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Abstract

An on-farm trial was conducted in the spring of 1998 to evaluate the yield performance two groups of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) cultivars grown under organic management system. Seven hybrid cultivars (Black Beauty, Black Bell, Black Nite,, Hybrid Beauty, Italian Pink Bicolor, Early Bird and Viserba) comprised one group. The other group consisted of open-pollinated, elongated types Philippine Long Purple, Pingtung Long, Trinidad Long and Dumaguete Long Purple. Seedlings were planted in three rows spaced 1.22 m apart. Plants were spaced 61 cm within rows. The trial was established using a randomized complete block design with three replications. An organic crop management system was adopted in growing and maintaining the crops. These consisted of using organic insect sprays, cow manure and grass straw mulch. All plots were drip irrigated to maintain soil moisture tension at 30 kPa. Data were collected on number of harvests, number of fruits, fruit weight and size. Incidence of insect pests and diseases were recorded by visual observations. Data from seven harvests showed no significant differences in the number of fruits among cultivars. Significant differences were observed in fruit weight for both groups. Fruit weight ranged from212 g for Trinidad Long to 96 g for Pingtung Long. Weights of the hybrids ranged from 298 g for Black Beauty to 113 for Early Bird. The top yielding hybrid cultivars were Black Nite (32.4 t.ha-1), Black Beauty (28.8 t.ha1), Black Bell (29.5 t.ha '), Italian Pink Bicolor (26.1 t.ha ') and Hybrid Beauty (26.0 t.ha-')- These cultivars are suitable for sustainable eggplant production in the Virgin Islands.

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