Musukku Badanekkayi/Leafy brinjal/ தொப்பி கத்திரிக்காய் - Seeds

The leafy brinjal (eggplant) is one such rare variety belonging to tradition of conservation.

This particular variety is the one which is not available in the mainstream market or seed companies but is conserved in the kitchen yards with care and concern.

The brinjal belongs to Solanaceae plant family and particularly the leafy brinjal is botanically called as Solanaceae melange. There are multiple varieties in brinjal plant family but the leafy brinjal is a very rare variety and is on the verge of extinction.The upper portion of the brinjal is covered with 5 leafy petals and the fruit is immediately not visible in the plant canopy. Hence it is called as leafy or invisible brinjal in vernacular language. If planted once and care is taken during growth stage, the plant keeps yielding fruits for up to 2 to 3 years. The fruit bulb is typically pulpy and is soft like butter and is a most favoured brinjal for cooking sprouted gram curry. The women usually prefer this variety and grow at least 4 to 5 plants in their yards with intense care. This particular variety of leafy brinjal is immune to tip borer, stem borer insects and to anthracnose disease infestation.

Development of saplings :-

Nursery bed need to be prepared in April – May months. The soil needs to be amended with the amalgamation of topsoil with farmyard manure and oil cake. The nursery bed needs to be fine levelled before broadcasting the seeds. Another thin layer of soil mixed with dusty farmyard manure should be sprinkled after broadcasting the seeds to cover them up. If the seed quantity is lesser the saplings can either be developed in small polythene bags or else in the earthen pots. It’s necessary to maintain the soil moisture constant to enable the seeds to germinate properly. The saplings take nearly 25 days to develop the root system and utmost care should be taken during the growth stage of saplings.

Transplantation :-

The pits of 1.5 to 2 feet diameter and 1 feet depth to be dug up. The topsoil is to be amalgamated with farmyard manure and oil cakes. They need to be moisturised slightly to get it properly blended. After 2 days the saplings can be transplanted after sunny hours. Those who opt to grow in the yards or in the pots in the terrace can plant 1 sapling. To nourish the plant growth cow dung and ash can be mixed in 1:2 proportion to prepare liquid manure; this liquid manure to be sprayed around the plant basin. Those who cultivate this brinjal variety on terraces can use vermicompost for soil fertilization.

Seed regeneration

The seed can be processed in 2 methods; one, when the fruit bulb ripens to the full, turns yellowish and develops cracks around it, it can be plucked. Put the ripened fruit in water for 7 days to decompose the pulp and separate the seeds. Second, the fruit bulb can be cut down, mixed with ash and sun-dried and can be stored in cool and dry place.

Veg : Brinjal Type : Musukku badane Shipping : 10 days Seeds : 30 approx.

Sow only 7-8 seeds in single pot or use seedling tray for better results.