Agronomic Practices for High Trade Value Indian Aromatic Plants

Abstract

India has long tradition of perfumery trade in the world. The art of perfumery flourished and enriched under the patronage of Moghul kings during their rule in India. The perfumers of Kannauj (U.P.) were famous for the product of aroma by distilling rose, kewra, agarwood, and sandalwood etc. This was possible due to abundant availability of raw material from plants resources either wild or cultivated. Of the 18000 species of plants distributed in India, 1300 are aromatic. Out of this 65 aromatic plant species have large and consistent demand. Cheaper synthetic fragrance suppressed the natural aromas due to price advantage, but blenders have now realized that the complex chemical components of each essential oil resourced from plants can no way be matched. In the present communication agronomic practices for 20 high trade value Indian aromatic plants are reviewed.