Isubgol is a native of Persia. Grown as a cash crop in the parts of  Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Bihar

Isubgol is mainly used as a dietary fibre to relieve symptoms of both constipation and mild diarrhea and occasionally as a food thickener.

It is an important medicinal crop of India

• Kingdom:  Plantae
• Division: Magnoliophyta
• Class:  Magnoliopsida
• Order: Plantaginales
• Family: Plantaginaceae
• Genus: Plantago
• Species: ovata

Seed husk are  economically important in Isubgol

Benefits of Isubgol:

• Laxative
• Demulcent
• Emollient
• Astringent
• Cooling
• Diuretic

Isubgol is a stemless herb with hairs with adventitious roots

the Stem is actually a pseudostem without nodes, which is actually petiole of inflorescence

The plant produces about 50-100 pseudostems after 9-10 weeks of sowing

Leaves possess a parallel vein structure.

Flowers are petioleless, non leafy small, bisexual, incomplete and irregular

The Isubgol Fruit is a capsule which is ellipsoid

Seed length is 3mm, boat shaped, glossy and white

Isubgol  requires a cool climate and dry sunny weather

Moderate temperature  (20-25 C) is required for seed germination with annual rainfall of 50-125mm

The major challenges involve Biotic and Abiotic causes.

• Biotic Causes:
  • Major Pests: White Grub
    
  • Major Diseases: Powdery Mildew, Downy Mildew, Rhizoctonia Wilt
• Abiotic Causes
  • Slightly tolerant to drought
  • Sensitive to water stagnation