Abstract
Effects of basal stem heating on yield and fruit quality were investigated as a method of lowering the costs of air-heating in forcing culture of eggplant. Basal stem heating with an electric heating wire resulted in acceleration of lateral shoot and fruit growth and an increase in marketable fruit rates from January to June. The number of fruits and marketable yields in basal stem heating were larger than those in control. Marketable yield from plants with basal stem heating under 10°C air temperature was similar to those from control plants under 12°C air temperature, indicating that basal stem heating can lower the costs of air-heating during forcing culture of eggplant.
