Abstract The results of physically and chemically induced 20 selected mutants in M2 generation possessing in most cases enhanced levels of essential oil yield and superior oil quality in palmarosa (Cymbopogon martiniivar. martinii) are described. The oil content was increased in all the 20 mutants as compared to their respective contols. Most M2 generation mutants were found to exhibit a straight relationship between high herbage (stem, leaves and inflorescence) yield, oil content (%) and oil quality in terms of major and trace constituents of the oil. Six mutants specifically were endowed with the desirable rosy note which remained predominant in the samples of Trishna-gamma-5, MP-gamma-13, Tripta-gamma-8, Tripta-EMS-19, Tripta-EMS-21 and PKC-EI-44. The fresh herbage and oil yield and odor criteria, i.e., rosy note were satisified by the three best mutants, viz., Trishna-gamma-5, MP-gamma-13 and Tripta-gamma-19. The results have been interpreted in the sense that induction of mutations brings about gene level changes from dominance to recessive and vice versa in morpho-economic traits having quantitative trait loci (QTL) under polygenic genetic control.