LAGUNDI

(Vitex negundo)

ACP 324 – PLANTATION CROP PRODUCTION

 HISTORY
The word Vitex is derived from the Latin ‘vieo’, because of the flexible
nature of its stems and twigs. Of the 270 known species of the genus, about 18
are in cultivation and are referred to as ‘chaste tree’, or simply Vitex. The genus
was established by Linnaeus in 1753 with four species: Vitex agnus-castus, V.
pinnata, V. trifolia, and V. negundo in the family Verbenaceae. Later on, Vitex
along with several other genera was transferred from Verbenaceae to
Lamiaceae in the 1990s on the basis of phylogenetic studies of DNA sequences.

V. negundo plants are found almost everywhere though mostly on

wastelands from the seashore to an altitude of about 1,500 m in the outer
Himalayas. It thrives in humid places or along water courses in wastelands and
mixed open forests. It often grows gregariously and is abundant on sandy soils.
 Introduction

Lagundi, scientifically known Vitex negundo

L. belongs to the family Lamiaceae. A large native
shrub that grows in Asia and Southeast Asia such
as the Philippines and India and has been
traditionally used as a herbal medicine. The
extracts from its leaves and roots are mostly
considered to provide the most health benefits.
Lagundi is an erect, Lagundi leaves appear Lagundi flowers are blue to
branched tree or shrub, that palmately, in the form of five- lavender, 6-7 mm long
grows to as much as 5 m. pointed leaves which splay bearing fruit globose of
high. Lagundi has a single out like the fingers of a hand. about 4 mm in diameter that
thick, woody stem like a Lagundi leaves are 4-10 cm. turns black when ripe.
trunk and is usually seen in long, slightly hairy beneath.
swamps.
 Three varieties of V. negundo L.
are currently recognized:

01. Vitex negundo L. var. cannabifolia is prevalent in China

(including Hong Kong), India, Nepal, and Thailand.

02. Vitex negundo L. var. incisa occurs in China, India, Indonesia,

and the Philippines.

Vitex negundo L. var. negundo is found in China, Japan, Taiwan,

03.
Philippines and in the Nallamala Hills (India).
 Common Names

• Dabtan (Ifugao)
• Dangla/Limo-limo (Ilokos.)
• Kamalan (Tagalog.)
• Lagundi ( Tagalog., Bikol., Bisaya.,)
• Turagay (Bisaya)
• Sagarai (Bagobo)
• Tugas ( Cebuano
• Five-leaved chaste tree (English)
 Propagation
Seeds
• The mature seeds sown in nursery beds normally germinate within 2–3 weeks. Four-
to six-month-old seedlings are used for transplanting in the field.
Cuttings
• It can be reproduced readily from shoot cuttings. Vitex negundo roots are strong,
deep and sucking profusely. It produces root suckers which can also be utilized as
planting material.
• Pencil-sized stem cuttings with 2-3 nodes of terminal stem cuttings.
• Initially planted in small containers as 4x6 in. plastic bags.
• Soil mixture of sand and soil (1:1) or soil, rice hull and compost (1:1:1).
• Atleast one node of the stem cuttings should be buried under the soil medium.
• Cuttings are maintained under partial shade & watered as needed.
• Generally, rooting takes place in 3-4 weeks & ready for transplanting 6-8 weeks after
planting.
 Cultural Management

Site Selection
• Reliable water source
• Accessibility (road to market)
• Pollution free
• Soil is well drained with sufficient soil moisture (sandy loam to clay loam)
• Can be grown under partial shade & full sunlight.
Land Preparation
• For newly opened areas, it starts with cleaning followed by plowing and harrowing.
• Zero tillage is practiced for as long as soil structure is good.
• For perennials, land can be planted even with large clod of soil. Small areas where the the seedlings will be
planted is tilled.
• Advisable to add organic matter such as compost, dried animal manures and other crop residues to clayey soil.
 Cultural Management

Layout Preparation
• Follow recommended planting distances.
• Row orientation is preferably in an east-west direction
• Wider spacing is recommended when there is an intercropped or when a small tractor is available for maintenance.
• Mark individual hills with stakes as a guide for holing
• Depth and size of the hole are generally equal to the depth and width of the ball of soil where the seedling is planted.

Hardening and Transplanting

• Hardened prior to transplanting (Hardening is the practice of acclimatizing seedlings to field condition for sometime
prior to final field planting).
• Lessen transplanting shock.
• Transplanting is best during cloudy days or in the late afternoon.
 Cultural Management

Watering
• Watering is done by furrow irrigation at least once a week during the dry season or depending on the soil moisture.
• During the rainy season, there is little or no need for irrigation.

Weeding
• Weed control used in general (plowing in between rows, cutting weeds close to the ground, ring weeding, and
mulching).
• Frequent weeding helps in minimizing pests aside from lessening competition for nutrients and moisture in the soil.
• For large cultivation, cutting the weeds close to the ground once a month is sufficient to control weeds.

Pruning
• Pinching – removing the stem tips of a young plant to promote branching.
• Thinning – removing whole branches back to the trunk. This may be done to open up the interior of a plant to let
more light in and to increase air circulation that can cut down on a plant disease.
 Cultural Management

Fertilizer Application

• Lagundi plants can be fertilized with 0.5-2.0 kg/plant fresh ipil-ipil leaves to get the best height
increment and herbage yield during or two weeks after planting.

• Complete fertilizer (14-14-14) at 10-40g/plant will also give a good growth performance and
this can be applied upon planting or two weeks after.

• Should be done after every harvest to replenish nutrient elements in the soil for the next
harvest.

• Fertilization should be accompanied by a good water supply to ensure proper nutrient uptake.
 Pests and Diseases

Teak defoliator – Hyblaea puera

• Larva causes damage and attack commences with the onset of monsoon rain.
• Larva almost dark greyish-green with faint longitudinal lines or black with a broad or orange-red red band.
• Adult moth with reddish brown free wings or dark brown hindwings having the orange band.

Nature of damage
• Defoliation
• Entire leaf is eaten leaving midrib

Management
• Clip badly affected leaves with larva
• Spraying of neem seed kernel (NSKE) 5%
• Setting up of light trap to trap adults moths
 Pests and Diseases

Teak skeletonizer – Eutectona machaeralis

• Greenish-white larva with a light brown head
• Adult moth with forewings having transverse marking and hindwings with bands.
Nature of damage
• Larva causes damage
• Skeletonization of leaves
• Severe damage results in the browning of leaves.
Management
• Mixed plantations
• Clip severely affected leaves
• Spraying of neem seed kernel extract (NSKE) 5%
• Spraying of Quinalphos at 2ml/lit.
 Pests and Diseases

Leaf Spot
The majority of leaf spots are caused by fungi, but some are caused by bacteria,
leaf spot may result in some defoliation of a plant. Spots are most often brownish,
but may be tan or black. Concentric rings or dark margins are often present.
Fungal bodies may appear as black dots in the spots either in rings or in a central
cluster.

Remove infected leaves and dead twigs

• Raking up and disposing of infected leaves as they drop and pruning out dead twigs can
help control the disease by removing spores that can reinfect the new leaves.
Keep foliage dry
• Avoid overhead watering. Use soaker hoses or water early in the day so the foliage can dry
off before night. Watering can also spread the disease by splashing.
Use fungicides if needed
• In rare cases of severe infection and where the size and value of plants
make it practicable. Spraying needs to be started as buds break in the
spring and repeated at 10-14 day intervals. Recommendations will vary by
disease and fungicides used.

Harvesting and Postharvest Handling

• Leaves to be harvested from plants propagated from cuttings after planting
and every 3-5 months thereafter by pruning the plant 0.5-0.7 meters from
the ground.
• Leaves should be air-dried to a 10% moisture content or less prior to storage.
• In storing dried leaves, place them in sealed polyethylene bags or tin cans
and keep them in a cool , dry place under normal room temperature and
away from direct sunlight.
Leonie Agri Corp or LAC, is an agriceutical company engaged in the production and
processing of wholly organic agricultural products for medicinal, health and nutritional use.
LAC’s agriceutical concept finds its roots in the pharmaceutical heritage of its parent
company, Pascual Laboratories Inc. (PascualLab), which pioneered herbal products such as
an ASCOF Lagundi and RE-LEAF Sambong. Located at the province of Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija
in the Philippines.
 USES OF LAGUNDI
(Medicinal and Agricultural)

Medicinal Uses
• Lagundi has been clinically tested to be effective in the treatment of colds,
flu, bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, and pharyngitis
• Studies have shown that Lagundi can prevent the body’s production of
Leukotrienes, which are released during an asthma attack.
• Lagundi contains Chrysoplenol D, a substance with anti-histamine and
muscle relaxant properties.
• In Japan, Lagundi has becoming recognized as an effective herbal
medicine, especially since researches have shown that it contains
properties that make it an expectorant.
 USES OF LAGUNDI
(Medicinal and Agricultural)

Roots – are used as a treatment for rheumatism, dyspepsia, boils, and leprosy.
Flower is recommended as a cure for liver diseases, and other internal disorders such as diarrhea and
cholera.
Leaves, flowers, seeds, and roots –are used as herbal medicine by boiling these parts and taken orally,
also called decoction.
• The Lagundi plant also has anti-inflammatory functions, and its cooling effects are ideal for treating
skin diseases such as leprosy.
• It is also a pain reliever for headache and toothache; to relieve headache, heat enough fresh lagundi
leaves over a fire until slightly wilted. Then crushed the leaves and apply on forehead and temples.
• For cough, asthma, and fever, lagundi leaves – either dried or fresh are boiled in two glasses of water
for atleast 15 minutes.
 USES OF LAGUNDI
(Medicinal and Agricultural)

Folk medicine in Asian countries

• The Chinese Pharmacopoeia prescribes the fruit in treating reddened, painful, and puffy eyes,
headaches, and arthritic joints. It is also used in the common cold, flu, and cough.
• In Nepal, simali is used in treating sinusitis and cough. In Pakistan, people use it as an anti-
allergenic agent, and to treat gum and skin diseases. In Sri Lanka, it is used to treat eye diseases,
toothaches, rheumatism, tonic, and vermifuge.
• In the Philippines, the leaves, bark, roots, and seeds are used for medicinal purposes by Filipino
traditional healers as and disinfectant. Oil prepared with the juice of plant parts can be rubbed
onto the sinuses and to scrofulous sores of the neck. It cures of sloughing wounds and ulcers.
 USES OF LAGUNDI
(Medicinal and Agricultural)
Agricultural Uses
As growth promoter
• A mixture of the extract of V. negundo leaves is sprayed to control the shedding of flowers and premature fall
of pods in field beans.
As a manure
• Green leaves of many non-nitrogen fixing plants and V. negundo are used for leaf manure.
Insect pest control
• In the olden days, it was common practice to burn dried leaves of Vitex negundo in rice fields, in order to
repel harmful insects.
• The fresh leaves are burn with grass as a fumigant against mosquitoes.
• A mixture of cow urine, Vitex leaves, and hing or asafetida (Ferula assafoetida) is used to control pests in
wheat and paddy fields.
 USES OF LAGUNDI
(Medicinal and Agricultural)

Grain storage
• Farmers and tribals use a handful (4-10%) of V negundo leaves alone and
along with leaves of neem, or turmeric powder for the storage of rice and
black gram.
• Various reports confirm that vitex mixed with freshly harvested paddy, maize,
or mung bean reduces damage by natural infestations of Callosobruchus
chinensis, Sitophilus zeamais, and Rhyzopertha dominica.
 USES OF LAGUNDI
(Medicinal and Agricultural)
Other Uses

Seeds
· Can be used as a condiment or as a pepper substitute.
· It can also be ground into a powder and used similarly to flour.

Roots and leaves

· It can be made as tea.

Young stems
· Utilized in making baskets and also used as firewood.
 TRIVIA
• Ancient Romans, Medieval monks and Priestesses considered the seeds of V.
agnus-castus useful for securing chastity.
• Vitex has been used throughout history to reduce sex drive. Vitex was used as a
herbal supplement which had various effects upon the reproductive systems of
both men and women.
• Athenian women would place leaf clippings from the chaste tree in their beds
during the feasts of Ceres in order to remain pure and virtuous. The whole plant
is used during puberty rituals.
• During the surge of COVID-19, a clinical trials has been conducted by the
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) regarding the potentials of
Lagundi, along with Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO), as treatments for patients with
mild and non-severe COVID-19. Lagundi and VCO showed positive results in so
far as treating with mild to moderate COVID-19 cases.
THANK YOU