Growing Egg Plant (Brinjal)

The brinjal (Solanum melongena) is a warm-season crop grown for its edible fruit.

Climate is one of the most important factors that determine planting times, and the wide climate variation in SA means that good-quality brinjals can be grown in open lands across various parts of the country year-round. The brinjal cannot tolerate very low temperatures; the minimum it can withstand is around 10°C, and the maximum is 34°C.  The optimum temperature for brinjal cultivation is between 26°C and 29°C.  The earliest seedling establishment period is when soil and air temperatures meet the minimum requirements for plant growth. The latest seedling establishment period should allow for growth and harvesting to be completed before adverse conditions set in.


Preferred soil types
Brinjals favor a well-drained loam to sandy loam soil, but will grow reasonably well in a wide range of different soil types.  However,  certain criteria in terms of the soil structure and content must be met to make the crop commercially viable.  These include nutrient composition, compaction, effective soil depth, pH, crop rotation, herbicide residue and the water-holding capacity of the soil.

Varieties
Different varieties produce fruit of different sizes, shapes and colors, varying from white to yellow or green, reddish-purple and dark purple.

The currently favored cultivars produce a fruit that is egg-shaped, 12 cm to 25 cm long and 6 cm to 9 cm in diameter, and has a dark purple skin.

How to prepare the soil
Good soil preparation will improve the potential for profitable brinjal production. Primary soil preparation must create growing conditions that enable the plants to develop the optimal root system.  Most roots occur in the top 600 mm of the soil.  Soil preparation depends on the soil type and the specific variety’s requirements.  On sandy soils, the focus should be to reduce compaction and erosion; on heavier soils, the aim is to reduce crust formation.  Soil should be worked to a depth of between 200 mm and 400 mm.

Ridging is highly recommended, but this should be done according to the land contours. This keeps excess water away from the plant, improves root zone aeration, increases soil depth in the growing bed and promotes root development.

Growing seedlings

Brinjals reproduce by seed. Seedlings should first be established in 128- or 200-hole trays and then transplanted. Although more expensive, the larger 200-hole trays ensure better root development.  Deep sowing is better in warmer conditions, as seedlings take longer to emerge at longer growing distances and cooler temperatures.  Shallow sowing is better under cooler conditions, as seedlings emerge sooner due to shorter growing distances and higher temperatures.  If possible, place seed at a uniform depth using a precision seeder. Grow the seedlings in a well-aerated medium, with good water-holding capacity and a pH of around 6,5. Peat, bark and vermiculite mixes provide good results.

Potential problems
Typical difficulties at this stage include an excessive tannin level and low soil porosity, resulting in poor drainage and green mould build-up. Pre-enrich the medium and fertilise the seedlings 10 days after germination, using a liquid fertiliser.  Keep the seedlings moist, but not wet, by using a watering can or hose with fine spray.

In hot season, seedlings take four to six weeks to reach transplant maturity. In cold, they take approximately eight weeks.
\
#Happyfarming

Growing Pumpkins

In some countries, bush-type varieties are available.The leaf area of these is not large enough to produce more than one or two fruits; for a better yield, the plants must be spaced very close together.

Ultimately, however, the type is less important than the size of fruit and the yield, or the number of fruit per hectare.

Seed is expensive, so space the plants further apart if you can still obtain a good yield.

The old Boer pumpkin is a strong runner that starts producing fruiting flowers only when the runners are quite long. The maximum yield is only about 25 t/ha, however, whereas modern grey-skinned varieties have a substantially higher yield potential.

Spacing is all important, because when the pumpkins ‘join up’ between the rows, they start aborting fruit, a remnant of a primitive survival trait.

The plant’s main objective is to produce seed for the next generation; your eating pleasure is of little consequence. The plant, therefore, tends to strike a balance between the amount of fruit it sets and the leaf area it requires to support the fruit to seed maturity.

Different varieties abort fruit at different times, but all obey the same principle: the plant will not set more fruit than can reach maturity. Moreover, it is often conservative in this regard, so spacing really is important.

Cool weather
Other factors also play a role. A lower average temperature results in the distance between the inter nodes of the vines being shortened and causes the first female fruit to be set closer to the crown.

This means that more fruit will be set on the vines before the rows meet in the middle. Row spacing can therefore vary within one variety depending on the time of the year being planted.

Shorter day-length, often coupled with cooler weather, will also cause fruit to be set closer to the crown.

Finally, conditions in the land can influence spacing in an unexpected way. Good management and high fertility will produce more vigorous vine growth, causing the vines to meet in the middle and start aborting fruit.

For this reason, ironically, yield may be higher where there has been neglect or poorer fertility!

For a good yield
This doesn’t mean that you should not strive for ideal conditions. It just means that when growing conditions are good, you should space the rows further apart. Put another way, for a good yield, the fruit population should be set before the entire area is covered.

#HappyFarming2018