PLANTAIN
Plantago lanceolate
Originally Plantain was considered a flat weed that was winter dormant and occurred in many cultivated lands. The potential of the plant was discovered in the 1980’s. It was seen to have application in livestock farming as valuable forage.
Plantain is a mineral rich forage which is seeded into permanent pastures or utilized as a short-term mono-culture crop.
-
8 – 21 t DM/ha/season
Depending on environmental conditions and management -
Palatable
-
Better climatic stress tolerance than Ryegrass
-
Decreases Nitrogen leaching
-
High nutritional value – superior to Ryegrass / Clover mixtures
-
Higher summer and autumn production than most temperate grasses
-
Drought tolerant
-
Does not require high fertilization, although additional fertilization is advantageous
-
Decreases the need for deworming of livestock