PAPAYA

Papaya or papita popular fruit is native of Maxico. It is nutritive also possess medicinal property. Papaya is rich source of Vitamin A and C. It is excellent for skin, its antioxidants help in controlling premature ageing, also useful in lowering blood cholesterol. Along with fruit, leaves also used in herbal products. Leaves are used in dengue fever treatment. India is leading producer of Papaya. Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa, Gujarat, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are major Papaya growing states.

It gives best result on well drained sandy loam soils and medium black soils. Waterlogged soils are unfit for its cultivation. It can grow successfully on soils having pH ranges from 6.5 to 7.

Pusa Dwarf: Fruits are medium size and oval shape. It is drought tolerant variety. It is useful for high density planting.

Pusa Giant: Plants are tolerant to high wind. Produce big sized fruits, suitable for canning industry.

CO 3: Fruits are of large size, obovate shape with good keeping quality.

CO 1: Dwarf variety with medium size fruit. Fruits are spherical with smooth greenish yellow skin with orange yellow soft flesh. Juicy fruit with good keeping quality.

Coorg Honey Dew: Use for table purpose as well as for processing purpose. Oblonged shape fruit with thick orange flesh.

CO 2: Medium size, oblong shape greenish yellow variety. Flesh is soft and red colour. Moderately juicy with good keeping quality.

IIHR39 and IIHR54: Developed by IIHR, Bangalore. Fruits are medium size with high TSS.

Taiwan 785: It is a dwarf variety. Fruits are oblong with thick orange flesh. Fruits are having good keeping quality. Fruits are used for table purpose and for processing purpose.

Taiwan 786: Fruits are used for table purpose and for processing purpose. Fruits are tasty with less seeds with excellent keeping quality.

Washington: It is a table purpose variety. Fruits are round, medium size with less seeds. Skin of fruit is having bright yellow colour. Male and female plants are separate. 

Solo: Fruits are small with deep pink pulp and sweet taste. Used for table purpose.

Ranchi: Fruits are oblong with dark yellow pulp.

Honey Dew: It has big size fruits containing less seeds, tasty fruit, and male plants are smaller than female plants, medium height plants.

For papaya cultivation, make land weed free. Plough land and bring soil to fine tilth. At last ploughing add farmyard manure or well decomposed cow dung and mix well in soil. Dug pit of 1mx1mx1m at recommended spacing. Fill pits with top soil and Farm Yard Manure or well decomposed cow dung. Depending upon variety used, transplant 2-4 seedlings in each pit. After planting provide light irrigation. To protect from wind provide staking.

 

Sow seeds in polythene bags of 25x10cm having thickness of 150gauge. Make hole of 1mm diameter on lower part of polythene bag for proper drainage of water. Then fill polythene bags with equal proportions of FYM, soil and sand. Before sowing do seed treatment. For transplantation, six-seven week old seedlings are used.

Fertilzer Requirement (gm/tree/year)

Apply fertilizer dose of Urea@150gm, Phosphorus@80gm, Potash@100gm per tree per year. Apply fertilizers in four splits i.e. 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th months after planting.

Time of sowing
In spring season, planting is done in February-March whereas June-July are ideal months for planting in monsoon season and in autumn season, planting is done in October-November month.

Spacing
Generally spacing of 1.8mx1.8m is used. In case of high density planting, spacing of 1.5mx1.5m gives good return.
 
Sowing Depth
In nursery sow seeds at depth of 1cm.

Method of sowing
Direct sowing of seeds or transplanting of seedlings in main field.
 

Seed Rate
For seed rate of 100-120gm per acre.

Seed Treatment
For good germination, treat seeds with Thiourea@100-200ppm and Gibberellic acid@200ppm. Before seed sowing, treat the seeds with Thiram@3gm/kg of seed to protect the plant from soil borne diseases.

Irrigation is depend upon soil type, climatic conditions etc. Apply irrigation at interval of 15days in winter and in summer apply at interval of seven days. Avoid contact of water with stem. Also avoid water logging condition in field.

Weed control is necessary during young stage of plant. Depending upon weed intensity, do frequent and light weeding operation. Apply Fluchloralin or Butachlor@ 800ml/acre. Mulching is also effective way of controlling weeds. Apply plastic film or straw of rice or sugarcane as mulch few days after transplanting of seedlings.

Removal of male plant: After flowering remove male plants maintaining one male plant for every 10plants.
 

• Disease and their control:
  

Stem rot: Water like wet spots are seen on plant stem. The symptoms get spread on all sides of the plant. Plant leaves fall apart before it is fully developed.

Treatment: To control this disease spray with M-45@300gm in 150ltr water.

Root rot or wilt: The disease causes rotting of roots which ultimately result in plant wilting.

Treatment: To control this disease drenching with Saaf@400gm in 150ltr water.

Powdery mildew: Patchy, white powdery growth appears on upper surface of leaves also on main stem of infected plant. It parasitizes the plant using it as a food source. In severe infestation it causes defoliation and premature fruit ripening.

Treatment: Spraying of Thiophanate methyl 70% WP@300gm in 150-160ltr water/acre is done.
 

Papaya mosaic: The symptoms appear on top young leaves of the plants.

Treatment: To control this pest spraying with Malathion@300ml in 150ltr water is done.

• Pest and their control:
  

Aphid: They suck the sap of the plant. Aphids help in spreading disease in plants.

Treatment: To control this pest spraying with Malathion@300ml in 150ltr water is done.
 

Fruit fly: The female lays eggs in the mesocarp, after hatching the maggots feed themselves on fruit pulp which will destroy the fruit.

Treatment: To control this pest spraying with Malathion@300ml in 150ltr water is done.

Harvesting is mainly done when fruit attains the full size and is light green in color with a tinge of yellow at apical end. First picking can be done after 14-15 months of planting. 4-5 harvestings can be done per season.