Detailed Explanation of Key Cultivation Techniques for Large-Seeded Plantain

Plantain seed, also known as che zhe cao or niu she cai, is a perennial herb of the Plantaginaceae family, with its dried mature seeds used for medicinal purposes; the whole plant is called plantain herb. Both plantain seed and plantain herb have functions such as clearing heat, promoting diuresis, improving eyesight, and resolving phlegm. They are mainly used to treat scanty dark urine, summer-damp diarrhea, urinary tract infections, red sore eyes, and cough with excessive phlegm.

Plant characteristics: The whole plantain plant is smooth and hairless or slightly hairy, with a short rhizome and numerous fibrous roots. The leaves grow in a rosette from the base, with broad elliptical or ovate leaf blades, entire or with irregular wavy serrations, and 5-7 arcuate veins. The flowers are pale white-green, borne in terminal spike inflorescences. The capsule is ovate-conical, containing 4-8 small dark brown seeds. The flowering period is from April to June, and the fruiting period is from June to September.

Land preparation: Apply 500-1000 kg of barnyard manure per mu, crush it finely and spread it evenly. Plow deeply to 20-25 cm, harrow finely and level. Make flat beds 1 m wide and 15-20 cm high. In dry weather, irrigate the beds, and after the water seeps down, hoe the bed surface once, rake it level, and wait for sowing.

Seedling raising method: For spring sowing of plantain, choose the period from Qingming to Guyu; for autumn sowing, sow from Bailu to Hanlu. Before sowing, soak the seeds in 70% thiophanate-methyl for disinfection for 4 hours, then evenly broadcast the seeds on the bed surface, requiring 0.5-0.75 kg of seeds per mu. After sowing, cover the surface with a thin layer of plant ash and fine soil, then spread a layer of rice straw on top. After sowing, water once every 3-5 days. Sprouts emerge 7-10 days after sowing; remove the rice straw. When there are 2 true leaves, apply a top dressing of dilute urine water fertilizer once, then fertilize once every week thereafter; the entire seedling period is about 1 month. When seedlings are 7-10 cm tall, transplant them, digging holes on the bed surface at a row spacing of 30 cm and a plant spacing of 25 cm. Plant 1 seedling per hole, transplanting as they are pulled. After planting, water with settling water.

Field management: Water once 10 days after transplanting, and apply an appropriate amount of human feces and urine at the same time. After half a month, when the seedlings turn green, carry out intertillage and weeding, and replant missing seedlings. After that, apply effective fertilizer once every half month, applying 15 kg of compound fertilizer per mu. When plantain bolts and flowers, apply 1-2 heavy applications of seed-strengthening fertilizer to promote heading (remove plants that bolt too early at any time), promoting full and plump seeds.

Pest control: When white grubs and mole crickets damage the plants, they can be trapped and killed with trichlorfon poison bait. When aphids and bridge worms cause damage, spray 40% dimethoate emulsion at 1500-2000 times dilution.

Harvesting and processing: Harvest plantain seeds around the Dragon Boat Festival, when the seeds turn brown. They can be harvested in batches; cut off the earlier-maturing ones first (be careful not to damage the unripe fruit spikes and leaves). After harvesting, sun-dry, rub out the seeds, remove all impurities, sieve out the seeds with a special sieve or a bamboo sieve fitted with window screen, expose to the sun for 1-2 days, then use a winnowing machine to remove the skins and shells, and the finished product is ready.

Economic benefits: Plantain has a short growth cycle and low investment. The investment per mu is about 100 yuan (seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, etc.). In a normal year, the yield per mu is about 150 kg, and high-yield fields can reach 250 kg. At the current market price of 8-10 yuan/kg, the output value is 1200-2500 yuan.

Nutritional value and edible methods: Every 100 g of plantain herb contains 4 g of crude protein, 1 g of crude fat, 10 g of carbohydrates, 3.3 g of crude fiber, 5.85 g of carotene, 0.09 mg of vitamin B1, 0.25 mg of vitamin B2, 23 mg of vitamin C, 309 mg of calcium, 175 mg of phosphorus, and 25.3 mg of iron. From April to May, gather its young seedlings and tender leaves, blanch them in boiling water, then soak them in cold water for a few hours; they can then be served as a cold salad, dipped in sauce, used as filling, made into soup, or mixed with flour and steamed.