Papaya (Carica papaya)
- Botanical Name: Carica papaya
- Family: Caricaceae
- Origin: Tropical America
- Common Name: Melon Tree
- Type: Polygamous plant (includes male, female, and hermaphrodite flowers)
- Thermosensitive and susceptible to frost & waterlogging
- India’s Global Rank: 4th in production
- Highest Production (World): India (~3 million tonnes/year)
- Leading Indian States:
- Andhra Pradesh
- West Bengal
- Karnataka
- Seedling Ready In: ~60 days
Propagation
- Methods: Primarily by seed and tissue culture
- Seeds per gram: ~20 seeds
- Seed Enclosure: Gelatinous sarcotesta
Seed Rate:
- Gynodioecious varieties: 250–300 g/ha
- Dioecious varieties: 400–500 g/ha
Flower Biology & Plant Types
- Polygamous nature: Male, female, and hermaphrodite plants
- Dioecious: Male and female on separate plants. Require 10% male plants for pollination
- Gynodioecious: Female and hermaphrodite plants (preferred for uniform fruiting)
Agronomic Practices
- Planting Seasons:
- Spring (Feb–March)
- Monsoon (June–July)
- Autumn (Oct–Nov)
- Spacing: Pusa Nanha: 1.25 × 1.25 m (≈6000 plants/ha)
- Irrigation: Ring method preferred
- Frost: Most limiting factor in North India
Biochemical Components
- Latex Enzyme: Papain (also referred to as Pepsin)
- Papain Use: Obtained from unripe fruit; used in meat tenderizers, pharma
- Carpine: Alkaloid from papaya; used as diuretic & heart stimulant
- Yellow Pigment: Caricaxanthin
- Papain Yield: Up to 1500–1600 kg/ha (CO-5)
- Protein Content of Papain: ~72.2%
Yield
- Average Yield: 75–100 tonnes/ha
- Highest productivity: Second after banana
Disease & Disorders
- Damping off: Most serious disease in seedlings
- Waterlogging: Papaya is highly susceptible
Varieties
🔸 A. Gynodioecious Varieties (Preferred for commercial cultivation)
Variety | Features |
Pusa Delicious | Gynodioecious |
Pusa Majesty | Nematode resistant, high papain |
CO-3 | Gynoecious, hybrid |
Coorg Honey Dew | Hermaphrodite, pink flesh |
Sunrise Solo | Pink flesh, no male plants |
Taiwan | Blood red flesh |
Surya | Popular gynodioecious line |
🔸 B. Dioecious Varieties
Variety | Features |
Pusa Giant | For canning/tooty fruity, wind resistant |
Pusa Dwarf | Small stature |
Pusa Nanha | Extremely dwarf, suitable for HDP/pot cultivation |
CO-1, CO-2, CO-5, CO-6 | Papain-rich (esp. CO-5) |
Pant C-1 | Commercial |
Hatras Gold | Commercial |
Pink Flesh Sweet | TSS 12–14° Brix |
Betty, Sunny Bank, Improved Petersons | Local dioecious types |
🔸 C. Hybrid Varieties
Hybrid | Parentage |
CO-3 | CO-2 × Sunrise Solo |
CO-4 | CO-2 × Washington |
CO-7 | CO-3 × Pusa Delicious × Coorg Honey Dew |
📝 Key Points for Quick Revision
- Papaya is polygamous, thermosensitive, and frost susceptible.
- Irrigation: Ring method.
- Seed rate: 250–300 g/ha (gynodioecious), 400–500 g/ha (dioecious).
- Papain: From latex of unripe fruit; contains 72.2% protein.
- Spacing (Pusa Nanha): 1.25 × 1.25 m (6000 plants/ha).
- Sunrise Solo: No male plants. Taiwan: Blood red flesh.
- Damping off is a major seedling issue.
