Step into the luxurious, low-waste fields of Jayramnagar in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur, and also you would possibly catch a whiff of one thing extraordinary — a pure aroma that’s not simply reworking the air but additionally the lives of farmers. 

On the coronary heart of this inexperienced revolution is Lokesh Patade, a former electrical guide who swapped high-pressure boilers for high-value blooms. As we speak, he’s main a sustainable farming motion constructed round geranium, a resilient, pest-resistant plant that provides a number of harvests, minimal inputs, and zero-waste potential. 

From distilling important oil to creating natural air fresheners from byproducts, Lokesh is proving that with the precise crop, farming may be each worthwhile and planet-friendly.

Lokesh’s story isn’t your typical story of rural roots. Just some years in the past, he was troubleshooting high-tech boilers for a South Korean producer primarily based in India, removed from his household and even farther from the world of agriculture. “I needed to be round for my rising daughter,” Lokesh remembers. “And I needed to do one thing that will make an actual distinction—each for my household and for the atmosphere.” 

With encouragement from his spouse Priyanka, a plant biotechnologist, Lokesh leaped at 35, investing Rs 80,000 to plant his first acre of geranium. As we speak, he earns almost Rs 10 lakhs yearly from geranium and vegetable cultivation, with an extra Rs 2 lakhs from value-added merchandise.

Candy odor of success

Quick ahead to at this time, and Lokesh’s three-acre Meadow Agrotech farm is buzzing with innovation. It grew to become the primary to domesticate, harvest, and extract Rose Scented Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) oil in Chhattisgarh State. 

Not solely has he cracked the code on rising geranium — a crop beforehand remarkable in Chhattisgarh — however he’s additionally turn into India’s first producer of natural, hydrosol-based air fresheners. 

His secret? Mixing conventional farming knowledge with cutting-edge know-how, together with AI instruments like KissanGPT, which he makes use of to good every part from distillation strategies to eco-friendly product growth.

A ‘poor man’s rose’ that is making farmers wealthy

Geranium, usually referred to as the “poor man’s rose,” is a game-changer for farmers. Its important oil fetches as much as Rs 11,000 per litre and is in scorching demand for cosmetics, perfumes, and aromatherapy. 

Lokesh’s fields yield as much as 50–60 litres of oil per acre annually, and the plant’s pure resistance to pests means decrease prices and fewer complications. “When you plant geranium, you possibly can maintain harvesting for 3 to 4 years,” Lokesh explains. “It’s resilient, worthwhile, and sustainable—every part a contemporary farmer desires of.”

However Lokesh’s impression goes past his fields. Via workshops, digital platforms, and good old school phrase of mouth, he’s inspiring a brand new era of farmers to embrace high-value crops and sensible agriculture. The numbers converse for themselves: whereas India consumes round 149 tons of geranium oil yearly, it produces solely about 5 tons, leaving an unlimited market huge open for enterprising growers.

Geranium farming: A low- upkeep, high-return alternative for farmers

• Excessive-Worth Crop: Geranium presents a major earnings alternative for farmers on account of its excessive market worth.
• A number of Oil Sources: Oil may be simply extracted from the plant’s stems, leaves, and flowers.
• Lengthy-Time period Yield: As soon as planted, geranium may be harvested for three to 4 years, lowering replanting prices.
• Low Upkeep: The plant requires minimal pesticide use, as it’s naturally proof against pests and grazing animals.
• Greater Returns: Yields a lot increased income in comparison with many conventional crops.
• Sustainable Livelihood: Selling geranium farming may assist farmers enhance earnings and monetary stability.

Geranium was first launched within the temperate areas of South India, notably within the Nilgiris (Tamil Nadu), components of Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh, on account of their appropriate local weather. A medicinal and fragrant plant, it isn’t eaten by animals and barely attacked by pests. Its leaves begin to develop shortly after harvest, and farmers can simply earn extra revenue.

Geranium is valued for its leaves, that are processed to extract important oil. This oil is in excessive demand each in India and internationally. As soon as planted, geranium may be harvested 4 occasions a yr for about 4 years, yielding 15–16 tons of leaves each three months. Geranium crops require much less irrigation making them a sensible different to conventional crops like paddy and pulses.

A resident of Bilaspur, Patade cultivates geranium—the Egyptian selection (Pelargonium graveolens) additionally referred to as the Kelkar selection—on three acres of land, at Rs 80,000 per acre. Harvested each third or fourth month, a geranium plant continued to supply leaves for 3 to 4 years.

Coaching farmers

“Whereas varied medicinal and fragrant crops like lemongrass and palmarosa have been already being cultivated in his area, geranium was largely unknown to native farmers. Geranium is extensively grown each in India and overseas, and, like different fragrant crops, its important oil may be refined and has a robust market demand,” says Patade.

Meadow Agrotech, is an incubated startup of IGKV RABI, (Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya – Analysis and Enterprise Incubation), positioned in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. An agricultural innovation and enterprise incubation hub, it helps startups and entrepreneurs within the agri-business sector.

He has been main coaching classes for farmers throughout Maharashtra to lift consciousness and develop Geranium cultivation, to deliver 100 acres underneath cultivation. Patade has gone past conventional farming by pioneering the manufacturing of hydrosol air fresheners—an innovation that marks a primary for India. To assist this enterprise, he established a distillation unit with a capability of 500 kg.

What’s the hydrosol course of?

Priyanaka, recipient of the Academy of Plant Sciences’ Younger Scientist Award in 2009 and creator of a number of analysis papers, explains the hydrosol course of. “This course of helps protect geranium’s therapeutic properties by capturing each water-soluble and a few unstable elements from the plant materials throughout steam or water distillation. When geranium leaves and flowers are distilled, steam passes by way of the plant matter, extracting fragrant and bioactive compounds. The ensuing vapor is then condensed, separating into two foremost merchandise: important oil (the oil-soluble fraction) and hydrosol (the water-soluble fraction).”

Natural air freshener that encourages sustainable farming and reduces waste

Patade’s geranium hydrosol air fresheners—accessible in 200ml cans on e-commerce websites—provide a pure, eco-friendly different to chemical sprays. Constituted of the byproduct of geranium oil extraction, they supply a candy, floral aroma that uplifts temper and reduces stress. 

The hydrosol’s pure antibacterial and antimicrobial properties assist purify air and surfaces, whereas its scent repels bugs, making it each nice and sensible. Free from artificial components, these air fresheners are secure for kids and pets. By using a byproduct, additionally they assist sustainable farming and cut back waste, providing mild therapeutic advantages for each individuals and the atmosphere.

In his effort to assist extra farmers undertake hydrosol know-how, he has skilled and transferred his experience to a geranium farmer in Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar district. “We’re not simply rising crops,” Lokesh says, gesturing towards his flourishing fields. “We’re rising prospects. Each farmer who switches to geranium is not simply altering their earnings—they’re altering their future.”

Lokesh’s journey is proof that with imaginative and prescient, braveness, and just a little assist from know-how, anybody can plant the seeds of change—and watch them blossom into one thing really exceptional.

Edited by Vidya Gowri Venkatesh; all pictures Courtesy Lokesh Patade, Meadow Agrotech