Effects of different rates of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) on eggplant yield

Abstract

The balanced fertilization is crucial for obtaining a good plants growth and achieve good productivity indices. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) under different doses of nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) performed separately. The study was conducted in 5 liter-pots arranged in a completely randomized design, consisting of 5 doses (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha-1) of N and P2O5 with 5 replications in a greenhouse, located at latitude 22° 13' S and longitude 54° 48' W. The variables analyzed were: root fresh mass (RFM) and root dry mass (RDM), shoot fresh mass (SFM) and shoot dry mass (SDM), fruit weight (FW), number of fruits (FN) per plant, stem diameter (SD) and plant height (PH). Application of N had significant effects on all variables studied, except for SD. Application of P2O5 had significant effects on most variables, except for PH, SFM and FW. N applications affected yield more than P2O5 due to FN and FW. The dose of 100 to 150 kg ha-1 both for N and P2O5 provided the best results. Key words: Soil fertility, plant nutrition, horticulture, Solanaceae.