Eggplant is a vegetable which deserves our interest owing to its high nutritive value and a wide range of possible cooking recipes. The biological value of this vegetable depends on several biotic and abiotic factors. The aim of this research has been to determine the effect of nitrogen fertilization methods on the quality of eggplant fruits. Application of ammonium sulphate, ammonium nitrate and Entec 26, a slow-release fertilizer containing a nitrification inhibitor, was tested in a three–factorial experiment. The fertilizers were applied once, before planting, making use of the whole dose (100, 150 and 200 kg N ha–1), or twice, divided into a dose given before the growing period and another one supplied as top dressing (75+25, 100+50, 100+100 kg N ha–1). The eggplant fruits contained on average 6.80% – 8.06% of dry matter, 1.85-2.48% of reducing sugars and 2.00-2.56% of  total sugars, 10.58 mg 100 g–1 f.m. of vitamin C, 4.27-6.56 mg 100 g–1 f.m. of anthocyanins, 50.70-71.06 mg 100 g–1 f.m. of polyphenols. The mean content of P in dry matter was 0.33%, K – 3.99%, Mg – 0.25% and Ca – 0.25%. Significant differences in the quality of eggplant fruits were demonstrated between particular years of cultivation. The biological value of eggplant fruits did not depend on the method of nitrogen fertilization.

18.4.2013