APRIL 2016
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Asian eggplant shows promise in the field and in greenhouses
Don’t underestimate eggplant. With increasing immigration of Asians to Canada, this category is quietly growing with local production of Chinese long and Indian round varieties. The Vineland Research and Innovation Centre is studying both field and hydroponic production of eggplant with results that pique the interest of long-time growers Jason and Shirley Su. Their son Henry came home to the Simcoe, Ontario family farm last year to learn the ABCs of eggplant. First lesson? This member of the Solanaceae family requires diligent leaf removal so that the skin isn’t scratched. Photo by Glenn Lowson.
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Eggplant, a member of the nightshade family, is coming into the sun. This oft-ignored vegetable is becoming more visible in produce aisles as Canada’s South Asian immigrants demand the tastes of their childhoods. Statistics Canada reports that imports of eggplant have risen 32 per cent between 2011 and 2014 and reached nearly 24,000 metric tonnes. Those trends have encouraged long-time zucchini growers, Jason and Shirley Su, to plant 10 acres of Chinese long eggplant for the last two years at their Simcoe, Ontario farm. With origins in rural China, they are familiar with this eggplant which is sweeter than the black-skinned Sicilian varieties. There’s a good chance that Chinese long and Indian round varieties will catch on because they aren’t bitter and can be quickly cooked without
much preparation. Retailers are eager to showcase locally-grown eggplant during the summer months. With the farm’s reputation well-established with retailers and future prospects looking bright, son Henry Su decided to come back to the farm in 2015. His communications degree from University of Toronto/Mississauga will never be out of place. It’s his work ethic, developed through figure skating at the national pairs level, that will propel him forward. “In my first year back at the farm, I’ve realized that farming has changed,” says Su. “Farming today is more than physically caring for your plants. It’s not just who can grow the best but it’s the business connections and bringing new products forward.” Su admits that it’s tough for small farms to survive, however adding Asian eggplant to their farm’s roster looks like a path
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Farming today is more than physically caring for your plants. It’s not just who can grow the best but it’s the business connections and bringing new products forward. ~ HENRY SU
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INSIDE
KAREN DAVIDSON
forward. The seedlings start in a greenhouse then are transplanted into plasticulture-covered rows with drip irrigation. His first lesson? Eggplant requires a lot of labour to trim the lower leaves so that they don’t scratch the delicate skin and reduce marketable yields. Labour is also needed to harvest on a daily basis. Fortunately, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland) is finetuning the best production systems for field eggplant that will be economically viable. As Viliam Zvalo, Vineland research scientist, vegetable production
explains, there are a number of challenges. First, eggplant is susceptible to soil-borne diseases such as Verticillium wilt and Fusarium wilt. These fungal pathogens enter through the roots and cause premature leaf drop. When the house of photosynthesis is destroyed, fruit production shuts down. To date, fumigation has been the standard method to rid the soil of these robbers, but those practices may soon evolve to other ways of controlling disease.
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