Effects of sugarcane pressmud on agronomical characteristics of hybrid cultivar of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) under field conditions

The field experiments were conducted to utilize the sugarcane pressmud in the farming of Solanum melongena as an organic fertilizer.
For growing of S. melongena, six agricultural fields were selected for the six amendments of sugarcane pressmud, viz., 0 % (garden soil as control), 20 % (20 % sugarcane pressmud 80 % garden soil), 40 % (40 % sugarcane pressmud 60 % garden soil), 60 % (60 % sugarcane pressmud 40 % garden soil), 80 % (80 % sugarcane pressmud 20 % garden soil) and 100 % (100 % sugarcane pressmud). S. melongena was grown in sugarcane pressmud-amended soil till harvest and impact of sugarcane pressmud on the soil and agronomical characteristics of S. melongena were determined.
The results showed that the sugarcane pressmud was rich in various nutrients and produced significant (P Mn > Cd > Cu > Fe > Cr for the soil and Fe > Mn > Cu > Zn > Cd > Cr for S. melongena in both growing seasons after treatment with sugarcane pressmud.
This study concluded that application of sugarcane pressmud treatments increased the soil fertility and as a result agronomical performance of S. melongena. Therefore, it can be used for the soil amendments in the lower proportion (up to 40 %) to improve the yield of S. melongena.