papaya

Step by Step Production Technology of Papaya Fruit

Importance of Papaya Cultivation:

• An important quick growing fruit of Bangladesh, India and others country.
• Present production is 105000 tons from 7700 ha in Bangladesh
• It is a highly problematic, complicated and interesting fruit crop from botanical, genetical, cytogenetical and horticultural points of view
• Can be cultivated successfully in small space of homestead

Composition and uses

• Very rich in vitamins like vitamin A, B & C and minerals like P & Ca
• Possesses high medicinal value
• The ripe fresh fruits are used as dessert and green fruits are used as vegetable. Jam, soft drinks, ice-cream flavoring etc can be prepared from ripe fruit

Characteristics of Shahi Pepe

Sexuality : Dioecious

Plant height: 1.6-2.0 m

Bearing habit: Start bearing from near to ground level

Fruit weight: 850-1000 g

Flesh thickness: 2 cm

Flesh color: Deep Orange

Seeds per fruit: 500-530

TSS: 12%

Number of fruits/plant: 40-60

Yield: 50 tons

Production Technology of Papaya

Soil and Climate

• Well drained loam to sandy-loam soil rich in organic matter
• Papaya thrives well on soil with pH ranging from 5.5 to 7.0
• Plants are highly sensitive to flooding
• It has been ranked as not tolerant or extremely sensitive to salt stress
• The optimum temperature for papaya is 21⁰ to 33⁰ C
• Papaya is classified as a shade avoiding species

Land Preparation

• Land should be prepared well
• For quick drainage bed system must be followed
• Bed should be 1.7 m wide and 20-25 cm high
• There should be 30 cm drain in between two beds
• The length of bed will be as per land
• Bed should be raised before pit preparation

Raising of seedling

• Seeds should be sown in 10 cm apart rows in seed beds at 3-4 cm distance and 1.0-1.5 cm depth
• Seeds are also sown in perforated poly bags (15 ´ 10 cm) filled with 50% river silt and 50% cow-dung
• 2-3 seeds are advised to sow in each poly bag
• Seeds should be soaked in water for several hours before sowing
• Watering should be done at 2-3 days interval after seed sowing

Number of seedling required

• Pits are prepared at 2 m apart in the beds (2 × 2 m spacing) and three seedlings are transplanted in each pit. So, a total of 7500 seedlings are required for 2500 pits per hectare

Pit preparation

• Pit size should be 60 ´ 60 ´ 45 cm
• Manure and fertilizers like cow-dung 15 kg, TSP 500g, gypsum 250g, boric acid 20 g, zinc sulphate 20 g are to be applied per pit 10-15 days before transplanting

Time of seed sowing and transplanting

• September-October and December-January are two suitable time for seed sowing
• Seedlings become ready for transplanting at 40-50 days after sowing

Transplanting

• Three seedlings are to be planted per pit at 30 cm distance in triangular form
• In case of monoecious type one seedling is planted per pit
• Poly bag is to be removed carefully keeping ball undisturbed
• Seedlings are to be placed in the same depth as it was in the bed or in the poly bag

Top dressing of fertilizers

• 450-500 g each of urea and MP are to be applied per pit
• 50 g urea and 50 g MP are to be top dressed at one month interval starting from one month after planting
• The doses should be doubled after flowering
• Irrigation is essential following top dressing in dry season

Weeding

• Papaya field should always be kept weed – free
• In the rainy season weeding should be done by ‘Hasua’ or lawn mower without loosening the soil

Irrigation and drainage

• Frequent light irrigation is required during dry season
• During rainy season quick drainage must be ensured

Removal of extra plants

• After fruit set two plants from each pit are to be removed keeping the best female plant
• 5% male should be allowed to facilitate pollination

Fruit thinning

• Most of the papaya varieties bear 2-3 fruits per cluster
• Extra fruits should be thinned out keeping the best one only
• In 2^nd or following years, the plant bears overcrowded fruit. The smaller fruits needs to be pruned

Diseases, insect pests and remedy

Damping off and collar rot

• Serious disease of papaya in the seed bed and causes considerable damage to the crop during rainy season.
• Damp growing condition favors the disease.

Remedy

• Seed treatment with Vitavax or Captan @ 2-3 g per kg of seed
• Sterilization of nursery bed by burning saw dust or rice hull (6 cm thick)
• Soil amendment by poultry litre @ 5 t/ha
• Solarization of the bed prior to seed sowing
• Drenching of Ridomoil MZ @ 2 g/L

Anthracnose

• Brown lesions are appeared on fruits which enlarges with the development of fruit

Remedy

• Spraying of Knowin or Topsin  @ 2 g/L 2-3 times at 10-15 days interval

Papaya mosaic virus

• Yellow patches are appeared on leaves and fruits, bending of petiole and plant growth become stunted
• The disease is transmitted by aphid

Ring spot virus

• The affected plants are in growth, show yellow mottling and distortion of leaves, bending down of petiole followed by death of the plant
• Oil soaked ring spots are found on stem and fruits. Diseased plants yield little or no crop
• The disease is transmitted by aphids

Control measure

• Uprooting and burning of diseased plant
• Control of vector

Mealy bug

• Mealy bugs suck on leaves, fruits and weaken the plants. Plant growth and yield are affected seriously
• They also cause sooty mould secreting honey dew

Remedy

• Clean cultivation, destruction of infested leaves and fruits with insects
• Application of Dimethoate 40EC (Perfecthion/ Taphgar) @ 2 ml/L 2-3 times at 15 days interval

Nematode

• Nematodes cause root-knot in papaya. The affected plants become weak and dwarf
• They also facilitate entrance of soil borne pathogen
• Infected roots, rain and irrigation water help dissemination of nematode

Remedy

• Crop rotation with mustard, ground nut, wheat or maize
• Application of Furadan 3G @ 5g per pit
• Soil amendment with poultry liter @ 3 t/ha or MOC @ 300 kg/ha

Nutrient deficiency problem

B deficiency

• Papaya is highly sensitive to B
• B deficiency creates three symptoms i) curling of leaves, ii) secretion of latex from developing fruits and iii) deformation of fruits

Remedy

• Application of boric acid @ 20 g/pit
• Spraying of boric acid @ 2 g/L 2-3 times at 10-15 days interval when symptoms are appeared on plants or fruits

Zn deficiency

• The plants turn mixed colour of white-green. Leaf venation show white net like appearance.

Remedy

• Spraying of ZnO to leaves @ 2g/L 2-3 times at 10-15 days interval

S deficiency

• Leaves turn yellow, the plants become weak and show stunted growth. The symptom resembles mosaic virus disease

Remedy

• Spraying of Thiovit or Cumulas @ 2 g/L 2-3 times at 10-15 days interval

Harvesting

• When the latex of the fruit becomes almost watery, the fruits is considered ready for harvest
• Fruits for local market can be harvested when they are half ripe
• Yellow bands are appeared on fruit surface
• The first crop of fruits is harvested in 12-14 months after transplanting
• Fruit should be harvested in the morning
• Fruits can be dipped in hot water at 55⁰ C for 5 minutes