantation at Rajsamand, Rajasthan)

Table 1: More than 1850 ha area was brought under captive cultivation of following aromatic plants at various locations throughout country by CSIR-IIIM, Jammu under first phase of CSIR-Aroma Mission.

Setting up a network of distillation units and catalyzing setting up of farmers cooperatives for the marketing of the produce 

Essential oils are the main economic ingredient of the aromatic plants which are extracted by employing distillation units. To enable farmers to distil the oil from aromatic plants, distillation units were installed in the clusters of villages. Installation of the distillation unit was a very vital component of the CSIR-Aroma Mission. It is the availability of such distillation facilities, which instils a sense of confidence in farmers about ensured returns from the cultivation of aromatic plants. A total of 61 distillation units of different types and capacities were installed at different locations in 12 states of India (Table 2 & Figure 2). A network of distillation units was developed in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir, where distillation units were installed at different locations in 14 districts. Two distillation units are under process of installation at UT of Ladakh.

Table 2: Locations and types of the distillation units installed under CSIR-Aroma Mission throughout India.

Figure 2: Transportation and installation of fixed and mobile Distillation Units under CSIR-Aroma Mission.

Skill development and product development activities under CSIR-Aroma Mission

Aromatic plants are suitable economic alternates for achieving higher income and utilizing marginal/problematic lands and can also act as insurance crops in the event of environment/climate excesses. Under the CSIR-Aroma Mission, a total of 124 awareness-cum-training programs were conducted for the growers and other stakeholders, particularly in the regions where farmers are adversely hit by the deficient/excessive rainfalls (Table 3). Fifty-two awareness-cum-training programs were conducted at different locations during the year 2019-20. Experts from industries and financial institutions were also involved in training growers of various schemes for obtaining financial help (Figure 3). Selected progressive farmers/ young entrepreneurs were also trained in distillation, fractionation/derivatization, extraction, quality control, product development, etc. Videos on the successful introduction and cultivation of aromatic plants and activities of CSIR-Aroma Mission were developed and released. Products such as Lavender face wash, Citronella & Lemongrass based mosquito repellent, and Lavender oil-based travellers kits were developed along with prototypes for many other essential oil based products. For making the public aware of CSIR-Aroma Mission activities and achievements using the appropriate interface, booklet entitled “CSIR Aroma Mission Booklet entitled “Catalyzing Rural Empowerment through Cultivation, Processing, Value Addition and Marketing of Aromatic Plants” was designed, published and distributed.

Table 3: Details of state wise awareness-cum-training programme conducted under CSIR-Aroma Mission by CSIR-IIIM, Jammu.

Figure 3: Awareness-cum-training programme under CSIR-Aroma Mission at A) Dodda, J&K; B) Kalaktang, Arunachal Pradesh; C) Puddukkotai, Tamil Nadu; D) Mysore, Karnataka; E) Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh; F) Rajsamand, Rajasthan; G) Rewa, Madhya Pradesh; H) Verinag, J&K; I) Jammu, J&K; J) Kargil, Ladakh

Successful cultivation of the high-value Lavender crop in Jammu division of UT of J&K, India

Lavandula angustifolia Mill. (Syn. L. officinalis Chaix) or “True Lavender” is a small, non-hardy perennial evergreen subshrub belonging to the family Lamiaceae. The genus Lavandula comprises many important species that are geographically distributed in Mediterranean countries, Canary Islands and India. It is commercially cultivated in many parts of the world, mainly for its essential oil, which is obtained by the hydro-distillation of its attractive flowering spikes. Lavender is commercially one of the best known essential oil-bearing plants, which is grown for essential oil and dry flowers. Lavender oil mainly consists of linalyl acetate, linalool, lavandulol, 1-8-cineole, lavandulyl acetate, and camphor. Because of its delightful odour, Lavender oil has found wide applications in flavour, perfumery and cosmetic industry. Linalool and linalyl acetate contents in Lavender oil are used as the criterion for its quality evaluation. It is also used in therapeutics as antispasmodic, and carminative. Recently, as aromatherapy has become increasingly popular, Lavender oil has found application as a stress buster or brain relaxant.

The global demand for Lavender oil is estimated at around 12000 tons/year, whereas domestic consumption of Lavender oil is more than 250 tons/year. Internationally the primary producers of Lavender oil are Bulgaria, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, China, Russia, Italy, Morocco, countries of the former Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova, South Africa, and the USA. In India, Lavender was first introduced in the Kashmir Valley in the year 1983, where its commercial cultivation was found to be successful. Lavender growing in the mountains of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) produces an outstanding quality of Lavender oil. Low production costs and superior quality essential oil coupled with high market demand have made Lavender cultivation very profitable and famous in J&K. After the successful cultivation of Lavender in the Kashmir division, CSIR-IIIM, Jammu has introduced and tried to popularize Lavender in the temperate regions of the Jammu division under CSIR-Aroma Mission.

Under CSIR-Aroma Mission, high value essential oil-bearing Lavender crop was introduced to the farmers of temperate regions of Jammu viz., Doda, Kishtwar, and Rajouri districts. Till March 2021 under CSIR-Aroma Mission, Quality planting material (QPM) of Lavender, i.e., more than 8 lakh rooted plants of Lavender were provided free of cost to more than 500 farmers in the Jammu region for >140 acres of land. Besides free QPM of Lavender, free technical knowledge and essential oil distillation facilities were provided to the farmers. Field demonstration for plantation of Lavender was also given to the farmers. Detailed information about agro-technology and field management practices was provided to the farmers. Lavender cultivation in the Jammu division is immensely helping in alleviating the income of the marginal farmers of the region. Lavender has become vastly popular among small and marginal farmers of the temperate regions of the Jammu division. Farmers have produced more than 800 liters of lavender oil worth Rs. Eighty lakhs between years 2018-2020