A Somaclonal Variant of Rose-Scented Geranium (Pelargonium spp.) with Moderately High Content of Isomenthone in its Essential Oil

Rose-scented geranium ( Pelargonium spp.), which is highly valued for its essential oil, is exclusively propagated vegetatively. Hence no genetic improvement work is possible through conventional breeding. Somaclonal variation was generated with and without in vitro mutagenesis using N-nitroso- N-methyl urea (NMU) in an Indian cultivar ‘Bourbon’, and a clone ‘Narmada’. A somaclonal variant (N75) with a moderately high content of isomenthone in...