Abstract
Eggplant ( Solanum melongena L.) is an increasingly popular crop in the United States. In the southeastern United States, eggplant is often produced with high levels of irrigation water [above the rate of crop evapotranspiration (ETc)], resulting in water waste and nitrogen (N) leaching. The objective of this research was to assess the effects of irrigation rate on plant growth and fruit yield in eggplant. The study was conducted in Tifton, GA, in the fall of 2010 and 2011. Eggplant plants cv. Santana were grown on raised beds (1.8 m centers) covered with white plastic film mulch. There was a single drip tape along the center of the bed. The design was a randomized complete block with five treatments and four replications. Treatments consisted of irrigation rates based on ETc (33%, 67%, 100%, 133%, and 167% ETc). Plant growth, chlorophyll index (CI), and volumetric soil water content (SWC) were monitored over the season. In 2010, SWC (0–30 cm deep) increased and soil nitrate levels decreased with increasing irrigation rates. Foliar N and potassium (K), and CI decreased with increasing irrigation rate, probably due to a dilution effect. Stem diameter, leaf dry weight (DW), and vegetative top DW increased with increasing irrigation rate. Net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance ( g S ) were lowest at 33% ETc. Fruit number and fruit yields (marketable and total) were also lowest at 33% ETc and there were little yield differences among irrigation rates higher than 33% ETc. In 2011, irrigation rate had minor or no effect on SWC, plant growth of mature plants, leaf gas exchange, and fruit number and yield. The no treatment effect observed for eggplant in 2011 was likely because study was conducted in a low field that remained moist most of the time, nullifying the treatment effects. Results suggested that eggplant may tolerate mild water stress, since plants irrigated at 67% ETc produced fruit yields similar to those of plants irrigated at 100% ETc or higher rates. Thus, there is a potential to save water by reducing current irrigation rates without negatively impacting fruit yields.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record, shown for indexing and research. Copyright remains with the authors or the publisher. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
In 2010, soil water content increased with irrigation rate.
- Taxon
- Eggplant
Solanum melongenat0 - Treatment
- increasing irrigation ratese0
- Outcome
- SWC (0–30 cm deep)e0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In 2010, SWC (0–30 cm deep) increased and soil nitrate levels decreased with increasing irrigation rates”
t0“Eggplant”
Claim · model-written summary
In 2010, soil nitrate declined with irrigation rate.
- Taxon
- EggplantSolanum melongenat0
- Treatment
- increasing irrigation ratese0
- Outcome
- soil nitrate levelse0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In 2010, SWC (0–30 cm deep) increased and soil nitrate levels decreased with increasing irrigation rates”
t0“Eggplant”
Claim · model-written summary
Foliar nitrogen, potassium, and chlorophyll index declined as irrigation rate increased.
- Taxon
- EggplantSolanum melongenat0
- Treatment
- increasing irrigation ratee0
- Outcome
- Foliar N and potassium (K), and CIe0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Foliar N and potassium (K), and CI decreased with increasing irrigation rate”
t0“Eggplant”
Claim · model-written summary
Stem diameter, leaf dry weight, and vegetative top dry weight rose with irrigation rate.
- Taxon
- EggplantSolanum melongenat0
- Treatment
- increasing irrigation ratee0
- Outcome
- Stem diameter, leaf dry weight (DW), and vegetative top DWe0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Stem diameter, leaf dry weight (DW), and vegetative top DW increased with increasing irrigation rate”
t0“Eggplant”
Claim · model-written summary
Net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance were lowest at 33% ETc.
- Taxon
- EggplantSolanum melongenat0
- Treatment
- 33% ETce0
- Outcome
- Net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance ( g S )e0
- Direction
- loweste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance ( g S ) were lowest at 33% ETc”
t0“Eggplant”
Claim · model-written summary
Fruit number was lowest at 33% ETc.
- Taxon
- EggplantSolanum melongenat0
- Treatment
- 33% ETce0
- Outcome
- Fruit numbere0
- Direction
- loweste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Fruit number and fruit yields (marketable and total) were also lowest at 33% ETc”
t0“Eggplant”
Claim · model-written summary
Marketable and total fruit yields were lowest at 33% ETc.
- Taxon
- EggplantSolanum melongenat0
- Treatment
- 33% ETce0
- Outcome
- fruit yields (marketable and total)e0
- Direction
- loweste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Fruit number and fruit yields (marketable and total) were also lowest at 33% ETc”
t0“Eggplant”
Claim · model-written summary
Yield differences among irrigation rates above 33% ETc were small.
- Taxon
- EggplantSolanum melongenat0
- Outcome
- yield differencese0
- Direction
- littlee0
- Comparator
- irrigation rates higher than 33% ETce0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“there were little yield differences among irrigation rates higher than 33% ETc”
t0“Eggplant”
Claim · model-written summary
In 2011, irrigation had minor or no effects on soil water, mature growth, gas exchange, fruit number, and yield.
- Taxon
- EggplantSolanum melongenat0
- Treatment
- irrigation ratee0
- Outcome
- SWC, plant growth of mature plants, leaf gas exchange, and fruit number and yielde0
- Direction
- minor or no effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In 2011, irrigation rate had minor or no effect on SWC, plant growth of mature plants, leaf gas exchange, and fruit number and yield”
t0“Eggplant”
Claim · model-written summary
The moist low field likely explained the absence of treatment effects in 2011.
- Taxon
- eggplantSolanum melongenat0
- Outcome
- no treatment effecte0
- Qualifier
- low field that remained moist most of the timee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The no treatment effect observed for eggplant in 2011 was likely because study was conducted in a low field that remained moist most of the time, nullifying the treatment effects”
t0“Eggplant”
Claim · model-written summary
Yields at 67% ETc resembled those at 100% ETc or higher.
- Taxon
- eggplantSolanum melongenat0
- Treatment
- 67% ETce0
- Outcome
- fruit yieldse0
- Direction
- similare0
- Comparator
- 100% ETc or higher ratese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“plants irrigated at 67% ETc produced fruit yields similar to those of plants irrigated at 100% ETc or higher rates”
t0“Eggplant”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest reducing irrigation rates to save water without reducing fruit yield.
- Taxon
- eggplantSolanum melongenat0
- Outcome
- save water by reducing current irrigation rates without negatively impacting fruit yieldse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“there is a potential to save water by reducing current irrigation rates without negatively impacting fruit yields”
t0“Eggplant”
The same questions in other papers
irrigation · nutrient: content · Solanum melongena (eggplant)Positive and negative results
2 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
irrigation · physiology: pigments · Solanum melongena (eggplant)Positive and negative results
1 paper in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- negative
irrigation · growth · Solanum melongena (eggplant)Positive and negative results
18 papers in the same direction as this paper · 6 in the opposite direction
- negative
- positive
- positive
21 papers more in this group
See all 25 papers →irrigation · soil: physics · Solanum melongena (eggplant)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.