High yielding hybrid

By Our Agriculture Correspondent

A HIGH yielding hybrid brinjal with medium sized, dark violet fruits has been developed by scientists at the department of Vegetable Crops, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Coimbatore.

It has recently been released for commercial cultivation by farmers of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore.

Derived by crossing EP 45 and CO 2, the new F1 hybrid brinjal, CO BH 1, produces oblong fruits of medium size, with higher fruit weight and ascorbic acid content.

The average fruit weight ranges between 60-65 g each, and the ascorbic acid content is 16.65 mg per 100 g, according to the scientists.

The hybrid is suited for April-September, and December-May seasons, and has recorded an average yield of 56.4 tonnes of vegetable per hectare.

It has a duration of 120-130 days in the main field (after transplanting), and it is particularly suited for growing in Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Namakkal, Cuddalore, Trichy, Karur, Dharmapuri and Thiruvannamalai districts as an irrigated crop.

This hybrid has performed exceeding well when compared with other brinjal tested along with it.

It yielded 36 per cent more than that of Raviyya, 34 per cent higher than CO 2, 31 per cent more than MDU-1, 44 per cent more than PLR 1, and 45 per cent more than KKM 1.

About 100 g seeds will be needed to raise nursery to cover a hectare.

The treated seeds should sown in well prepared elevated nursery beds under good shade.

The seeds may be sown in line at an espacement of 10 cm. Alternatively, the seedlings may be raised in polybags, plastic cups or leaf cups.

Quality farmyard manure should be liberally added to the nursery to get healthy and robust seedlings.

The main field should be thoroughly tilled to get fine tilth, and field should be thrown in ridges and furrows at an espacement of 75 cm, and the seedlings should be planted leaving a spacing of 60 cm between them.

Seedlings of 25 to 30 days age should be transplanted in the main field.

About 25 tonnes of farmyard manure should be incorporated into the soil with the last ploughing. About 2 kg azospirillum mixed with 20 kg farmyard manure should be applied to the field.

As basal dressing, 100 kg each of nitrogen and potash and 150 kg phosphorus should be added per hectare.

As top dressing 100 kg nitrogen should be added on the 30 th day after planting, and the same quantity is added on the 60 th day as well.

The crop should be regularly irrigated at weekly intervals. Hand weeding and earthing up should be done on the 30 th day of planting.

Plant protection with bio-control agents and botanical insecticides will prove to be beneficial.

The fruits should be harvested when they are fully-grown and tender.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Science & Tech
Previous : Making operation and recovery time shorter
Next     : Leaf spot of palak greens