Jasmine Cultivation

            As various occasions like   marriages, religious ceremonies and festivals are part of human life and jasmine i is the part of most of them, may be in the form of garlands, loose flowers or bouquet. Jasmine is known for its unique fragrance and pure white color. Essential oil extracted from jasmine is an important ingredients for perfume and cosmetic industries. Fresh flowers generate export opportunities to South East and Middle East counties.  Essential  oil extracts of jasmine has great export potential  to countries like France and United States. Cultivation of jasmine is definitely a profitable venture, especially for farmers with small and marginal holding. Jasmine plants grown in the  back yard, terrace, containers, may also become sustained additional source of income along with past time, especially for household women.

Important species of cultivated Jasmines: Though there are more than 200 species of Jasmine, only few are commercially cultivated. Important among them are as below.

• Jasminum grandiflorum - Jathimalli (or) Pitchi (or) Spanish jasmine

• Jasminum sambac - Gundumalli / Malligai / Arabian jasmine /Tuscan jasmine

• Jasminum pubescens - Kakada

Botany of Jasmine:

         Jasmine belongs to family Oleaceae, a olive plants family. Jasmine plants are either deciduous or evergreen. Stems are erect or vines or bushy or spreading type. Leaves are alternate or opposite, simple or trifoliate or pinnate. Flowers are produced in cymose clusters, where terminal buds forms solitary flowers and branch-lets produces clusters of flowers laterally. Here older flowers stays at the top and younger one are produced at the base laterally. Plants produce white or yellow flowers and reddish flowers in rare instances. Size of the flower is around 2.5 cm in diameter with four to nine petals. Berry is the type of fruits that jasmine produce, which turns black on ripening..

False Jasmine:

     There are many plants which produce flowers similar to Jasmine, but do not belong to family Oleaceae are called as ' false Jasmines'. These plants have different growth patterns and habit when compare to true jasmine though the flowers produced are similar and fragrant. Quite strangely names of the some of such plants are added with term 'jasmin' or 'Jasmine'. Some of the examples for false Jasmines are Cape Jasmine (Gardania jasminoides), Night shade Jasmine (Solanum jasminoides.), Star Jasmine or Southern Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides), etc

         Jasmine plants  prefer loamy soil which holds the silt and clay in balance, so that enough water is retained and drains if excess. Sandy soil is also good, if applied enough organic matter to improve its water and nutrient retention capacity. Ideal soil pH ranges from to 6.5 to 7.5. Jasmine can be cultivated in wide variety of climatic and geographic conditions. It flourish well in region of tropical climate with mild winter, moderate summer and rainfall

Varieties of Jasmine:

• Parimullai - This variety belongs to the species Jasminum auriculatum (Jui). It has a medium sized round bud with flowering duration of about 9 months/year. The average yield is 8 t/ha.

• Gundumalli - This variety belongs to the species Jasminum sambac (Mogra). plants bears round flowers with good fragrance. The average yield of flowers is 7-8 t/ha.

• Double Mogra - This variety belongs to the species Jasminum sambac (Mogra). The flowers have 8-10 whorls of petals resembling that of white rose.

• Arka Surabhi: It is a variety developed from IIHR, Bangalore. It is variety of Jasminum grandiflorum with a yield potential of 10 t / Ha.

• Arka Aradhana: It is also a IIHR, Bangalore released variety, developed by clonal selection of Jasminum sambac cv. Soojimalli. Plants produces Flowers with double whorl and buds are bigger in size. Yield potential is 7.9 t / ha.

• Arka Arpan: One more variety developed by IIHR Bangalore, which produces flowers through out the year and peak flowering stage is December to February. Variety produces bold buds with pink tinge on them. Flowers show longer freshness and shelf life. Yield is 6.19 t/ha.

• CO 1 - This variety belongs to the species Jasminum auriculatum developed by Tamilnadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. . Flowers of this variety are of long corolla tubes. The average yield is 8.8 t/ha.

• CO-1 (Pitchi) - This variety belongs to the species Jasminum grandiflorum (Chameli). It is released by TNAU, Coimbatore. It is known for loose flower production and oil extraction. The average flower yield is 10 t/ha.

• CO 2 - Same is developed by TNAU Coimbatore and belongs to the species Jasminum auriculatum (Jui). Flower buds of this variety are bold with long corolla tube. It is tolerant to phyllody disease. The average yield is 11.1 t/ha.

• Ramban & Madanban - These varieties belong to the species Jasminum sambac (Mogra). These are a high yielding variety with long flower buds.

Soil and Climatic Requirement of Jasmine

        There are different ways of prolongations like cutting, layering, suckers, grafting and Tissue culture in  jasmine cultivation. Important among them are cuttings and layering.

Cuttings: Here semi hardwood cutting method is used. In this case, suitable shoots from healthy mother plants are selected and cuttings of 15- 20cm length with few nodes are prepared. Basal leaves are trimmed off, leaving only few top leaves intact. Base of the cuttings are applied with rooting hormones like IBA for better result. Later, cuttings are planted in rooting medium at a depth of 5 cm and kept in shade. Cuttings are ready for planting in field in 4-5 months. These cuttings are generally prepared during rainy season where climate is moist.

Layering: In jasmine, simple layering method is used. One year old shoots are selected , preferably secondary lateral shoots and same are buried in soils at the depth of 10-15 cm, after giving small shallow cut or wound at the point of burying. Soil touching branches or suckers developed along with main plant can also be used. If upper shoots are selected, same are bent and  inserted in to soil using pegs and tied to position them firm. On rooting the shoots are separated from mother plants and used for transplanting.

Planting: Best suited time for planting the jasmine is monsoon. Spacing to be maintained while planting depends on type of varieties and number of plants to be had in given area. it is recommended to have spacing of 1.5mx1.5 m for J. auriculatum and J.sambac and 2mx1.5m for J.grandiforum. Pits of 1.5 cubic ft are dug, well in advance to planting, to expose the soil to sun light. At the time of planting, pits are filled with FYM, pulverized soil and sand in 2:1:1 proportion.

Propagation In Jasmine

Pruning In Jasmine:

        Pruning is a very important cultural operation to be carried out in jasmine cultivation. It is conducted mainly to strike the balance between vegetative and reproductive growth of the plants. Thus enough number of productive flower bearing shoots , more fragrant, bigger sized flowers for longer period of time are ensured. Jasmine is a bushy plant and leaving the plant without pruning, hinder the reach of sun light to entire plant. Thus affecting plants photosynthesis. Crowded branches may also harbor variety of pest and diseases.

          In the process of pruning the branches of plants are selectively cut at desired height. Diseased, dead, insect affected, malformed, criss crossed, entangled branches are cut and removed completely. Healthy branches are cut at height of 45-60cm. Time of the pruning varies with type and varieties of jasmine grown, as the period and length of flowering bearing stages varies. Pruning to be done once flower bearing stage is over. It gives enough time to plant to grow and give fresh flushes. Flushes from old branches bear flower early and those from new branches later, so that one can have relatively lengthier flowering season by pruning.

            Care to be taken to use sharp cutters to avoid damage to plants and same to be disinfected while using to avoid spread of diseases from plant to plant. Bordeaux mixture to be applied to cut portion to avoid fungal infections.

        There are some important insect pests like bud worms, Leaf webber, Blossom midge, Red Spider mites, cause considerable yield loss if not managed properly.

Bud worms: Here caterpillar feed inside the bud and  bore holes.

Blossom midges: Midges are  mosquito like insects which lay eggs in cluster at the tip of the buds and maggots start feeding on buds on hatching, Affected buds and flowers become swollen, deformed and discolored and fall prematurely.

Leaf webber: Leaves of Jasmine plant are webbed together and  larvae feed on the leaves and defoliates it.

Red spider mite: Locate on under surface of leaves and feed there.

Important insects Infesting Jasmine Plant

Important Diseases Affecting Jasmine Plant:

Diseases: Cercospora leaf spots, Alternaria Leaf spot, Root rot and phyllody are the some of the important diseases of Jasmine.

Cercospora leaf spot is caused by Cercospora jasminicola. Symptoms are formation of circular or irregular dark brown spots on leaf surfaces, later spreads to entire leaves and shoots. Application of carbenaizim will take care of the disease.

Alternaria leaf spots is also shows similar symptoms, caused by Alternaria jasmini. Here dark brown spots produced on leaf surface, later scatter through out to cause leaf blight. this can be manged by application of Mancozeb.

Root rot disease is symptomatic of yellowing of older leaves first and younger leaves then. Black coloration is noticed on roots. Disease can be managed by application of FYM blended with Tricoderma viridae or drenching the soil around the plant with Copper oxycloride at the rate 2.5gm/ltr.

Phyllody or phytoplasma disease: Here floral parts abnormally develops into leafy structures. It is caused either by virus or hormonal imbalances in plant. Same can be controlled by controlling virus vectors.

Thus following proper cultivation practices, use of suitable varieties, timely pruning and proper management of disease and pest makes Jasmine cultivation as profitable by producing larger sized, good quality buds and flower for longer flowering period.