- Isabgol (Plantago ovata) is an annual herb native to Persia and West Asia that is cultivated for its husk and seeds, which have laxative and soothing properties.
- The plant's husk contains mucilage made of xylose, arabinose, and galacturonic acid that absorbs and retains water, making it an effective treatment for diarrhea and intestinal irritation.
- Isabgol is grown as a winter crop in parts of India like Gujarat and Rajasthan, with varieties including Gujrat Isabgol-1 and Jawahar Isabgol-4; it grows best in sandy loam soil and requires cool, dry weather between
3. ISABGOL
•BOTANICAL NAME –Plantago ovata
•FAMILY- Plantaginacea
•NATIVE PLACE- Persia
•ECONOMIC PART- Husk , Seed
•Chromosome number (2n)- 8
•local Name –Blond Psyllium,spogel seed
,Snigdhabijab
4. • ACTIVE PRINCIPLE- Mucilage, Xylose and Arbinose
• Type of flower- Protogynous
• Type of Fruit - Capsule
• Medicinal Property –laxative property, used against irritation in
gastrointestinal , Constipation dysentery, Cooling and demulcent used
to cure inflammation of mucous membrane .
5. • Isabgol is a stemless annual herb .
• Husk (odourless & tasteless) yield a colloidal mucilage
consisting of xylose ,arabinose and galacturonic acid .
• The husk has the property of absorbing and retaining water
and it works as an anti diarrhoeal drug .
• It is beneficial in dysenteries of amoebic and bacillary origin
6. Origin and Distribution -
• It is indigenous to the Persia and west asia , extending up to
the Sutlej ,sind ,and west Pakistan, Mexico.
• it has been introduced in India and cultivated specially in
Gujrat and some parts of Rajasthan
• Varieties- Gujrat Isabgol-1, Gujrat Isabgol-2 ,Hariyana
isabgol-5, Jawahar isabgol-4,Niharika
7. •SOIL- It is an irrigated crop which grow well on light soil
.Isabgol grow in sandy to sandy loam soil having PH range of
7-8 . soil are well drained and rich is organic matter .
•CLIMATE –Isabgol is predominantly grown as cold season
crop . It is require cool climate and dry weather .the
temperature is require for seed germination is 20-30 degree
Celsius ,
8. •Land preparation –Field must be free from weed and clods
, have fine tilth for good germination . the land is laid in to
flat body of convenient size i.e. 1.0x3.0 meter or 2.5x2.5
meter .
9. •Propagation - It is propagated by seed .
•Seed rate - 4kg/hectare
•Time of sowing - November –mid December
•Planting distance –Seed should be sown in lines line 30cm
apart .
10. •Manuring – The FYM of 10-15 tonnes per hectare applied
during land preparation . Isabgol does not require
application of heavy dose of fertilizer . A fertilizer dose
consisting of 50kg N, 25kgP2O5 , 30kg k2O/ha gives as a
basal dose . the second split of N as a top dressing after one
month of sowing.
11. • Irrigation – After sowing light irrigation is essential .
The seed normally germinate 6-7 days . If germination
is poor, second irrigation may be given . Last irrigation
should be given at the time when maximum number of
spike have reached milk stage.
12. •Weeding- periodical weeding and hoeing is required . The
medicinal plant have to be grown without fertilizer and use
of pesticides . Organic manure like FYM, vermicompost ,
green manure , etc. may be used as per requirement of the
species . To prevent disease , bio-pesticide ,could be
prepared from neem , dhatura etc.
13. • Pests.
White grubs and termite damage the crop by cutting off the root which
can be controlled by broad casting phorate 10G @10kg/ha . Aphid also
attack the crop and can be controlled by spraying 0.2% Dimethoate.
Disease-
Downy mildew is the major disease caused by Peronospora plantaginis
.It is controlled by Bordeaux mixture or Dithane M-45 or any copper
fungicide @2-2.5g/l can be spray.
14. •Harvesting –The crop mature during March -April .The crop
ready for harvesting 110-130 days after sowing . Spike turn
brownish ,at the time of harvest ,the atmosphere must be
dry and not moisture in plant . Plant should be cut from
ground level.
15. •Processing – The harvest plant are threshed and winnowed
and seed repeatedly sifted until clean. Seed are fed to a
series of shellers and remove only the husk . It separated by
fan and sieve .
• The husk:seed ratio -25:75
•Yield – 8-10 q/ha or 1 tonnes/ha