PSYLLIUM seed, locally known as ‘spangur’ or Isphghol, is a world-famous crop and most of its species grown in Pakistan and Sindh are used for medicinal purposes.

The crop could also be grown in Sindh as a cash crop, in a better manner, and even under the present water-shortage conditions.

Psyllium , is a herb which originated from Iran and later travelled from Asia to Europe. In Asia, it was found in the Middle East, Afghanistan, Egypt, north India, Sindh and Balochistan, where it was predominantly grown as a medicinal herb.

The herb is known under different vernacular names such as Buzar Qatona, Spogel, Isphghol and Spangur in widely-spoken ges such as Arabic, Persian, Urdu and Sindhi, respectively. In Europe, the herb is known under various names. In Pakistan, it was cultivated in southern Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. In Sindh, in the pre-partition days, the herb was grown as a garden crop.

It is an aromatic herb which may be used as a medicine for stomach disturbances. The indigenous species, plantago amplicaulis, is grown as common spangur throughout Sindh. Hindus prepare the decoction of Isphaghol leaves for curing chest pain, fever and ophthalmia. The seed also often used for treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery, intestinal wounds, catarrh, kidney diseases, etc. The seeds produce a husk with abundant mucilage, which is used in pharmaceutical preparations and as a food thickener.

At present, India is the largest producer of this crop seed which is grown as a cash crop by using low input and un-mechanized farming systems. Reports say that India earns nearly Rs25 million annually by exporting Isphghol. Its husk is also sold as a commercial product.

Some of the popular species with their different usages are mentioned below:

Plantago amplicaulis: Commonly found in Sindh and is often used for treating diahorrea, dysentery and intestinal wounds.

Plantago asiatica: Its leaves and seeds are edible and the former are boiled with cereals. It is considered as one of the most popular road-side weeds.

Plantago camtschatica: Its leaves are green and used as boiled vegetable.

Plantago coronopus: It is grown as food plant and its leaves are used for salad.

Plantago decipiens: It is a sea side plant, much used as green vegetable or salad by the fisherman of Eastern North America.

Plantago major: Common plantain, young leaves are eaten in Texas. In Asia, the Chinese eat the leaves.

Plantago ovata: Blond psyllium. The seed mucilage is used as a basic stabilizer in ice cream and chocolate in India.

Plantago psyllia: black psyllium. The herb is eaten raw or cooked in India or west Asia.

Botanical description: Psyllium seed, rib grass or spangur is annual herbaceous (stemless herb) crop, which is monocot plant of family plantaginaceae.

Production: Psyllium seed, Isphghol is our traditional medicinal crop grown in winter climatic conditions of Pakistan. Winter is optimum growing season for this valuable medicinal crop. However, the crop is adapted to the low land tropics for dry season production, either under irrigation or using stored soil moisture. By use of low inputs and low cost production technology, it earns more income and may be a very good export commodity.

The light loam soils and low water requirements are among advantages of growing spangur for seed purposes. It has small seed and substantial seed losses can occur because of washing away under irrigation. In some countries, seed is often scattered after irrigation and planked to protect it during germination. Hence, it could be grown as Dubari crop on residual moisture after harvest of the rice crop. The spangur may be incorporated as important cash crop in our cropping pattern under water shortage conditions of Sindh.

The crop is sown by broadcasting method in the small plots after necessary preparations of fine seedbed in irrigated areas. But in rice tract, seed is directly broadcast on the residual moisture of the soil after harvest of the rice crop.

The fertilizer requirements are minimal. Nitrogen and phosphorus are applied at 25 kg N and 25 P205, which are applied at sowing time. Half of nitrogen as remaining dose may be applied at third irrigation.

The spangur crop needs four months for maturity. The harvesting may be started when colour of the leaves turn yellow, which is sign of the crop maturity. The harvesting is done by manual methods by sickle. After drying of harvested material, the threshing may be done by beating with sticks. The cleaning of seed is done by using local fan or sieves.

The yield target for this crop may be 10-20 maunds/acre. However, bold seeds have better market prices. The seed of spangur may be sold at the rate of Rs100 per kg and thus one acre may earn Rs30,000 to Rs40,000/ acre as cash return.