Enhancing plant growth, yield and nutritional quality of brinjal through Arka Microbial Consortium (AMC) applications

Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) is the "poor man’s vegetable" and prized for its affordability, nutritional value and medicinal uses. The Elavambadi brinjal (VRM-1) is a Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged variety from Tamil Nadu, India. It is known for its tender texture, fewer seeds and health benefits, particularly for managing diabetes and liver ailments. This study investigated the impact of the Arka Microbial Consortium (AMC), a carrier-based bio-fertilizer containing nitrogen-fixing, phosphorus, zinc solubilizing and plant growth-promoting microbes, on the growth, yield and quality of Elavambadi brinjal. The treatment T5, which combined soil drenching, rhizosphere soil and foliar application of AMC, resulted in the highest performance across multiple parameters. It recorded the maximum plant height, branching, stem diameter, fruit yield (8704.67 g/plant), ascorbic acid content (107.81 mg/100 g) and phenol content (90.49 mg Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE)). Additionally, T5 demonstrated superior cooking quality and reduced weight loss during frying (65.96 %) and baking (11.97 %). These results highlight AMC’s ability to enhance nutrient uptake, plant growth and the synthesis of bioactive compounds. The findings emphasize that AMC is a potentially effective bio-fertilizer for improving brinjal production, enhancing nutritional quality and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.