PapayaArea Under Cultivation

In India papaya is mainly cultivated in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Orissa, Manipur and Meghalaya.

Carica papaya

Caricaceae

Botanical Name:-

Family :-

Plant Discription : It is a fast growing, short lived herbaceous plant, unbranched which fruits within a year's time. The

plant is 2 - 10 m in height with a straight, cylindrical soft and hollow trunk roughened by the

presence of leaf and inflorescence scars. Leaves are alternate, crowded at the apex forming a

crown.The fruits are borne on the growing axils of the plant.

Nutritional Levels :

Centre of Origin : Mexico

Pollination System : Cross pollinated

Chromosome No. : 2n=18,36

Moisture Protein Fat Mineral matter Fibre Carbohydrate Calories(%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (K Cal)

90.8 0.6 0.1 0.5 0.8 7.2 32

Minerals

Phosphorus Potassium Calcium Magnesium Iron Sodium Copper (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g)

13 69 17 11 0.5 6 0.2

Manganese Zinc Sulphur Chlorine Molybdium Cromium(mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g)

0 0 13 11 0 0

Vitamins

Carotene Thiamine Riboflavin Niacin Vitamin C Choline Folic acid-Free(mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g)

666 0.04 0.25 0.2 57 0 0

Folic acid- Total(mg/100g)

0

Moisture Protein Fat Mineral matter Fibre Carbohydrate Calories(%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (K Cal)

90.8 0.6 0.1 0.5 0.8 7.2 32

Phosphorus Potassium Calcium Magnesium Iron Sodium Copper (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g)

13 69 17 11 0.5 6 0.2

Manganese Zinc Sulphur Chlorine Molybdium Cromium(mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g)

0 0 13 11 0 0

Carotene Thiamine Riboflavin Niacin Vitamin C Choline Folic acid-Free(mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g) (mg/100g)

666 0.04 0.25 0.2 57 0 0

Folic acid- Total(mg/100g)

0

Minerals

Vitamins

PapayaDiseases

Powdery Mildew (Odium indicum, Odium caricae) :

The development of powdery mildew in papaya is promoted by high humidity (80-85%) and a

temperature range of 24-26°C. The disease appears as on the foliage and pods. Infection is first

apparent on the leaves as small slightly darkened areas, which later become white powdery spots.

These spots enlarge and cover the entire leaf area. Severely infected leaves may become chlorotic

and distorted before falling. Affected fruits are small in size and malformed.

Control : As soon as the disease symptoms are observed dusting Sulphur (30 g/10 litres of water) or

spraying Calixin 75 EC (5 ml/10 litres of water) at 15 days interval helps to control the disease.

Leaf- Blight (Corynespora cassiicola) :

The disease causes severe damage to leaves. The disease first appears as small, discoloured

lesions, which are irregularly scattered on the leaves. These spots become irregular in shape, then

increase in size, and appear brown to grey in colour. A light yellow zone surrounds the spots. Several

lesions coalesce to cover large areas of the leaf and in severe infections the whole leaf dies. A

considerable reduction in the yield is observed.

Control : Disease can be controlled by spraying of Dithane M-45 (0.2%) starting form the appearance

of the disease symptoms.

Damping-Off (Rhizoctonia solani) : This is a disease of young seedlings. Lesions are seen on the stem at or just above soil level. The stem

becomes watery and shrinks, followed by death of the plant.

Control : Well-drained soil should be used for planting and the crop should not be excessively irrigated.

Before sowing the seeds should be treated with fungal culture of Trichoderma viride (3-4 g/kg of seed)

or Captan (3 g/kg of seed) to protect the newly emerging seedlings.

Foot Rot of Papaya (Pythium aphanidermatum) :

It is a severe disease of papaya. It is characterized by the appearance of water-soaked patches on the

stem near the ground level. These patches enlarge rapidly and girdle the stem, causing rotting of the

tissues, which then turn dark brown or black. Such affected plants withstand strong wind and topple

over and die. If the disease attack is mild, only one side of the stem rots and the plants remain stunted.

Fruit if formed are shriveled and malformed. Gradually the plant dies.

Control : Application of Trichoderma viride (15 g/plant) mixed in well-decomposed FYM should be

applied around the root zone of the plants at the time of planting. The crop should be irrigated by

adopting the ring method of irrigation so that the water does not come in direct contact with the stem.

In the case of new plantings, preventing water logging of the soil may control the disease. The soil

should be drenched with 2-3 litres of Copper Oxychloride (3 g per litre of water). The application should

be carried out regularly at 15 days interval from the time of planting. During fruit formation, the plant

should be sprayed with the same solution at the same time interval. Alternately, Mancozeb (2.5 g/ litre

of water) may also be applied.

In the case of disease attack in existing crops, the rotted portion of the plant should be scraped and

Copper Oxychloride or Bordeaux paste should be applied. The paste can be prepared by dissolving

one kg of Copper Sulphate and lime separately in ten litres of water each. The two solutions should be

mixed and shaken to form a paste.

The base of the plant should be drenched with three litres of Copper Oxychloride (3g/litre). The plant

should be drenched during fruit formation with Copper Oxychloride or Mancozeb at the earlier

mentioned concentrations twice at 15 days interval.

Anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) : The disease prominently appears on green immature fruits. The disease

symptoms are in the form of brown to black depressed spots on the fruits.

The initial symptoms are water-soaked, sunken spots on the fruit. The centers of

these spots later turn black and then pink when the fungus produces spores. The

flesh beneath the spots becomes soft and watery, which spreads to the entire fruit.

Small, irregular-shaped water-soaked spots on leaves may also be seen. These

spots eventually turn brown.

On the fruits, the symptoms appear only upon ripening and may not be apparent at

the time of harvest. Brown sunken spots develop on the fruit surface, which later on

enlarge to form water soaked lesions. The flesh beneath the affected portion

becomes soft and begins to rot.

Control : The affected fruits should be remove and destroyed. The fruits should be harvested as soon

as they mature. Spaying with Copper Oxychloride (3 g/litre of water) or Carbendazim (1 g/litre of water)

or Thiophanate Methyl (1 g/litre of water) at 15 days interval effectively controls the disease. Fruits for

exports should be subjected to hot water treatment or a fungicidal wax treatment.

Papaya Mosaic :The disease attacks the papaya plants of all age groups, but is most serious on young plants. The

aphids are responsible for transmitting the disease. The disease symptoms appear on the top young

leaves of the plants. The leaves are reduced in size and show blister like patches of dark-green tissue,

alternating with yellowish-green lamina. The leaf petiole is reduced in length and the top leaves

assume an upright position. The infected plants show a marked reduction in growth. The fruits borne

on disease plants develop water soaked lesions with a central solid spot. Such fruits are elongated and

reduced in size.

Control : Good field sanitation such as removal and destruction of affected plant reduce the spread of

the disease. Also, losses can be minimised controlling the population of aphid. Application of

Carbofuran (1 kg a.i./ha) at the time of sowing seeds followed by 2-3 foliar sprays of Phosphamidon

(0.05%) at an interval of 10 days starting from 15-20 days after sowing effectively checks the

population of aphids.

Leaf Curl of Papaya : The disease is transmitted by the vector white fly (Bemisia tabaci). Severe curling, crinkling and

deformation of the leaves characterize the disease. Mostly the young leaves are affected. Apart from

curling the leaves also exhibit vein clearing and thickening of the veins. Sometimes the petioles are

twisted. In severe cases complete defoliation of the affected plant is observed. The affected plants

show a stunted growth with reduce fruit yield.

Control : Removal and destruction of the affected plants is the only control measure to reduce the

spread of the disease. Checking the population of white flies also can reduce the infection severity. Soil

application of Carbofuran (1 kg a.i./ha) at the time of sowing and 4-5 foliar sprays of Dimethoate

(0.05%) or Metasystox (0.02%) or Nuvacron (0.05% ) at an interval of 10 days effectively controls the

whitefly population.

Papaya Ring Spot Virus :The virus is spread from plant to plant by aphids. The earliest symptoms on papaya are a yellowing and

vein-clearing of the young leaves. This is followed by a very conspicuous yellow mottling of the leaves

and sometimes severe blistering and leaf distortion. Dark-green streaks and rings also appear in the

leafstalks and stems. The disease derives its name from the striking symptoms that develop on fruit. These consist of

concentric rings and spots or C-shaped markings, a darker green than the background-green fruit

colour. Symptoms persist on the ripe fruit as darker orange-brown rings. Vigour of trees and fruit set is

usually reduced depending on the age of the plant when infected. Fruit quality, particularly flavour, is

also adversely affected.Control : Early detection of infected plants and prompt removal can check the spread of the disease. Aphids can be controlled by application of Carbofuran (1 kg a.i./ha) in the nursery bed at the time of sowing seeds followed by 2-3 foliar sprays of Phosphamidon (0.05%) at an interval of 10 days starting from 15-20 days after sowing.

PapayaHarvesting

Papaya fruits will be ready for harvest by about 9-10 months after planting depending on cultivar and

prevailing temperature during the course of fruit development. The change of colour from green to

yellow and the consistency of the latex from milky to watery indicate that the fruit is ready for harvest.

The ripe fruit is harvested individually by hand picking taking care to avoid all possible injuries. The

mature fruit easily gets detached from stem either by turning it upwards or by twisting. The fruit should

be harvested early in the morning and kept in shade for grading.

Papain Extraction

The immature papaya fruit contains a milky latex containing papain. It has several uses in the industry

viz., food processing, tanning and textile industry. In India CO.2 and CO.6 varieties of papaya are

recommended for papain production. Considering the export potential of papain large areas are being

brought under cultivation of papaya for papain production.

For the purpose of papain tapping, partially mature fruits about 90-100 days old is selected. Incision is

made with bamboo splinters or ivory knives about 0.3 cm deep on four sides of fruit from stalk end to tip

early in the morning before 9.00 a.m. Latex is collected in glass vessels or aluminium trays. Similar

incision is repeated on untapped surface of the same fruit three times at 3-4 days interval. Potassium

Metabisulphite @0.05% is added to the liquid latex to extend the storage life of the papain. The liquid

latex is then dried in sun or spray dried at a temperature of 50-55°C. Powder is prepared from dry flakes

and sieved in a 10 mesh sieve. The papain in the powdered form is stored in polythene bags or in O

airtight glass containers and stored for six months at 9 C.

Yield

A tree with good management produces 25 to 40 fruits weighing 40to 60 kg in the first 15 to 18 months.

The yield of papain is as follows -

Year Approximate yield

(kg/ha)

st1

nd2

rd3

250

150-200

75-100

! Approximately 25g of latex is obtained per fruit.

! 5 kg of latex on drying yield 1kg of papain.

PapayaIntercultural Operations

Thinning

The papaya plants start flowering after 6- 7 months of transplanting. At flowering, excess plants are to

be removed keeping only one plant in each pit and maintaining a female: male plant ratio of 10: 1. Care

should be taken to keep the male plants well spread in the field for effective pollination.

Weed control

Being a shallow rooted plant, weeds compete with papaya plants for nutrition.

Therefore regular weeding is essential for vigorous plant growth. Weeding is usually done by hoeing or

tilling. Use of herbicides like Diuron @2.0-2.5 kg a.i/ha or Glyphosate @1-2 kg a.i./ha were effective in

controlling the weeds in papaya orchards. Care should be taken while spraying so as to avoid spilling

of the herbicides on papaya leaves.

Intercropping

Vegetables may be grown as an intercrop before the plants start fruiting. It is not advisable to grow any

intercrop once the plants started bearing. Crops like mung, udid, onion, horse gram and leafy

vegetables are suitable for growing as intercrops.

PapayaIrrigation

Regular irrigation is an important aspect in papaya cultivation, which helps in growth, fruit

development and high yield. Moisture stress inhibits the growth and also promotes male floral

characters. In general, irrigation to grown-up plants is given once in 7-10 days in winter and 4-5

days in summer. The ring system of irrigation has been found very effective. This system helps in

preventing collar rot as there is no direct contact between the water and the stem portion.

Drip irrigation helps to save 50-60% water. Irrigation through the drip @6-8lit. /day/plant gives

better yields.

PapayaManuring & Fertilization

Papaya is a fast growing plant producing flowers and fruits year round; hence it is essential to provide

nutrition at regular intervals. Normally for obtaining higher yield application of 25 kg of FYM along with nd

200 g each of N, P, K is recommended. Inorganic fertilizers should be provided in five split doses at 2 , th th th th

4 , 6 , 8 and 10 month after planting. However the dose of fertilizers should be adjusted based on the

soil analysis. Nitrogen and Potash in the form of ammonium sulphate and sulphate of potash

respectively improves the keeping quality and colour of fruits. Fertilizers should be applied in a 10cm

deep circular trench 15-20cm away from the trunk and covered with soil. Light irrigation should follow

fertilization.

Variety Fertilizer Dose (g/plant/year) No. of Split Doses

Recommended by

Coorg Honey Dew

N P K

250 250 500 6, bimonthly IIHR, Bangalore.

Solo 350 250 200 6, bimonthly IIHR, Bangalore.

CO.1 200200200 4 TNAU, Coimbatore.

Ranchi 200 300 600 3 West Bengal.

PapayaPests

Papaya Spider Mite (Brevipalpus phoencis) :Spider mite affects the fruit by way of causing scarring which reduces the market value of fruit.

Control : Spraying with Phosphamidon (0.04%) or Methyl Parathion (0.05%) effectively reduces the

spider mite population.

Fruit Fly (Dacus dorsalis) :The pest causes damage to the plant and the fruit. Fruit flies can infect papaya when fruits are allowed

to ripen on the tree beyond the recommended harvest stage.

Control : Application like Dimethoate (0.1%) effectively controls the fruit fly.

Nematodes : Rootknot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) and Reniform nematode (Pratylenchulus renifirmis)

cause severe damage to papaya. The infected roots form galls causing stunting, yellowing and drying

of leaves.

Control : Carbofuran (2 kg/ha) or Neem cake (1 kg/plant) effectively checks the nematode

population.

PapayaPost Harvest Technology

Grading

The fruits should be graded as per the size and colour while discarding the damaged and diseased

fruits.

Packaging

For local market the fruits should be stored in a single layer of straw until they become soft. However

for distant transport, the individual fruits are wrapped in newspaper/tissue paper to avoid bruising

injuries during transport. The fruits are then packed in single-layer fiberboard containers with packing

materials between the fruits.

Storage

For local markets optimum temperature of 20°C was found both for ripening and satisfactory storage

for two weeks. Storage below 10°C has been known to cause chilling injuries greater in mature- green

than ripe papayas. Chilling injury symptoms include pitting, blotchy coloration, uneven ripening, skin

scald, and increased susceptibility to decay. More than half ripe papayas (at lest 50% yellow) can be

stored at 4-10°C without developing symptoms of chilling injuries. Exposure of papayas to

temperatures above 30°C for more than 10 days result in heat injury. The symptoms include uneven

ripening, blotchy ripening, poor color, abnormal softening, surface pitting and accelerated decay.

For exports of papaya, hot water treatment is given by dipping the fruits for 30 minutes at 42°C

immediately followed by a 49°C dip for 20 minutes. Quick cooling to 13°C after heat treatments

minimizes heat injury.

Controlled-atmosphere (CA) storage (2% O and 5-10% CO ) at 10°C has been found beneficial for 2 2

delayed ripening, firmness retention and avoid chilling injuries.

Transport

For local markets the fruits are transported in trucks while for distant markets it should be preferably

sent through railways. Transportation through railways is faster and economical.

PapayaPlanting

Season of Planting

The ideal season of transplanting is the beginning of monsoon. However, transplanting may be

continued from June to November.

Spacing

The soil should be thoroughly ploughed and levelled before planting. In general the optimum

recommended spacing is 1.8x1.8m accommodating 3086 plants/ha. Square or rectangular system of

planting is usually adopted in papaya.

Pit Digging3

Pits of 45 cm are to be made at required distance. They are filled with top soil and FYM (3:1) and single

Superphosphate (100 g) before transplanting.

Method of Planting

Seedlings should be transplanted, preferably in the evening. It is suggested to transplant at least 2-3

seedlings/pit in case of varieties, which produces only male or female flowers on individual plant

(CO.2, CO.6, Pusa Dwarf and Washington). In the gynodioecious type (CO.3, Pusa Majestic and Pusa

Delicious) single plant can be planted per pit.

PapayaPropagation

Propagation of papaya is mostly through seeds. However freshly extracted seeds show low 0germination due to presence of sarco testa. Storage of seeds at 10 C was found to be the best for

retention of seed viability. Viability of papaya seed can be maintained for 9 months at room

temperature when stored in air-tight containers.

Raising Seedlings in Nursery

Seedlings are grown in nursery on raised beds of size 1 x 2 m. Seeds are sown at a depth of 1 cm in

rows spaced at 15 cm with 2.5 cm spacing within the row. Seedlings can also be raised in polythene

bags of size 5x7cm. Before sowing seeds are treated with Thiourea (100-200 ppm) and Gibberellic

acid (GA at 200 ppm) for better germination. The beds/bags are immediately watered after sowing. 3

Seeds germinate in 2-3 weeks after sowing. Seedlings are ready for transplanting within 45-60 days

when they reach a height of 20-25cm.

PapayaSoil & Climate

Soil

Papaya grows well in well-drained rich sandy loam soils with a depth of 45cm or medium black

soils free from water logging. Light soils with pH between 6.5-7 are very good for papaya, if they

are adequately manured.

Climate

Papaya is a tropical crop, but it does well in a mild tropical climate. It grows well from sea level

upto an altitude of 1000m. Papaya should not be grown in areas with strong, hot or dry winds. Dry

climate at the time of ripening adds to the sweetness of fruits. Ideal temperature for growing o O

papaya is between 25-30 C while temperatures below 10 C delays ripening. In high rainfall areas

are not suitable for growing papaya due to the death of the plants by collar- rot disease.

PapayaVarieties

Coorg Honey Dew : Popularly known as 'Madhubindu' and is cultivated for table as well as processing purpose. The

variety bears greenish-yellow oblong-shaped fruits with orange thick flesh and good flavour. The

variety can be maintained pure by growing in isolation. Due to its excellent fruit quality it fetches good

market value.

Pusa Dwarf : It is a dioecious variety with dwarf plants and medium-sized (1-2 kg) oval fruits. The plant starts bearing

from 25 to 30 cm above-ground level and is comparatively drought hardy. This variety is very suitable

for high-density planting.

Pusa Giant : Plants are vigorous, sturdy and tolerant to strong wind. It is a dioecious cultivar with big-sized (2.5-3 kg)

fruits, suitable for canning industry.

Pusa Majesty : A gynodioecious line, tolerant to viral diseases and root knot nematodes. The variety is suitable for

papain production and is comparable to C0.2 variety for papain yield. The fruits are medium-sized, 1-

1.5 kg in weight, round in shape and have better keeping quality. It starts fruiting 146 days from the time

of transplanting. The variety is tolerant to root knot nematode.

Pusa Delicious : This is a gynodioecious line with medium-tall plants, starts yielding 8 months after planting and has

good quality fruits (10°-13° Brix). The fruit is medium-sized (1-2 kg) with deep orange flesh having

excellent flavour. It is grown as a table purpose variety.

Pusa Dwarf :Medium size fruits, oval in shape and suitable for high-density planting.

CO.1 :It is selection from cultivar Ranchi done by TNAU, Coimbatore. The plant is dwarf in habit, producing

the first fruit within 60-75 cm from the ground level. Fruit is medium-sized, spherical, has smooth

greenish-yellow skin, flesh orange-yellow, soft, firm. It is moderately juicy with good keeping-quality.

The objectionable papain odour is practically absent in the fruits.

CO.2 :It is a selection purified from a local type at Agricultural College and Research Institute, Coimbatore.

Fruits are medium-sized, obovate, greenish yellow, ridged at the apex, flesh red in colour, soft to firm,

moderately juicy with good keeping-quality. It is a suitable type for extraction of papain. It gives 4-6g

dried papain/fruit or 250-300 kg papain/ha.

CO. 3 : The fruit of this hybrid (CO. 2 x Sun Rise Solo) is larger in size when compared with Solo and exhibits all

the desirable attributes of Solo. Total soluble solids (TSS) is as high as 13.8° Brix and average fruit

weight ranges from 1-1.5 kg. The fruits have a good keeping quality. Each tree yields 100-120 fruits in

two years.

CO. 5 : It is a selection from Washington and isolated for its high papain production. It produces consistently

14-15 g dry papain/fruit. It gives 75-80 fruits/tree in two years with an average yield of 1,500-1,600 kg

dried papain/ha.

Washington :It is a table purpose variety. Fruits are round to ovate, medium-large in size with few seeds. When ripe,

skin attains a bright yellow colour. The average weight of fruit ranges from 1.5-2 kg. Male and female

plants are separate.

Solo : It is a table purpose variety. The fruits are small with deep pink pulp and a sweet taste. Excellent for

kitchen garden.

Ranchi :It is a variety from Bihar and popular in south India. The fruits are oblong with dark yellow pulp and

sweet taste.

IIHR39 and IIHR54 : Developed at IIHR, Bangalore. This variety bears medium sized sweet fruit with high TSS (14.5° Brix)

and better shelf life.

Taiwan-785 :This variety is cultivated for table as well as processing purpose. The plant is dwarf in habit,

producing the first fruit within 60-75 cm from the ground level. Fruits are oblong with thick orange red

sweet pulp. Each tree yields 100-125 fruits in one year. It has a good keeping quality and disease

tolerant.

Taiwan-786 :It is a gynodioecious variety cultivated for table as well as processing purpose. The fruits are oblong

with a tasty sweet pulp having few seeds. The plant starts bearing fruits from 100 cm above the ground

level. The fruit weigh between 1-3 kg and has excellent keeping quality.

Exotic Varieties :USA

Table Purpose

Betty, Solo.

Germany

Table Purpose

Solo, Solo Sunrise, Solo Sunset, Red Amazon.

South Africa

Table Purpose

Hortus Gold

Australia

Table Purpose

Improved Petersen.