ISABGOL

ISABGOL

INTRODUCTION

Plantago comprises 200 species,10-14 are native of India. Common name Isabgol or blonde psyllium or Indian Plantago

or psillium in Commerce.

It derives its name from two Persian words, `asp' and `ghol' meaning a horse-ear, referring to its characteristic boat shaped seeds.

Plantago is from Latin, meaning `sole of the foot' and refers to the shape of the leaf.

Psyllium - Greek, meaning `flea' in reference to the colour, size and shape of seeds (flea seed) and ovata refers to the ovate shape of the leaves.

Isobgol seeds

Economic part - The husk from the seed (separated by physical process).

Seed husk contains a colloidal mucilage (30%), mainly consisting of xylose, arabinose, galacturonic acid with rhamnose and galactose etc.

Seed - Oil, glycoside acubin and tannin.

The husk - property of absoring and retaining water antidiarrhoeal drug. It is beneficial in chronic dysentries of amoebic and basillary origin. Used for treating constipation and intestinal disorders

it works as calorie-free fibre food, promoting regular bowel movement. No adverse side effects.

The seed has also cooling and demulcent effect and is used in ayurvedic, unani and allopathic medicines.

The seed and husk – Cures inflammation of the mucous membranes of gestro-intestinal and genito-urinary tracts, duodenal ulcer, gonorrhoea and piles.

Used as cervical dilator for termination of pregnancy.

Non medicinal uses – Dyeing, calico printing, in ice-cream industry as stabilizer, so also in confectionery and in cosmetic industries. The seed without husk which contains about 17-19 per cent protein is used as cattle feed.

Distribution, Area and Production

Origin - Persia and West Asia.

Distribution - Sutlej and Sind and West Pakistan, Mexico and Mediterranean regions.

`Dollar earner' crop of north Gujarat, cultivated on 50,000 hectares with a production of 40,000 tonnes.

Introduced in Southern Rajasthan, Punjab and to a very small extent in Maharastra and Uttar Pradesh.

Experimental cultivation at Bangalore succesful.

75-80% of the total annual produce of north Gujarat is exported

India holds monopoly in production and trade in the world.

But hardly 50% of the requirement of U.S.A. could be met.

Scope to increase the area and production and to intensify its cultivation.

Need to evolve high-yielding strains and to examine suitable locations for growing this crop in other states.

Area, Production and Productivity of Isabgol Plants in Haryana

(2003-2004 and 2004-2005

Year

Area

Production (In Qtl.)

Productivity (Tonne/

%age Share of Medicinal & Aromatic Area

%age Share of Medicinal & Aromatic Production(In Hect.) Hect.)

2003-04 6.5 6.3 0.9 0.2 0.1

2004-05 7 60 8.6 0.3 1.7

Crop-wise Area, Production and Productivity of Medicinal Plants in Haryana

(2004-2005)

Crop

Area

Production (In Qtl.)

Productivity (In Tonne/%age Share of Medicinal &

Aromatic%age Share of Medicinal &

Aromatic

(In Hect.) Hect.) Area Production

Jatropha Circus 573 51.3 0.1 24.7 1.5

Safed Musli 126 1238 9.8 5.4 35.5

Aswagandha 10 29 2.9 0.4 0.8

Isabgol 7 60 8.6 0.3 1.7

Mullethi 19 0 0 0.8 0

Allovera 144 246 1.7 6.2 7.1

Koanch 3 0 0 0.1 0

Lemon Grass 96 22 0.2 4.1 0.6

Palma Rose 40 4 0.1 1.7 0.1

Arandi 1194 622 0.5 51.6 17.9

Others 104 1212 11.6 4.5 34.8

Total 2316 3484 1.5

BOTANY

2n=8 Family : Plantaginaceae Stem - Less or short stemmed. Height 30 to 40 cm Leaves – Alternate, 7.5 to 2.5

cm long, narrow, 6.0 mm to 12.0 mm in width, tapering to point.

Flowers white, minute, four parted, in length.

Seeds are covered with translucent membrane, known as husk, odorless and tasteless.

Husked seeds are dark red and hard.

VARIETIES Gujarat Isabgol-1 (GI-1). Gujarat Isabgol-2 (GI-2) from Gujrat Agriculture University.

900-1000Kg seed yield/ha. Jawahar Isabgol-4 (1300-1500Kg/ha) Haryana Isabgol-5 (1000-1200Kg/ha) `Niharika' from CIMAP, Lucknow - High yielding variety. TS-1-10 and EC-124345. RI-87, RI-89, AMB-2, MI-4, MIB-121, HI-34, HI-2, HI-1

Gujarat Isabgol-3 (GI-3) released by Spices Research Station, Jagudan, S. D.Agricultural University.

Superior to variety GI-2 in terms of yield and yield attributes and resistance to diseases and insect pest.

On an average, it gives seed yield of 1284 kg/ha.

SOIL

Irrigated crop, grows well on light soils.

Heavy soil, poor drainage are not suitable.

Silty-loam soil , pH 4.7-7.7 with high N, low moisture.

CLIMATE

Warm-temperate regions.

Cool and dry weather, sown during winter months ( first week of November best ).

Early sowing, with higher seed rate, vulnerable to downy mildew

Late sowing - Lesser period of growth in winter, shattering of seed due to summer rains in April-May.

At maturity, if the weather is humid, its seeds shatter, resulting in reduced yield.

Heavy dew, light shower decrease the yield.

For maximum seed germination, temperature 20 to 30OC.

LAND PREPARATION Fine tilth for good germination.

FYM 10-15 t/ha.

plot size of 8.0 m x 3.0 m is prepared.

SEEDS AND SOWING High germination % - Seeds from the crop harvested at the end

of the preceding crop season.

Older seeds tend to lose viability

Seed rate - 4-8 kg per hectare, treat with any mercurial seed-dresser at 3 g/kg seed, to protect from damping off.

Seeds are small and light, mixed with fine sand or sieved FYM.

Broadcast because sowing in lines at different spacing does not increase the seed yield.

Seeds are swept lightly in one direction with a broom to cover them with some soil.

Germination begins from 4 days.

FERTILIZER APPLICATION Does not need heavy doses of fertilizers. 50:25:30 Kg NPK/ha respectively ( Bangalore condition ). Basal dose - Half of N, full of P & K. Top dressing – Half N after 1 month.

IRRIGATION Immediately after sowing, light irrigation. The seeds germinate in 6-7 days. Later irrigate as and when required. Last irrigation - Maximum number of spikes have reached the

milk stage. Totally 6-7 irrigations medium sandy soils.

INTERCULTURE First weeding - 20-25 days of sowing. 2-3 weeding within two months of sowing is ideal.

Insect Pests White grub, termites - Cutting off the root. Control - Broadcasting 65 per cent Lindane @ 125 kg/ha

before the last ploughing. Aphids spray (0.2% dimethoate).

Diseases Downy mildew Peronospora plantaginis and P.alta. major disease appears at the time of spike initiation. Disease intensity is very high in humid weather or when the

dew-fall is high. Difficult to control. Damping off disease byPythium ultimum, Rhizoctonia solani

and Fusarium oxysporum. Wilt by P.utimum, F.oxysprum and F.solani. Powdery mildew which appears at flowering time by Erysiphe

cichoracearum.

CONTROL MEASURES

Prophylactic measures spray one of the following fungicides when weather becomes cloudy and humid.

1Bordeaux mixture1% @ 600 to 800 litres per hectare.

2.Copper oxychloride, Dithane M-45, Dithane z-78 or any other copper fungicide at the rate of 2.0 to 2.5 g in 1 litre of water.

3 The antifungal antibiotic Aureofungin. Intervals - 30 days after sowing, followed by two or more

sprays at an interval of 15-20 days.

Harvesting and Processing Blooming - 2 months after sowing, ready for

harvest in February - March (110-130 days after sowing).

At maturity -Crop turns yellowish and the spikes turn brownish. The seeds are shed when the spikes are pressed even slightly.

Atmosphere must be dry, no moisture on the plant, crop harvested after 10 a.m.

Cut at the ground level or uprooted (depending upon the texture of the soil ).

In threshing yard, bundled in large cloth pieces and spread after 2 days.

Threshed with the help of tractor or bullocks.

early morning hours, water is sprinkled over the heap for easy threshing.

Straw used as a cattle feed.

The plants are threshed and winnowed, seeds sieved until clean.

The seeds marketed whole or the husk sold separately.

Removal of Husk - Cleaned seeds are passed 6 to 7 times through stone of energy grinders, sieved and screened through several grades of mesh to sort according to fineness of grind.

Exported husk - 70 mesh grade.

The highest quality husk - White with no particles of red kernels. The husk seed ratio is 25:75 by weight. To establish an industry for processing about 8 tonnes of seed per day.

Yield Gujarat Isabgol 1 – 800-900 kg of seeds/ha

Gujarat Isabgol 1000Kg/ha.

Increased yield - Spraying cycocel (CCC) at 25 mg/l. twice at seedling and just before heading stages.

ISABGOL PRODUCTS