Impact of nitrogen and boric acid foliar spray on shelf life of eggplant

Downloads

Published

2026-09-30

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58993/ijh/2026.83.3.10

Keywords:

Solanum melongena L., fruit firmness, TSS, PWL, shelf life
Dimensions Badge

Issue

Vol. 83 No. 03 (2026): Indian Journal of Horticulture

Section

Research Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Yilak M., G, Aleminew, T., D., Asrat A., T.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Authors

  • Yilak M., G Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, University of Gondar, Ethiopia
  • Aleminew, T., D. Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, University of Gondar, Ethiopia
  • Asrat A., T. Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, University of Gondar, Ethiopia

Abstract

         A field experiment was conducted at the University of Gondar College of Agriculture Department of Horticulture, Shinta Horticultural Demonstration Site, to evaluate the effects of foliar application of different rates of urea (0, 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75g/l) and boric acid (0, 15, 30, and 45mg/l) on the field under irrigated conditions. Postharvest quality evaluations commenced on May 1st at the University of Gondar’s Teda Campus situated in a sub-tropical highland climate characterized by low humidity and mild temperatures (10.5 to 25°C) during the dry season. Laboratory assessments were conducted under controlled room temperature and strict hygienic conditions to ensure accurate results. The combined foliar spray of 0.75g/l urea and 45mg/l boric acid significantly improved fruit firmness (15.5N), sweetness (12.1°Brix), and extended shelf life up to 11.07 days while reducing physiological weight loss. These findings suggest that foliar application of urea and boric acid is an effective and low-cost treatment for enhancing the postharvest quality and storage longevity of eggplant.

How to Cite

M., G, Y., T., D., A., & A., T., A. (2026). Impact of nitrogen and boric acid foliar spray on shelf life of eggplant. Indian Journal of Horticulture, 83(03), 329–334. https://doi.org/10.58993/ijh/2026.83.3.10

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

1. Acedo, A.L. and Benitez, M.M. 2021. Tomato fruit yield, quality, and shelf life improvement through organic and inorganic fertilization. Int. J. Agric. Innov. Res 1: 1-18.

2. Ali, S., Ahmed, W., Abbas, M.H., Hajizadeh, H.S., Qayyum, A., Abdel-Hamed, E.M.W., and Ramadan, M.F. 2024. Impact of nitrogen and boron foliar applications on the growth, phytochemicals, and quality attributes of eggplant (Solanum melongena). Rend. Lincei. 2:411-424.

3. Al-Tufaili, A. K. H., Abbass, J. A., Aboohanah, M. A., and Hraen, A. R. J. M. (2019). Effect of Foliar Application of Urea and Boric Acid on Growth Parameters and Yield of Eggplant Solanum Melongena L.Indian Journal of Ecology,46(8), 161-164.

4. Ankita, S.A.H.U., Kishore, K., Sahoo, S.C., Nayak, R.K., Baidya, B.K., Shukla, K.K., and Barik, S. 2022. Foliar feeding of boron influences biochemical attributes and enzyme activity in dragon fruit (Selenicereus monacanthus). Not. Bot. HortiAgrobot. Cluj-Napoca.4:12777.

5. Bana, R.S., Jat, G.S., Grover, M., Bamboriya, S. D., Singh, D., Bansal, R., and Singh, T. 2022. Foliar nutrient supplementation with micronutrient-embedded fertilizer increases biofortification, soil biological activity, and productivity of eggplant. Scientific Reports 1: 5146.

6. Bana, R.S., Jat, G.S., Grover, M., Bamboriya, S.D., Singh, D., Bansal, R. 2022. Foliar nutrient supplementation with micronutrient-embedded fertilizer increases biofortification, soil biological activity, and productivity of eggplant. Sci. Rep.1:5146.

7. Barchi, L., Aprea, G., Rabanus‐Wallace, M.T., Toppino, L., Alonso, D., Portis, E.2023. Analysis of >3400 worldwide eggplant accessions reveals two independent domestication events and multiple migration-diversification routes. Plant J.6:1667-1680.

8. Fathi, A. 2022. Role of nitrogen (N) in plant growth, photosynthesis pigments, and N use efficiency. Agrisost. 28: 1-8.

9. Gomez, A.K. and Gomez, A.A. 1996. Statistical Procedure for Agricultural Research.2nd Edn. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York.

10. Haider, Z., Ahmad, N., Danish, S., Iqbal, J., Ali, M.A., and Chaudhry, U.K. 2019. Effect of foliar application of boric acid on fruit quality and yield traits of mango. Adv. Hortic. Sci 4: 457-465.

11. Haleema, B., Rab, A., & Hussain, S. A. 2018. Effect of Calcium, Boron, and Zinc Foliar Application on Growth and Fruit Production of Tomato.Sarhad Journal of Agriculture, 34(1).

12. Khatri, D., Bhattarai, K., Thapa, P., Wagle, N., andYadav, P.K. 2022. Effect of foliar spray of zinc and boron on the performance of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) CV. Manisha under net house condition. Russ. J. Agric. Soc.-Econ. Sci.5:252-261.

13. Long, Y., and Peng, J. 2023. Interaction between boron and other elements in plants. Genes 1: 130.

14. Milagres, C.D.C., Maia, J.T.L.S., Ventrella, M.C., and Martinez, H.E.P.2019. Anatomical changes in cherry tomato plants caused by boron deficiency. Braz. J. Biol.42: 319-328.

15. Saha, P., Singh, J., Bhanushree, N., Harisha, S.M., Tomar, B.S., and Rathinasabapathi, B. 2023. Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) nutritional and health-promoting phytochemicals. In Compendium of Crop Genome Designing for Nutraceuticals (pp. 1-32). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.

16. Saini, H., Sourabh, V., and Saini, P. 2019.Differential responses of Fe, Zn, B, Cu, and Mg on growth and quality attributes of fruit crops. J. Pharmacogn. Phytochem.5:1-5.

17. Sun, J., Jin, L., Li, R., Meng, X., Jin, N., Wang, S., 2023. Effects of different forms and proportions of nitrogen on the growth, photosynthetic characteristics, and carbon and nitrogen metabolism in tomato. Plants. 24:4175.

18. Teixeira, G. C. M., Prado, R. D. M., Oliveira, K. S., Buchelt, A. C., Rocha, A. M. S., and Santos, M. D. S. 2021. Nutritional deficiency in scarlet eggplant limits its growth by modifying the absorption and use efficiency of macronutrients. Plos one 6: e0252866.

19. Xu, W., Wang, P., Yuan, L., Chen, X., and Hu, X. 2021. Effects of application methods of boron on tomato growth, fruit quality, and flavor. Horticulturae.8:223.

20. Zhao, X., Peng, J., Zhang, L., Yang, X., Qiu, Y., Cai, C., and Wang, Z. 2024. Optimizing the quality of horticultural crops: insights into pre-harvest practices in controlled environment agriculture. Frontiers in Plant Science 15:1427471.

Similar Articles

<< < 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.