BRINJAL

About the crop

Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) is one of the most common vegetables grown throughout the country for its purple, green or white pendulous fruit. It is a member of the Solanaceae family and is closely related to tomato and potato. Aubergine is the British name for brinjal and in United States, Australia and Canada, it is known by the name eggplant, because fruits of the earlier cultivars resembled eggs of goose or hen.

Brinjal is an erect annual plant, often spiny, with large, coarsely lobed fuzzy leaves, 10-20 cm long and 5-10 cm broad. The plants usually grow 45 to 60 cm high and bears long to oval shaped, purple or greenish fruits. Flowers are white to purple, with five-lobed corolla and yellow stamens. The fruit is a fleshy berry, containing numerous small, soft seeds.