Seedling Development of Chicory and Plantain

Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) and plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) are perennial herbs for pastures. Knowledge of growth and development of these species is needed to develop appropriate management practices. We compared growth and development of chicory and plantain during establishment in growth chamber, greenhouse, and field studies. ‘Grasslands Puna’, ‘La Certa’, and ‘Forage Feast’ chicory and ‘Ceres Tonic’ and ‘Grasslands Lancelot’ plantain seedlings were destructively sampled weekly for 7 wk in the growth chamber and greenhouse beginning 8 to10 days after planting (DAP). The number and mass of leaves and roots (primary, lateral, basal, and adventitious; growth chamber only) were recorded. In the field, leaf development was measured during spring and fall of 1997, whereas leaf and root development were measured during spring of 1999. Puna chicory developed a larger root mass than plantains, whereas plantains had greater root length than chicory. Plantains developed 8 to 10 adventitious roots on the hypocotyl, but the chicory cultivars developed only one or two. Plantain and chicory developed only one or two basal roots per plant. Primary and lateral roots dominated the root systems of both species. Leaf development in fall 1997 was slower than in spring with only two leaves forming on each species by 49 DAP in fall compared with six to seven leaves during spring in the field. Across environments (except fall), seedlings developed three to four leaves by 40 to 50 DAP. Our data suggest that development of three to four leaves is required for successful establishment of chicory and plantain seedlings.