A Detailed Guide to Plantain (Plantago) Cultivation Techniques and Management Methods

Plantain is a common Chinese medicinal herb with diuretic, heat-clearing, eyesight-improving and phlegm-resolving effects. It can be found everywhere in mountain fields, roadsides and by rivers. So, what are the cultivation techniques for plantain?

1. Sowing

Choose moist, relatively fertile sandy soil, apply 30000~45000kg of base fertilizer per hectare, then plow. Before sowing, mix the seeds with fine sand and rub lightly to remove the oil on the outside of the seeds, which helps the seeds germinate. In northern China, sow from the end of March to mid-April or in late October. For drilling, open furrows at a row spacing of 20~30cm, 1~1.5cm deep, sow the seeds evenly into the furrows, cover with soil and press lightly, water, and keep the soil moist; seedlings emerge about 10 days after sowing. To ensure the seedling survival rate, seeds can be dressed and disinfected with 25% carbendazim powder, and phoxim mixed with fine sand can be spread on the ground to control underground pests.

2. Field Management

After emergence, plantain grows slowly and is easily suppressed by weeds, so weeds should be removed promptly during the seedling stage; weeding should be combined with loosening the soil, generally 3~4 times of loosening and weeding per year. Thin the seedlings when they are 3~5cm tall; for drilling, keep seedlings at a plant spacing of 10~15cm. Plantain likes fertilizer; after fertilizing, more leaves grow, growth is vigorous and resistance is enhanced, with more and longer spikes and higher yield.

The first fertilization is in May, applying 22500kg of dilute human and livestock manure water per hectare to strengthen its growth; the second is in early July, when plantain enters the young spike differentiation stage and some young spikes emerge from the leaf axils; nitrogen should be controlled and phosphorus, potassium, boron fertilizer and hormones should be supplemented to create conditions for flowering and seed setting.

During the heading stage of plantain, drainage ditches must be cleared early to prevent water accumulation and root rot. After the rows close, do not cultivate and loosen the soil, otherwise root damage and soil waterlogging will cause root rot. Before and after the heading of plantain, investigation should be strengthened; when central diseased plants are found, they should be pulled up promptly and burned in a centralized manner to control the spread of plantain powdery mildew, spike blight, brown spot, southern blight, etc., and 150g of 50% carbendazim should be mixed with 30~40kg of water and sprayed on the flower spikes, once every 4~5 days, for 3~5 consecutive sprays to prevent bacteria from infecting the spikes.

3. Pest and Disease Control

Powdery mildew symptoms: a layer of grayish-white powder appears on the surface or underside of the leaves, and finally the leaves wither and die. Control method: spray with 1000 times dilution of 50% thiophanate-methyl in the early stage of the disease

4. Harvesting

Plantain can be harvested when the husks of the fruits at the lower part of the spike initially turn light brown, the husks of the fruits in the middle initially turn yellow, and the fruits at the upper part have finished flowering. The heading stage of plantain is relatively long, and the spikes that head first mature earlier, so they should be harvested in batches, cutting the spikes once every 3~5 days, and finishing cutting all the spikes within half a month. It is best to harvest in the morning or on cloudy days to prevent fruit cracking and seed shattering. Use a knife to cut off the mature fruit spikes, and dry the spikes in a drying yard until the fruits crack and the seeds fall out. After drying, rub out the seeds and winnow away impurities. Store the seeds in a dry place after drying.

In addition, the young plants of plantain are edible; young tender seedlings can be collected from April to May, lightly boiled in boiling water, then served cold, dipped in sauce, stir-fried, used as filling, made into soup, or steamed with dough.