Production Performance of Eggplant (Solanum melongena) Applied with Different Plant Food Supplements (PFS)

Abstract

 The study was conducted at the Organic Agriculture Project of Capiz State University, Burias Campus, Mambusao, Capiz, to determine the production performance of eggplant applied with different plant food supplements. It was laid out in a 2×4 factorial experiment using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three treatments replicated three times. Factor A was the cropping season: A1- first cropping (July to December) and A2- second cropping (November to March). Factor B comprised different plant food supplements: A- Control, B- Vermitea, and Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ). All eggplant growth and yield parameters were analyzed using the STAR software and the Least Significant Difference (LSD) test for mean comparisons. The result of the study showed that the growth and yield of eggplant were not affected by the application of the different plant food supplements. On the other hand, plant height, stem girth, number of leaves, length of fruits, diameter of fruits, and weight of marketable fruit were affected by the growing season. No interaction effect between the season of growing and the applications of different plant food supplements was noted in all growth and yield parameters except for the width of leaves. Generally, bigger, longer, heavier fruits were harvested during the dry season.