Effect of NPK Fertilizer and Dolomite on Growth and Yield of Purple Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) in Ultisols

Eggplant is a very popular vegetable for many people since it is nutritious and beneficial for human health. Growing purple eggplant can be practiced in Ultisols, but the use of this type of land must be amended with the proper doses of NPK fertilizer and dolomite. This research aimed to determine the effect of NPK and the dosage of dolomite on the growth and yield of purple eggplant. A field experiment was arranged in a complete randomized block and consisted of two factors. The first factor was the doses of NPK (0, 200, 400, and 600 kg ha−1), while the second factor was dolomite doses (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 exchangeable aluminium). Results indicated that the use of dolomites increased soil pH and leaf greenness of purple eggplants, but insignificantly affected the growth and yield of purple eggplants. The use of NPK fertilizer increased plant height, leaf numbers, fruit diameter, leaf greenness, fruit weight, fruit numbers plant−1, fruit weight plant−1, fruit weight plot−1, and yield ha−1. There were no interactions between dosages of dolomite and NPK fertilizer in influencing the growth and yields of eggplants. Fertilizing with 600 kg ha-1 of NPK provided the best growth and yield of purple eggplant.