Squash High Yield 100 Questions

Author: Pan Xiuping
Editor-in-Chief: Sun Yueqi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-09-01
Features:
Fragment: 5. How many growth stages does eggplant go through in its life cycle? From germination to harvesting young fruits, eggplant completes its life cycle through stages of seedling emergence, stem and leaf growth, flowering and fruiting, and fruit development and maturity. The life cycle of eggplant can be divided into the germination stage (from sowing to seedling emergence), seedling stage (from seedling emergence to flowering), flowering and fruiting stage (from flowering to fruit enlargement), and fruit development and maturation stage (from fruit enlargement to physiological maturity).
6. Why is it necessary to adjust the relationship between vegetative growth and reproductive growth in eggplant plants? From the entire growth cycle of eggplant, the period from germination to the appearance of two true leaves is purely a vegetative growth stage (i.e., growth of roots, stems, branches, and leaves). After this, it becomes a period where vegetative growth and reproductive growth occur simultaneously and mutually influence each other (i.e., formation of flower buds, flowering and fruiting, and fruit development). During this stage, vegetative growth and reproductive growth mutually promote and restrict each other. Excessive vegetative growth will inhibit reproductive growth, while overly strong reproductive growth can lead to poor vegetative growth, resulting in flower and fruit drop. Therefore, vegetative growth is the prerequisite for reproductive growth, and reproductive growth is an inevitable outcome of growth and development based on vegetative growth. Only by coordinating the two types of growth through various management practices can high yields be achieved.
7. What is the relationship between the roots, stems, and leaves of eggplant?
Roots: Eggplant has a well-developed root system. The main root can penetrate the soil to a depth of over 1 meter without damage, with a lateral spread of 2 to 2.5 meters. However, after transplanting, if the main root is damaged, it will produce a large number of lateral roots, with the main root cluster distributed primarily in the topsoil layer of 5 to 30 centimeters. Additionally, eggplant roots lignify early and have poor regenerative ability, as well as weak capacity to produce adventitious roots. Therefore, root damage should be avoided during seedling cultivation and transplanting.
Stems: During the seedling stage, the stem of eggplant is herbaceous, but it gradually lignifies as the plant matures, becoming a strong, upright stem that generally does not require staking. However, the degree of robustness and uprightness varies by variety. Varieties with large, round leaves and round fruits tend to be more upright, while those with small leaves and elongated fruits are generally weaker and more prone to branching. The stem color can be black-purple, purple, purplish-green, or green.
Leaves: Eggplant has alternate, simple leaves, which are relatively large. The leaf color can be purplish-green, dark green, green, or light green. The leaf shape can be round, elongated-ovate, or inversely ovate, with wavy or notched edges. The leaf surface may have hairs, and some varieties also have hairs or spines on the petioles and veins. The assimilates synthesized through photosynthesis in the leaves are transported from the stem to the underground parts to support root growth, while the roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil to supply the aboveground stem and leaves. This is why there is the saying "deep roots and lush leaves," indicating that the two mutually promote and restrict each other. The color of the stem and leaves is also genetically linked to the fruit color and is controlled by the same genes. Generally, varieties with purple fruits have purplish stems and petioles, while those with white or green fruits have green stems and petioles.