The objective of this study was to estimate the phyllochron, to associate the leaf area to the leaf number and to determine fruit yield of eggplants grown with one and two stems inside a plastic greenhouse. An experiment was carried at the experimental area of the Plant Science Department of the Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. Three eggplant genotypes were used: Nápoli, Comprida roxa, and Ciça. Five-leaf seedlings were transplanted on 10/29/2007. The experimental design was a complete randomized blocks with four replications composed by two rows with eight plants. The number of leaves on the main stem and secondary branches was counted in four plants of each replication. Leaf width was measured on two plants per replication. The phyllochron was estimated as the inverse of the slope of the linear regression between the leaf number and the accumulated thermal time after transplanting. Eggplant fruit yield was greater in plants grown with two stems than and Ciça had the higher fruit yield among genotypes. The time for leaves emergence in eggplant was reduced in plants with two stems than in plants with only the main stem. Leaf area of eggplant can be estimated as function of the accumulated number of leaves. Eggplant fruit yield was greater in plants conducted with two stems than with only the main stem, and Ciça presented the greatest yield among genotypes.
leaf appearance; thermal time; plant development; leaf area; Solanum melongena L
