Brinjal belongs to Solanaceae family, considered native to India and is a widely grown vegetable in Asian countries. It is a hardy crop than other vegetables. Due to its hardness, it can be successfully grown in dry area with low irrigation facilities. It is moderate source of Vitamins and minerals. It can grow throughout the year. India is second largest producer of Brinjal after China. In India, major Brinjal growing states are West Bengal, Orissa, Karnataka, Bihar, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh.

It is taken as Kharif, Rabi as well as summer crop. In Maharashtra, near about 28,115 hectare area is under brinjal cultivation.

Brinjal is a hardy crop so it can be grown on different type of soils. As it is a long duration crop, it required well drained fertile sandy loam soil is best suited for its cultivation and gives good yield. For early crop, light soil is good and for high yield clay loam, silt loam is suitable. For good growth pH of soil should be 5.5 to 6.6.

Pusa Purple Long: Early maturing variety. Ready to harvest in 70-80days after sowing in winter season and 100-110days during summer season. Plant having medium height, fruits are of long, purple color. It gives average yield of 120qtl/acre.

Manjari Gota: Dwarf variety with purple fruits having white color strips on it. Fruits having good keeping quality. Gives average yield of 100-120qtl/acre.

Krushna: Dwarf and hardy hybrid. Fruits are oval shape with bright purple color. Gives average yield of 160-180qtl/acre.

Phule Harit: Variety having large size fruits with light green color fruits having white strips on it. Gives average yield of 80-195qtl/acre.

Phule Arjun: Hybrid. Medium, light green color fruits. Suitable for kharif as well summer season. Gives average yield of 180qtl/acre.

Vaishali: Dwarf and spreading variety with attractive purple color. Gives average yield of 120qtl/acre.

Pragati: Oval shape fruits with bright purple color fruits. Fruits are ready to harvest in 175days. Gives average yield of 100-120qtl/acre.

Aruna: Medium heighted variety with bright purple color fruits. Gives average yield of 120-140qtl/acre.

Pusa Purple Cluster: Developed by ICAR, New Delhi. Medium duration variety. Fruits are of deep purple color and borne in clusters. It is moderately resistant to bacteria wilt. 

Pusa Ankur: Medium to tall variety with small, round purple color fruits. Gives average yield of 225 to 235qtl per acre. 

Pusa Purple Round: It is tolerant to little leaf and shoot and fruit borer. 

Pusa Hybrid 5: Fruits are long with dark purple color. Ready to harvest in 80-85days. Gives average yield of 204qtl/acre.

Pusa Hybrid 6: Fruits are round, glossy with attractive purple color. As it is early bearing hybrid, ready for first harvest within 85 to 90days after sowing. Gives average yield of 180 to 185 qtl/acre. 

Kashi Sandesh: Fruits are shiny with light purple color. Gives average yield of 240-280qtl/acre.

Plough land for three-four times and bring soil to fine tilth. Apply well decomposed cowdung@42qtl per acre and mix well in soil.

Seeds of brinjal are sown in nursery beds which are 3 meter long, 1 meter wide and 15 cm high. Well rotten cowdung is mixed in nursery bed. Nursery bed is drenched with Captan solution two days before sowing to avoid the attack of damping off disease in brinjal nursery. Then seeds are sown in rows 2.5cm apart and at depth of 1.5cm. After then give light irrigation. The nursery beds should be covered with black polythene sheets or paddy straw till the seed germinates. Healthy seedlings having 3-4 leaves or 12-15cm in height (30-40 days crop) are ready for transplanting.

Transplanting:Before transplanting, the soil should be well prepared by deep ploughing 4-5 times and leveled. When the field is well prepared and leveled, the beds of suitable size are made in the field before transplanting. Transplanting is done in evening and light irrigation is done after planting.

Time of sowing

Cultivation of brinjal is done round the year. For Kharif season crop, prepare nursery in month of June and carry out transplantation in July – August month.

For Winter season, prepared nursery in September end and complete transplantation in October – November month.

For summer season, complete seed sowing in January month and transplantation in February month.

Spacing

Choose spacing depending upon soil type i.e. for heavy soils, use spacing of 100cmx100cm. Use spacing of 75cmx75cm for medium soils where as for light soils spacing of 60x60cm 0r 75cmx60cm. 

Sowing Depth

In nursery sow seeds at depth of 2-3cm and then covered with soil.

Method of sowing

Transplantation of seedling in main field.

Seed Rate

For one acre land, for variety use seed rate of 200gm and for hybrid use seed rate of 60gm.

Seed Treatment

For sowing use only trusted and good seeds. Before sowing do seed treatment with Thiram@3gm or Carbendazim@3gm/kg of seeds. After chemical treatment, treat seeds with Trichoderma viride@4gm/kg of seed, dry in shed and sow immediately. 

 Fertilizer Requirement (kg/acre)

Nutrient Requirement (kg/acre)

Overall brinjal crop required,Nitrogen@40kg, Phosphorus@20kg and Potash@20kg per acre. Apply in form of Urea@90kg, SSP@125kg and Potash@35kg per acre. Apply Half of Nitrogen and full dose of Potash and Phosphorus at time of field preparation. Give remaining amount of Nitrogen, 30days after transplantation.  

WSF: Apply Humic acid@1Ltr/acre or do soil application of 5kg granules/acre, in initial vegetative growth of crop. It will help in better vegetative growth and good yield. 10-15days after transplantation take spray of NPK 19:19:19 @10gm along with micronutrient@2.5 to 3gm/Ltr of water. In vegetative growth, sometime due to low temperature plant cannot absorb nutrients from soil, plant get weak and give yellow appearance. In such situation give spray of NPK19:19:19 or 12:61:00@5-7gm/Ltr of water. If required, repeat spray after 10-15days. 40-45 days after transplantation, take spray of 20%Boron@1gm along with micronutrient@2.5 to 3 gram per liter of water. To fulfill nutrient requirement and to increase yield by 10-15%, give two sprays of NPK 13:00:45@20gm/Ltr of water. Give first spray at 50days and second 10days after first spray. When the crop is in flowering or fruiting stage, take spray of 00:52:34 or NPK 13:00:45@20gm/Ltr of water. 

In high temperature flower drop is observed, to control flower drop take spray of NAA@4ml/15Ltr water when crop is in flowering stage. Repeat spray after 20-25 days.

Generally two - four weeding’s and hoeing are necessary for weed control, aeration and for the good growth of plants. Mulching with black polythene film reduces weed growth and maintains soil temperature.

To control weeds efficiently, do pre-plant soil application of Fluchloralin@600-800 ml/acre or Oxadiazon@400gm/acre and pre-plant surface spraying of Alachlor@2 ltr/acre for better results.

Irrigate the field after every third or fourth day during the summer season and after 12 to 15 days during the winter season. Timely irrigation is very important for high yields of brinjal. Brinjal fields should be regularly irrigated to keep the soil moist during frosty days. Avoid water stagnation in field as brinjal cannot tolerate water logging.  

• Pests and their control:

Fruit and Shoot Borer: It is one of the major and serious insect pests of brinjal. A short pinkish caterpillar bores into the terminal shoot and eats internal tissue in initial stages, later it bores into the young fruit. The large holes can be seen on the infected fruits. The insect affected fruits become unfit for consumption.

Scout field every week after transplanting for fruit and shoot borer infestation. Remove and destroyed infected fruits. Take spray of Triazophos@20ml/10Ltr water and Neem extract@50gm/Ltr, one month after transplanting. Repeat spray with interval of 10-15 days. When crop is in flowering stage take spray of Chlorantraniliprole 18.5%SC (Coragen)@5ml+Teepol@5ml in 12 Ltr of water, twice with 20 days interval.

In initial stage of infestation, take spray of 5% Neem extract@50gm/Ltr. If infestation is seen in field take sprayed of 25% Cypermethrin@2.4 ml/10Ltr of water on affected crops. For high population spray Spinosad@1ml/Ltr of water. Avoid spraying of Triazophos or any other insecticide after fruit maturation and harvest.

Aphids: The plants are also attacked by mite, aphids and mealy bug. They suck the sap from the leaves resulting in yellowing and drooping of leaves.

If infestation of Aphid, white fly is observed in field to control take spray of Deltamethrin + Triazophos combination@ 10ml/10Ltr of water. To keep check on white fly spray with Acetamiprid@5gm/15Ltr of water.

Thrips: To check severity of thrips, keep blue sticky traps@6-8 per acre and to reduce the incidence take spray of Verticillium lecani@5gm/Ltr of water. If incidence of thrips is more, to control take spray of Fipronil@2ml/Ltr of water.

Mite: If infestation of Mite is observed in field, to control take spray of Abamectin@1-2ml/Ltr or Fenazaquin@2ml/Ltr of water.

Leaf eating caterpillar: Some time Incidence of caterpillars is seen mostly at initial stage of crop.

To control spray with neem based pesticides. If those are not that effective and infestation become high then only take spray of chemicals pesticides like Emamectin benzoate@4gm or Lambda Cyhalothrin@2ml/1Ltr of water.

• Diseases and their control:

Root Knot Nematodes: It is common in brinjal crop. These are more harmful at initial stage of seedlings. They cause root galls. Due to infestation of root knot nematodes, plant get stunted, give yellow appearance and thus affect yield.

Avoid monocropping and follow crop rotation. Incorporate Carbofuran or Phorate@5-8kg/acre in the soil.

Damping Off: Moist and poorly drain soil causes damping off disease. It is soil borne disease. Water soaking and shrivelling of stem occurs. Seedlings killed before emergence. If it appears in nursery the entire lot of seedling may get destroyed. It is a serious disease of brinjal.

Before sowing do seed treatment with Thiram@3gm per Kg of seeds. Do soil solarisation of nursery soil. If damping off is observed in nursery. Drained out water and drenched soil of nursery with Copper Oxychloride@3gm/Ltr of water.

Phomopsis Blight and Fruit Rot: Dark brown color spots appear on leaves. The fruit show watery lesion and becomes black in appearance.

Before sowing do seed treatment with Thiram@3gm per kg of seeds. Use blight disease resistant variety for cultivation. If infestation observed in field take spray of Zineb@2gm/Ltr of water or Mancozeb@2.5gm per litre of water.

Little Leaf: The affected leaves become thinner. The petal turn green leaf like. Infected plant does not bear fruit. The disease is transmitted by leaf hopper.

Use disease resistant variety. In nursery use 10% Foret (20 gm, for 3 X 1 m broad bed). At time of sowing apply Phorate in between two rows of seeds. If infection observed, at initial stage, removed disease affected plants. Spray the crop with Dimethoate or Oxydemiton Methyl@1ml per litre of water. Little leaf is spread mainly through Aphid infestation, to keep check on Aphid Population spray with Thiamethoxam 25%WG@5gm/15Ltr of water.

Mosaic: Light and green patches observed on leaves. Small bubbles or Blisters are form on leaves and leaf size remains small. 

Select healthy and disease free seeds for cultivation. Uproot and destroyed infected plant away from field. Recommendations given for aphids may be adopted. (Take spray of Acephate 75SP@1gm/Ltr or Methyl demeton 25EC@2ml/Ltr of water or Dimethoate@2ml/Ltr of water.

Wilt: Dropping of entire leaves along with yellowing of crops. Wilting or drying of entire plant is seen. If infected stems cut and dipped in water, a white milky stream appears.

Follow crop rotation. Cultivation of brinjal after french bean helps in controlling wilt. Remove and destroyed infected plant parts away from field. Avoid water stagnation in the field, to control wilt drench soil with of Copper Oxychloride@2.5gm/1Ltr of water.

Brinjal is harvested when the fruit attain proper size, color and before ripening stage. The fruit should have glossy appearance, attractive bright color to fetch good prices in the market.

Brinjal fruits cannot be stored at room temperature for long duration because of high transpiration rate and water loss. Brinjal fruit can be stored for 2-3 weeks at 10-11°C temperature and 92% relative humidity. After harvesting, Grading is done on the basis of Super, Fancy and Commercial. For packing, use gunny bags or baskets.