Cultivation of Papaya 

Botanical Details

• Botanical Name: Carica papaya
• Family: Caricaceae
• Common Name: Melon tree
• Place of Origin: Tropical America
• Nature: Polygamous plant

Production Status

• India ranks 1st in papaya production (~3 million tonnes annually).
• Followed by: Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, Indonesia, China
• Top Indian States: Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka

Soil and Climate

• Tropical fruit crop.
• Optimal temperature: 35°C – 38°C.
• Grows well in tropical and subtropical regions.
• Sensitive to frost and susceptible to waterlogging.
• Yellow pigment in papaya due to Caricaxanthin.

Sowing

• Seed requirement: Gynodioecious varieties: 250–300 g/ha. Dioecious varieties: 400–500 g/ha

• Planting seasons:
  • Spring: February–March
  • Monsoon: June–July
  • Autumn: October–November
• Avoid planting during rainy season.

Nursery Management

• Seed treatment: Captan @ 2 g/kg of seed.
• Sowing: Dibble 4 seeds in polybags (1 cm deep).
• Seedling readiness: About 60 days.

Planting

• Spacing:
  • Normal: 1.8 x 1.8 m
  • High density: 1.3 x 1.3 m
  • Dwarf varieties: 1.2 x 1.2 m
  • Pusa Nanha: 1.25 x 1.25 m (~6000 plants/ha)
• Age of seedlings for transplanting: 35–40 days
• Spacing for dioecious varieties: Maintain 10% male plants for pollination.

After Cultivation Practices

• Inflorescence stage:
  • Remove excess male trees.
  • Maintain 1 male: 20 female ratio for proper fruit set.
• Gynodioecious types (CO-3, CO-7):
  • Retain only hermaphrodite plants.
  • Remove female plants from pits.
• Vigorous plants should be retained in each pit.

Micronutrient Management

• Spray:
  • ZnSO₄ @ 0.5% + H₂BO₃ @ 0.1%
  • Apply during 4th and 8th months to enhance growth and yield.

Varieties

Gynodioecious Varieties:

• Surya
• Pusa Delicious
• CO-3
• Pusa Majesty (nematode resistant)
• Taiwan (blood red)
• Sunrise Solo (pink flesh)
• Coorg Honey Dew

Dioecious Varieties:

• Pusa Giant (used for canning & tooty fruity)
• Pusa Dwarf
• Pant C-1
• Betty
• CO-5 (papain-rich)
• Hatras Gold
• Pusa Nanha (extremely dwarf, ideal for HDP/pots)
• Washington

Dual Purpose Variety:

• CO-6 (Table and papain production)

Papain Extraction

• Select fruits 75–90 days old.
• Make incisions using a razor blade or stainless steel knife.
• Dried latex enzyme: Papain
• Pepsin: Another enzyme present
• Milk (lactate) from unripe fruit is source of Papain.

Disease Management

• Papaya Ring Spot Virus
• Grow maize as catch crop for vector control.
• Spray insecticides to control vectors.
• Apply micronutrient spray at fortnight intervals.

• Root Rot and Wilt
• Common in water stagnated areas.
• Soil drenching with:
  • 0.1% Methoxyethyl mercuric chloride
  • 1% Bordeaux mixture
  • 0.2% Metalaxyl
  • Repeat 2–4 times at fortnight intervals.
• Ensure proper drainage.

Crop Duration; 24 to 30 months

Harvesting

• Harvest at colour break stage.
• One tree yields ~100 fruits, each weighing 1–3 kg (depending on variety).
• After 2½ years, uproot old plants and rotate with other crops.

Yield: 75–100 tonnes/ha (depending on spacing and management practices)

Advanced Disease Management in Papaya

1. Papaya Mosaic Virus (PMV); Cause: Papaya mosaic virus, a Potexvirus.
2. Papaya Leaf Curl Virus (PLCV): Cause: Geminivirus, transmitted by whitefly (Bemisia tabaci).
3. Anthracnose: Cause: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides.
4. Collar Rot / Foot Rot: Cause: Pythium aphanidermatum, Phytophthora palmivora.

Physiological Disorders

1. Carpellody (“Cat Face”): Cause: Abnormal development of floral organs due to low night temperatures and high nitrogen levels.
2. Bumpy Fruit; Cause: Boron deficiency.