Brinjal - Efresh India

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Brinjal
(Solanum melongena L.)
This is a typical Indian vegetable grown in many parts of the country, almost
throughout the year. There are many varieties of Brinjal. Of them, white Brinjal has
some medicinal properties. Brinjal is a warm season fruit vegetable, highly susceptible
to frost. Optimum temperature for growth and fruit set is 16-22 degrees Celsius. The
long fruited varieties set fruit at higher temperature and show tolerance to frost.
A wild type of Brinjal with deeply variegated leaves – solanum sisimbrifolium (Lam) is
considered to be the ancestral species of the present day cultivated Brinjal. It is highly
cross pollinated due to hetero style nature of the flower. There are four types of
flowers in Brinjal a).long styled b).medium styled c). short styled and d). pseudo
styled. Only long styled and medium styled flowers set fruit.

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In Brinjal flowers generally open in the morning. Anther dehiscence occurs 15 to 20
minutes after the flowers open. Receptivity ranges from a day prior to 4 days after
opening. Pollen is most fertile immediately after the anther dehiscence. Opening of
anthers is mostly by a pore or slit at apex. The somatic chromosome number is 2n=24.
The fruit shape in Brinjal is governed by 3 genes. Round shape is partially dominant
over long shape. Similarly the cluster character is partially dominant over solitary
nature. It is governed by a single gene. Large fruit size is dominant over small and
purple fruit color is dominant over green.
Major problems in Brinjal production are fruit & shoot borer and bacterial wilt. White
Long Brinjal, Thorn pendy, H407 are resistant to fruit borer. Breeding for bacterial wilt
resistance in Brinjal resulted in the selection of Sm48, 56 and 71.
Varieties
There are many varieties and hybrids in Brinjal. They are classified based on shape,
color, calyx character, thorny nature etc. There are regional preferences for these
characters. Among straight varieties Pusa Purple Long, P.Purple Cluster, P.Kranti,
P.Purple Round developed at IARI and Arka Sheel, A.Shirish, A.Kusumakar,
A.Navaneeth of IIHR, Punjab Barsati of PAU, Azad Kranti, Pant Samrat from U.P. are
popular. A large number of hybrids were developed by private and public research
organizations and are now in the market.
Cultivation details
Brinjal seed is sown on a raised nursery bed and the seedlings after 4-5 weeks are
transplanted in a well prepared field at 75X60, 60X60 or 60X45 cm. spacing depending
on the growth habit of the variety or hybrid cultivated. About 200 gm. Of seed is
required to raise the nursery in about 40 Sq.m. for transplanting in an acre. When
hybrid seeds are used about 60-80 gm. are utilized for transplanting in one acre.
The main field for production is prepared by plowing 3-4 times, leveling the land and
making ridges & furrows to facilitate flow irrigation and drainage. Before the final
plowing 3-4 tons of well decomposed farm yard manure and 200 kg of Single Super
Phosphate is applied per acre and incorporated into the soil before making the ridges.

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Seedlings are taken out from the nursery in the morning and kept in shade and
transplanted in the evening on the sides of the ridges and irrigated immediately. The
roots of the seedlings before transplanting are dipped in solution containing PSB and
the tops in the solution containing a pesticide and a fungicide. The seedlings are
transplanted without bending the tap root.
Irrigation & Manuring :
Irrigations are given every week to maintain soil moisture levels at 60% depletion.
Weeding, hoeing and other cultural operation are carried out to keep the field free
from weeds and to facilitate root aeration.
Depending on the soil type and the cultivar, fertilizer doses are decided. Normally 40
kg N, 40 kg P and 25 kg K are applied per acre. Complete P in the form of SSP and half
of K in the form of MOP is applied before transplanting. N is applied in 3 split doses
starting from 5 th week at monthly intervals. Balance K is applied in the 2&3
applications of N. Brinjal normally does not require application of micro nutrients,
unless the soils and irrigation waters are defective.
During flowering and fruiting weekly sprays of 2, 4-D @ 2ppm is given for improving
fruit set and yield.
In fields with persistent weeds, pre planting application of Treflon @ 400-500 gm per
acre reduces the problem.
Harvesting and Yield
Brinjal is harvested before it attained full maturity, as it is edible from the time it is
quarter grown, until it reached ripening. Brinjal with green calyx is preferred by the
consumers.
Storage
After harvest, Brinjal can remain in good condition for 3-4 days at room temperatures
and up to 4 weeks in cold storage at 8-10 degree C. and 90% R.H. Brinjal packed in
plastic crates stand well in transport.

Crop Protection
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Many pests and diseases affect Brinjal right from nursery stage till the produce is
harvested. Damping off of seedlings in the nursery is common. Phomopsis blight, leaf
spots, wilt, little leaf and mosaic are major diseases. Among the pests, fruit & shoot
borer takes a heavy toll followed by damage caused by Epilachna beetles, jassids, red
spider mites, mealy bugs etc.