Detailed Explanation of Key Technical Points for Greenhouse Eggplant Cultivation

  1. Variety selection  Choose improved varieties of long eggplant such as Jiqie No. 1 (mid-late maturing) and Longqie No. 1 (early maturing).

     2. Raising strong seedlings  Sow in August, transplant in September. Before sowing, soak the seeds in a 0.2% potassium permanganate solution for 15 minutes, remove and rinse repeatedly, then soak in 55-60°C warm water while stirring constantly. When the water temperature drops to 30°C, let stand and soak for 8 hours, wash off the mucus on the seed coat surface, wrap well in a wet cloth and germinate at 25-30°C, turning 2-3 times a day. Sow when 50% have germinated, cover with 1-1.5cm of fine fertile soil, and after full emergence sprinkle a layer of fine fertile soil. Thin the seedlings when true leaves appear, and properly control water during the seedling stage to prevent spindly growth. Water thoroughly once 10-15 days before transplanting, cut into blocks after 1-2 days, and 3-5 days before transplanting spray with 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate or 0.3% urea solution, spray with 2000 times fenvalerate to prevent aphids, and use 6000 times chlorothalonil solution to prevent downy mildew.     3. Land preparation and transplanting  Before transplanting, disinfect the greenhouse. For each cubic meter of space, use 1 g chlorothalonil plus 8 g sawdust for a smoldering smoke disinfection at 7 p.m., or use 4 g sulfur plus 0.1 g 80% dichlorvos and 8 g sawdust, mix evenly and ignite, keep closed for 1 day and night, then ventilate strongly, and afterward keep warm until transplanting. After disinfection, apply 5000 kg decomposed organic fertilizer and 50 kg compound fertilizer per mu of greenhouse, deep plow and prepare the land, and plant on ridges in wide and narrow rows, with a wide row spacing of 60cm, narrow row spacing of 50cm, and plant spacing of 40cm. The transplanting ditch is 5-6cm deep, planting about 2700 plants per mu, or plant on single-row ridges with a row spacing of 60cm and plant spacing of 30-35cm, 3000-3500 plants per mu. First bury with shallow soil, and after the plants survive and recover, cultivate and earth up into ridges, then cover with plastic film.     4. Management (1) Temperature management: From seedling recovery to flowering, 25-30°C during the day and 15-18°C at night; during flowering and fruiting, 25-30°C during the day, ventilate and cool when above 32°C, night temperature around 18°C, and soil temperature above 15°C. (2) Fertilizer and water management: After watering enough for seedling recovery, properly control fertilizer and water until the first fruit “opens its eyes” (walnut size), cultivate and restrain growth. When the first fruit “opens its eyes,” begin watering and fertilizing, applying 800-1000 kg human manure or 10-15 kg urea per mu. After the first fruit is harvested, water once every 7-8 days and topdress once every two weeks. (3) Pruning: Use double-stem pruning, that is, after the paired fruit forms, cut off the two outward-facing side branches to form two upward-growing main stems, and afterward remove all side branches. After 7 fruits, pinch the growing tips to promote early maturity. If delaying cultivation, after harvesting 7 fruits, cut diagonally from the main stem 10cm above the ground, then loosen the soil, topdress, and irrigate, and select vigorous branches to retain double stems. (4) Growth regulator treatment  To prevent flower drop and deformed fruit, apply 30-40 mg/L 2,4-D solution to the flowers or spray with 0.02% fruit-setting hormone solution. (5) Use 4000 times 72% agricultural streptomycin solution to control bacterial diseases, and use 400 times 50% carbendazim wettable powder or 800 times 75% thiram wettable powder to control root rot and other diseases.     5. Harvesting: The tender fruit can be harvested 20-25 days after flowering. Harvest the first fruit in time so as not to affect plant growth and the development of later fruits.