Introduction

Brinjal or eggplant is a significant carbonaceous harvest of sub tropics and tropics. The name brinjal is accepted in Indian subcontinents and is derived from Arabic and Sanskrit whereas the name eggplant has been resultant from the form of the fruit of some varieties, which are white and be similar to in shape to chicken eggs. It is also called aborigine (French word) in Europe. The brinjal is of much weight in the humid areas of Far East, being grown lengthily in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, China and the Philippines. It is also popular in Egypt, France, Italy and United States. In India, it is one of the most common, popular and principal vegetable crops grown throughout the country apart from higher altitudes. It is a ingenious crop adapted to different ago-climatic regions and can be grown all the way through the year. It is a perennial but grown commercially as an twelve-monthly crop. A number of cultivars are grown in India, consumer penchant being dependent upon fruit color, size and shape. The varieties display a wide range of fruit shapes and colors, ranging from oval or egg-shaped to long club-shaped; and from white, yellow, green through degrees of purple pigmentation to almost black. Most of the commercially important varieties have been designated from the long highly regarded types of the steamy India and China

Origin of brinjal

Brinjal is measured a native to India where the main domestication of large fruited cultivars occurred. In “Origin of educated plants” published in 1886 De Candolle, avowed that the species S. Melongena has been known in India from ancient times and regarded it as a resident of Asia. Vavilov (1928) was of the estimation that its centre of origin was in the Indo-Burma region. Various forms, colors and shapes of brinjal are found throughout South-East Asia, suggesting that this area is an imperative centre of variation. A centre of assortment is believed to be in the region of Bangladesh and Myanmar (Former India-Burma border). Evidence to this was given by Isshiki et al (1994) based on the is enzyme and morphological variation noticed in large neoplasm collection from India. According to Even and Zhukov sky (1975), it originated in India but stretch eastward and by the 5^th century B.C. was in China, which became a secondary centre of variation. Thus, it has been known for the last 1500 years in China. Arabic traders were in charge for ensuing movement to Africa and Spain. Brinjal cultivation in the Mediterranean region is relatively recent. Portuguese colonies took it to Brazil. It is now widely cultivated for its fruits in the tropical, subtropical and warm temperate zones, especially in Southern Europe and the Southern United States. Sampson (1936) suggested the African origin of this crop, but there is no proof that S. melongena is native there though there are spiny African brinjal plants.

Kinds of brinjal

It is extra premature variety, becomes ready for selection in about 75-80 days after sowing during autumn-winter season and takes 100-110 days during spring-summer spell. After normal transplanting it becomes all set for picking in about 45 days. It is a selection from a mixed Batista variety commonly adult in Punjab, Delhi and Western Uttar Preshrank. It has semi-erect to bushy habit, me3dium in height. Fruits are long, slender, purple, and glossy, 25-25 cm long tend to drop drown and touch the ground. It is grave yielder. Regular yield is 300 q/Hausa Purple Cluster. A medium- early mixture, developed at IARI. New Delhi, Fruits are 10-12 cm long, deep lavender in color and borne in clusters of 4-9 suitable for southern and northern hills, moderately resistant to bacteria wilt.   Azad Kristi. A variety acknowledged in 1983 from Kalyanpur. Fruits uniformly thick, oblong. 15-20 cm long, dark purple with a shining green color and less seeded.Arka Keshev. Fruits 18-20 cm long. 5-6 cm in length and dark purple. They are bright, soft and surround less seed. Yields 300-400 q/ha Arka Shirish. Fruits are very long, soft, thick, attractive and light green in color. Seeds are absent or very less in half fruit towards the stalk. Flesh is nutritive. It yields 380 q/ha.Pusa Hybrid-5. Plants are vigorous, non-spiny, with semi-erect branches. Fruits long, glossy attractive, dark purple with incompletely pigmented peduncle weigh about 100 g each. It takes 80-85 days from sowing to first picking. It is an early hybrid and high yielding (510q/ha) Pusa Purple Round. It was developed at IARI, New Delhi, Each weighs 137g. It is liberal to little piece of paper and shoots and fruit borer.Pant Ritual. A derivative of T-3×PPC from Pantnager. Fruits are almost round. Beautiful purple in colour, soft, less seeded and endowed with good flavour. Average yield is 400q/ha. It possesses field resistance to bacterial wilt.Punjab Bahar It is a thorn less variety developed mainly for cultivation in the spring term. Fruit dark purple with shining surface each weighing 200-300g.The fruit is plumpy and contain less seeds.Arka Kusumaker. An improvement over the local collection (IIHR-193) from Karnataka. Fruits small, long, borne in clusters of 5 to 7, good in texture and cooking qualities and skin light green. Average yield is 330 q/ha.

Suitable climate

The brinjal is a warm season produce, therefore vulnerable to severe frost. Low warmth during the cool term causes buckle of fruits. A long and warm mounting season is desirable for successful brinjal production. Cool nights and short summers are unsuited to acceptable yield.  A daily mean temperature of 13 to 21C is most favorable for optimum growth and yield. The brinjal seed germinate well at 25C The brinjal can be grown in all types of soil varying from light sandy to heavy clay. Light soils are good for an early yield, while clay-loam and silt-loam are well suited for higher yield. Loam and sandy soil of typical and higher status are best suited for brinjal cultivation. The soil should fertile and well drained. Brinjal is very hardy crop and can be grown even in adverse conditions like in soil having high pH Brinjal has great adaptability since the crop remain in the field for a number of months. The soil should be thoroughly prepared by sloughing 4 to 5 times before transplanting the seedlings. Bulky organic manures like well rotten crowding or compost should be incorporated evenly on the soil Brinjal is a heavy feeder crop. Therefore a balance application of manure and    fertilizers is very important for important for successful crop production. Further the brinjal being a long duration crop require a good amount of compost and fertilizers. Well putrid farmyard manure or compost (200-250 q/ha) should be incorporated at the time of field training. The crop should be supplemented with 100-120 kg nitrogen and 50-60 kg each of phosphorus and potash hybrid requires more amount of fertilizers. Full dose of phosphorus and potash and half of N is applied at the of final field preparation before transplanting and the remaining quantity of N as urea is functional in two to three splits after 30, 45 and 60 days of transplanting in the farm of top dressing.

Method

Block of 3 m length, 1.0 m broad and 0.15 m Height are ready. Add 15 kg well putrid farmyard compost in each bed. A small number of super phosphates may be used. Soak the nursery beds each captain (2 g/kg seed) if not treat already. Sow the seeds 1 cm deep in rows 5 cm apart. Cover the seeds with the mixture of well rotten manure and fine soil and press it well. Cover the beds with wheat husk or clean dry grass. Do watering with fine rose-can in sunrise and sunset. Water stagnation in bed causes damping off. Remove the water husk or dry grass after the seeds have germinated. Spray the seedlings with Captain (2g/ liter water) and Endoscope (1ml/2 liter water) when they are 15 days old to manage the extend of viral and fungal disease. After the break of monsoon, drench the soil around seedlings with Captain (1g/liter water) as a preventative measure against damping off disease. Germination of seeds and growth of plants in nursery slow because of low heat during November- January. The seedlings should be sheltered from cold winds and frost by proper covering. The small low cost playhouses may be used to raise the seedling in the winters. The seedlings are ready in 4-5 weeks for transplanting, when they attained a height of 12-15 cm with 3-to 4leavess. Harden the seedlings by withholding irrigation. Uproot the seedlings carefully without grievance to the roots. Transplanting should b e done during evening hours followed by irrigation. Firmly bear down on the soil around the seedlings. Spacing depends upon the richness status of soil, type of verities and suitability of the season. In general 60×60 cm spacing is kept for non-spreading type verities and 75-90×60-75 cm for spreading type verities Irrigation the field as per the need of crop. Timely irrigation is quite necessary for good growth, flowering, fruit setting and development of fruits. Higher yield may be obtained at optimum moisture level and soil fertility conditions. In plains irrigation should be applied every third to fourth day during hot weather and every 7 to12 days during winter. Irrigation is given before top dressing of there is no rain. The brinjal field should be regularly irrigated to keep the soil moist during frosty days.