Effects of different organic fertilizers on growth and yield potential of Solanum melongena (eggplant) in Malaysia

Eggplant is a vegetable crop where its growth rate and yield quality are largely influenced by fertilizer application. The application of organic fertilizer has high economic advantages when compared to inorganic fertilizer. The study aimed to determine the growth of eggplant and quantify its fruit yield based on the fresh weight as affected by different organic fertilization. The experiment was conducted in the Greenhouse 3, UiTM Malacca Branch, Campus Jasin from March to July 2022 with 4 treatments and 4 replications by using the Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). The treatments consisted of T0 (control), T1 (252g chicken dung), T2 (252g vermicompost), and T3 (252g biochar) with two split applications. The results showed that the application of chicken dung had significantly increased the plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, plant fresh weight and dry weight, and number of flowers compared to the other treatments. This study confirmed that chicken dung was the best organic fertilizer for eggplant’s growth and yield potential.