Jasmine Farming in India: Care, Harvesting, and Yield Insights

Table of Contents

• An overview of Jasmine Cultivation and its modern day uses
• What Are the Popular Jasmine Varieties in India and Their Yield?
  • Jasminum auriculatum (Juhi / Mogonee / Sunika)
  • Jasminum grandiflorum
  • Jasminum sambac
• How is Jasmine Farming Done in India- Step by Step?
  • Soil and Climate Requirements
  • Field Preparation
  • Propagation and planting
  • Irrigation Management
  • Inter-cultural operations
  • Disease & Pest Control
  • Harvesting & Yield
• What Are the Major Value-Added Products of Jasmine?
• Final Thoughts

An overview of Jasmine Cultivation and its modern day uses

The name Jasmine is derived from Arabic word “Yasmin”.  In India, it is known by various names such as Juhi, Chameli, Morga, and Champa Bela. Jasmine is a climbing evergreen plant with small leaves, and it usually blooms from March to June. The flowers may come in different colors like white, yellow, or even reddish sometimes.

India is a major producer of Jasmine, with Tamil Nadu contributing about 60% of the total production followed by Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and the Middle Eastern countries. Jasmine flowers can be used for different purposes like making garlands, bouquets, hair decorations, etc.

Jasmine is important for the perfume and cosmetic industry, as its oil is extracted from the flowers of Spanish jasmine (Jasminum grandiflorum). Additionally, Arabian jasmine (Jasminum sambac) flowers are used in China for flavoring tea.

What Are the Popular Jasmine Varieties in India and Their Yield?

The Jasmine may come in different varieties in india, some of them are mentioned below:

Jasminum auriculatum (Juhi / Mogonee / Sunika)

• Parimullai: It is medium-sized round buds, resistant to gall mite. The flowering lasts about 9 months, with a yield of around 8 t/ha.
• CO 1: These flowers have a long corolla tube which makes it easy to harvest and market. The average yield is 8.8 t/ha.
• CO 2: It produces bolder buds with a longer corolla tube and is tolerant to phyllody disease. The average yield is 11.1 t/ha.

Jasminum grandiflorum

• CO 1: These are suitable for loose flowers and oil extraction. The petals have pink streaks on the outer surface. The average yield is 10 t/ha, with 0.29% oil recovery.
• CO 2: It produces larger pink buds and yields about 11.68 t/ha.

Jasminum sambac

• Gundumalli: They come in as round flowers with strong fragrances. Their average yield is 7–8 t/ha.
• Khoya: Flowers are similar to J. sambac but with bigger buds and slightly less fragrance.

How is Jasmine Farming Done in India- Step by Step?

Jasmine plants grow best in warm tropical and subtropical climates. The crop performs well under stable temperature conditions, which reduces the chances of crop damage and supports healthy plant growth. Some of the steps are mentioned below:

Soil and Climate Requirements

Jasmine cultivation is mostly done in well-drained and fertile loamy soil. The soil should have a pH level between 6.5 and 7.5 for better plant growth. Mostly, warm summers and mild winters are appropriate for cultivation of different types of Jasminum species.

Field Preparation

Proper field preparation is essential for successful jasmine cultivation. The land should have good drainage system, irrigation facilities, and sunlight. Before planting, pits of about 45 cm³ are dug at least one month before to improve soil fertility and drainage.

Propagation and planting

Jasmine is mainly propagated through different methods like Cutting, layering, grafting, budding, and suckers. Cuttings are mainly planted in sand under mist conditions to help them root properly.

Jasminum grandiflorum and Jasminum sambac grow well from apical cuttings, while Jasminum auriculatum is commonly propagated using semi-hardwood cuttings. Once planted, jasmine plants can remain productive in the field for about 10–15 years.

However, Proper spacing is important for good growth:

• J. auriculatum is planted at 1.8 × 1.8 m.
• J. grandiflorum at 2.0 × 1.5 m.
• J. sambac at around 2 × 1 m.

Irrigation Management

After planting, Jasmine should be watered once a week depending on weather conditions. Both flood and sprinkler irrigation[W(2]  methods can help in providing better yield.

Inter-cultural operations

Intercultural operations such as weed control and pruning are important as they can save jasmine crops from getting damaged.

Weed Control: To control weed, several methods can be used such as manual weeding, mulching and intercropping.

Pruning: Pruning is another important practice because jasmine flowers grow on terminal and axillary shoots. Increasing the number of shoots helps improve flower production.

Disease & Pest Control

Several insect pests attack jasmine crops and can cause significant damage to flower production. Some of them are mentioned below:

Bud worm: Bud worm can damage jasmine flowers by boring into immature buds and feeding on floral parts, which reduces flower yield. It can be controlled by spraying neem seed kernel extract (5%) or Bacillus thuringiensis at 2 g per litre of water.

Blossom Midge: It is a pest whose maggots enter the buds at the base of the corolla, causing swelling and damage. This infestation can lead to stunted growth and drying of the plants. It can be controlled by spraying insecticides such as thiamethoxam, flufenoxuron, and novaluron.

Leaf Webber: Leaf Webber is a common pest in jasmine that forms webs on leaves and feeds on them by scraping the chlorophyll. This damage is more common during rainy days and can severely affect foliage and plant growth. It can be controlled by spraying imidacloprid or dimethoate, while neem oil sprays and sticky traps can also help in managing the pest population.

Red Spider Mite: Red Spider Mite causes the most serious damage to jasmine crops, especially during warm and dry weather in summer. The mites feed on the underside of leaves, causing them to turn yellow and eventually fall off. The pest can be controlled by applying Thimet 2 g/l around the root zone and spraying abamectin 0.15 EC @ 0.5 g per 10 litres of water.

Leaf Blight: Leaf blight is caused by fungi such as Cercospora jasminicola and Alternaria jasmini. It shows reddish-brown spots on the upper surface of leaves. It can be controlled by spraying copper oxychloride, bavistin, or hexaconazole.

Wilt: Wilt is caused by Fusarium solani. The disease starts with yellowing of lower leaves and gradually spreads upward, which may lead to plant death. It can be controlled by soil drenching with mancozeb or carbendazim.

Harvesting & Yield

Jasmine plants start providing economic yield from third year and then remain productive for 12-15 years. The average flower yield ranges from about 8–9 tonnes per hectare. The flowering of these jasmine flowers is usually done from March to April.

What Are the Major Value-Added Products of Jasmine?

Jasmine flowers are widely used to make several decorative and commercial products because of their pleasant fragrance and cultural importance.

Oil Extraction: The Extraction of Jasmine oil is efficiently performed via solvent extraction with 0.28 and 0.30% w/w yield. Then, it is futher used for perfume and cosmetic industry.

Wedding Garlands: Jasmine buds are commonly used to make wedding garlands. These garlands are highly preferred in marriages due to their attractive appearance and unique fragrance.

Flower Strings: Jasmine flower strings are widely used by women to decorate their hair as they enhance the beauty of a women while giving pleasant smell.

Bridal Crowns: In some traditional weddings, jasmine buds are used to make crowns so that through this they can adorn the bride and groom.

Jasmine Jadai: Jasmine jadai is a decorative hair accessory used in bridal hairstyles during marriage ceremonies.

Hand Wrist Ornaments: Jasmine buds are also used to make wrist ornaments, often combined with flowers like nandhiyavattam and rose petals.

Final Thoughts

Jasmine farming is an important commercial crop in India which is used in religious ceremonies, weddings, perfumes, and cosmetic industries. With suitable climate conditions and proper cultivation practices, jasmine planting can obtain good yields. Farmers can also earn long-term income from Jasmine cultivation.