BRINJAL is a popular vegetable which is grown the year around. It is cultivated on small family farms, and is an important source of nutrition. It is also a source of income for many resource-limited farmers.

Vegetables represent a dynamic segment of the agriculture sector. These are short-duration crops which can be grown even in small spaces. An improved vegetable productivity puts the prices of vegetables within the reach of the poor of both the urban and rural areas. More than 36 varieties of vegetables are grown in Faisalabad on a large scale which includes brinjal.

Brinjal, also known as ‘eggplant’ and ‘baigan’, is one of the most common vegetables grown throughout the country. This can be grown successfully under the prevailing climatic conditions especially in the plain areas of Punjab and Sindh.

Many factors affect the quality of this vegetable, insects and diseases being the most harmful among them. For the benefit of growers some recommendations are made for the production of better quality brinjal:

Soil and climate: Brinjal can be grown on all types of soils. However, it grows the best on loose, friable, well-drained silt-loam or clay-loam soils rich in organic matter. An early crop gives good yield in light soils. It is a warm season crop and is susceptible to frost. A daily mean temperature of 13-21°C is most favourable for its successful growth.

Varieties: Mainly two varieties of the vegetable are grown here i.e. round and elongated. The first comprises Dilnasheen, Round Black and Pusa Purple Round while the second includes Bemissal, Nirala, Qaisar, and Y-Long. Round cultivars are high yielding whereas long ones are having better taste in addition to high yield.

Sowing seasons: It is grown in plains through out the year, but Rabi season is the best.

Seed rate: Brinjal seeds are sown on nursery beds to raise seedlings for transplanting in field. A nursery of 25-30 beds is adequate to transplant one hectare. Raised, well-levelled beds of size 7.2 x 1.2 m and 10-15 cm in height are prepared. Well-decomposed farm yard manure (FYM) or leaf mould may be mixed with the soil at the time of bed preparation. The beds should then be covered with dry straw or grass or sugarcane leaves to maintain required temperature and moisture. To avoid destruction of seedlings due to damping off, drenching of the beds with proper fungicide is effective. The seedlings with 3-4 leaves which are approximately 30-35 days old should be transplanted with a spacing of 50x50 cm Or 75x50 cm.

Intercultural operations: The field should be kept weed-free, especially in the initial stage of plant growth, as weeds compete with the crop and reduce the yield. For this purpose weeding, hoeing and pruning up should be done with the addition of fertiliser.

Manure and fertiliser: The dose of fertiliser depends upon the soil fertility and amount of organic manure applied to the crop. For a good yield, 15-20 tones of well-decomposed FYM are incorporated into the soil. In general, application of 150 kg N, 100 kg P2O5 and 50 kg K2O is recommended for optimum yield. Half dose of N and full dose of P and K is given at the time of planting. The balance half of N is given in three equal split doses.

High doses are recommended for hybrid varieties, which is 200 kg N, 100 kg P2O5 and 100 Kg K2O. Out of this dose, 25 per cent of N and 100 per cent of P & K is applied as basal dose. Remaining 75 per cent of P is applied in three equal split doses.

Irrigation: Continuous supply of moisture should be maintained around the root zone of the plant. A light irrigation is needed on the first and third day after transplantation. Thereafter irrigation is needed at an interval of 8-10 days during winter and 5-6 days during summer.

Insect control: In case of Epilachana beetles, both adults and grubs skeletonise the leaves which present a lace like appearance. These leaves dry up and plant presents an unhealthy appearance. Spray of Malathion at the rate of 3ml per water and Methyl parathion at the rate of 1ml per litre of water.

Brinjal shoot and fruit-borer causes a serious damage to the fruits leading to severe reduction in yield. The damage starts soon after transplantation and continues till harvest. Short pinkish larva of the pest initially bores into the terminal shoots resulting in withering and drying of the shoot. In the later stage, it bores into the young fruits by making holes and feeds inside which makes the fruit unfit for consumption.

For effective control of borer continuous cropping of brinjal on the same piece of land should be avoided. Effected plant parts and fruits should be picked and destroyed. Spraying the crop with Carbaryl or Cypermethrin (0.5ml/litre of water) at fortnightly intervals starting from 35 days after transplanting controls the pest. Best results are obtained when affected fruits are removed before spraying.

Both nymphs and adults of jassids suck the sap from the lower surface of the leaves. The infested leaf curls upward along the margins, which may turn yellowish and show, burnt up patches. Fruit setting is adversely affected by infestation. They are controlled by spraying Malathion or Dichlorphos 20 days after transplantation.

In case of red spider mite nymphs and adults suck cell sap and white patches appear on leaves. Affected leaves become mottled, turn brown and fall. During egg stage and the resting stages, most miticides are ineffective but effective at high temperatures. It may be necessary to apply these at an interval of two days.

Mealy bug attacks in the form of nymphs and adults which suck sap from the leaves, tender shoots, and fruits. Leaves show characteristic curling symptoms similar to that of a virus. A heavy black sooty mould may develop on the honeydew like droplets secreted by mealy bugs. It causes reduction in yield as well as quality. Crawlers are free from waxy coating and therefore the crawler stage is the most effective for spraying pesticides. Spraying of insecticides like Dichlorophos or Chlorpyriphos with fish oil rosin soap was found to control the insect population.

Diseases control: In case of early blight scattered dark brown spots on leaflets showing concentric rings may cover large areas of the leaf blade. Severely affected leaves may drop off. The infected fruits turn yellow and drop off prematurely. Spray with Bordeaux mixture 5:5:50.

Little myco-plasma like organism affects the plant by producing tiny leaves, which are pale green in colour. Plants become bushy due to stimulation of auxiliary buds in to numerous shoots of small leaves. Flowers are sterile. Rouge out diseased plants. Spray any insecticide to control the vector.

Mosaic virus infected plants show malformation and yellowing of leaves, stunted growth and some times show concentric rings on the leaf lamina. Infected plants bear less number of flowers and fruits. Rouge out diseased plants. Spray insecticides to control the vector.

Harvesting: The harvesting starts from 50th day onwards and continues for 50 days in the first phase and a second phase can be obtained after 20-25 days if adequate nutrition and irrigation are provided. The crop can be removed after 110 days if the second flush is not desired, otherwise it can be retained for 150-160 days.