Dumaguete Long Purple: A Waterlogging-tolerant Eggplant

EGGPLANT is a popular vegetable that is cultivated for its immature fruits, which may be fried, pickled, processed, roasted, or stuffed. Young fruits are also eaten raw.

EGGPLANT is a popular vegetable that is cultivated for its immature fruits, which may be fried, pickled, processed, roasted, or stuffed. Young fruits are also eaten raw.

Eggplant can be grown from low- to mid-elevation areas throughout the year. Highest production can be achieved during the cool, dry months. It thrives best in sandy loam soil with pH 5.5-6.5.

The Dumaguete Long Purple is an old variety that is waterlogging-tolerant eggplant that matures in 100 days and yields 20-25 tons per hectare (t/ha). Its fruits are large, slightly tapering, shiny, and greenish purple.

Waterlogging-tolerant eggplants with resistance against bacterial wilt and other major diseases can be used as stock plants with high-yielding tomato cultivars as scions. Grafted plants can be grown as alternative crops during the rainy months or offseason production of tomatoes.

CULTURAL MANAGEMENT

Land Prepation

Prepare land by plowing and harrowing twice. Make furrows 1 meter (m) apart. Spread fully decomposed chicken manure along rows at 1 kilogram (kg)/m or 500 grams (g)/hill. Apply complete fertilizer (1414-14) at 10-35 g/hill and lightly cover with soil. Establish furrows 0.75 m or 1 m apart.

Seedling Production

Prepare five seedbeds measuring 1 m x 10 m each.

Incorporate 1 kg fully decomposed chicken manure and 300 g carbonized rice hull per square meter.

Wet the seedbeds and make shallow lines 5 inches (in) apart. Sow thinly 200250 g of seeds and cover lightly with soil. Mulch with rice hull or chopped rice straw. Provide rain shelter during the wet season and water regularly.

(Better still, sow seeds in plastic seedling trays using processed seedling media like Biomedia from Novatech, or a mixture of carbonized rice hull, cocopeat, and sand.- editor)