Papaya
Papai
Caricaceae
Carica papaya
Improved varieties – Washington, CO-2, CO-7, Pusa Majestic, Pusa delitious, Solo
The time of sowing depends upon the choice of fruiting season and avoide fruiting period in heavy rains and frost.
Papaya is tropical plant, very sensitive to frost. Optimum temperature required between 25-30 0c and minimum 16 0c. The suitable pH value should be between 6 - 6.5. Papaya does not like strong, cool, hot , dry climate. It is better to grows in sheltered but full sunshine place.
The well drained or sandy loam soil with adequate organic matter is most important for the papaya cultivation. In high rainfall area if drainage is poor and roots are continuously drenched for 24 to 48 hrs. It may cause the death of the plants. Sticky and calcarious soils are not good as rain water may accumulate in the soil even only for a few hrs. In this case higher raised bed and drainage ditch are recommended.
First prepared seedling on raised bed then transplant the seedlings in 30 x 30 x 30 cmpits. Add 250 gm super phosphate, 1 kg FYM and soil or 2.5 to 3 m ridges apply 250 gm super phosphate 200 gm NPK after transplanting 1,3,5,7 months.
1) Plastic bag or soft plastic pot sowing- 8-9 cm wide and 8 cm high plastic pot is used for raising seedling. Drainage hole is required. Fill with mixture of sandy loam virgin soil and sand in 3: 1 ratio. Sow 1 or 2 seeds each bag.Cover the bags or pots with plastic film. Keep the air fresh and moist and remove then cover gradually for fitting the seedling under the sunshine.
2) Seedling tray sowing- The use of plastic seedling tray. The tray size may be 74 to 82 holes at 4.5 cm each diameter. Sow 1 to 2 seeds in each hole and cover the layer of media.
Seeds are dipped in humic acid (Humicid) 2.5 to 5.0 ml per liter of water dipped for 5-10 minutes. It increases 10 % of germination of seed.
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It may be sown directly but normally it is better to seeded to raise seedlings and transplated.
Time of sowing depends upon the choice of fruiting season . Papaya is planted during February – March (spring) and monsoon June- July and Autumn (October –November0
Appropriate spacing 2.25 x 2.25 m/ha or 1.8 x 1.8 m is normally followed.
2000 plants are required to maintain.
Average seed rate 50-80 g seeds per hectare (1 g contains about 50-80 seeds mostly 65-75 seeds)
A well drained upland is selected for cultivation. In open and high lying areas plants are exposed to strong winds or storm therfore for proper establishment of papayaplantation suitable wind break should be planted at the orchard boundary.
Papaya plants needs heavy doses of manures and fertilizers. Apply in the pits 200-250 gm N, P, K are recommended for getting high yield. Under irrigated condition 400 gm N, 250 gm P and 400 gm K per plant.
The irrigation schedule is fixed on the basis of soil type and weather conditions. Protective irrigation is provided in the first year of planting. During the second year irrigation is provided at fortnightly interval in winter and 10 days in summer . In areas having low rainfall sprinkler or drip system can be adopted.
Apply weedicide like Dithane M-45, 2-4-D or Atrazine .
Powdery mildew, Anthracnose, Damping off and stem rot- application of wettable sulphur (1 gm /lit) Carbendazim/ Thiophanate methyl (1 gm /lit) and Kavach/ Mancozeb (2 gm /lit) has been found to be effective.)
Fruit flies, grasshoppers, Aphids, Red spider mite, Stem borer, Grey weevil- Infected parts need to be destroyed along with application of Prophylactic sprays of Dimethoate (0.3%) or Methyl demeton (0.05%).
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Fruits are graded on the basis of their weight size and colour. A good crop may fail if harvesting of fruits is not done properly dur to perishable nature of fruits. The fruits should be left on the tree until they mature fully. Fruits are harvested whenn they are full size, light green with tinge of yellow at apical end.
Average yield of papaya 50 to 75 fruits /plant
papaya fruits at colour turning can be stored at 7 0c which will have normal ripening. Shelf life of fruit is also extended by storing at 13 0c with 1 to 1.5 % oxygen.
Fruit, Papain
Papaya is popular fruit famous for its nutritive and medicinal value. Forth important crop of this region. It has been use as vegetable, fruit processing and papain production at immature stage. It can be highly profitable crop now.
Papaya fruits are easily perishable care should be taken to wrap the individual fruits in paper and finally packed in wooden crates surrounded by soft material all round and saw dust specially on the bottom.
Barazil, Mexico, Nigeria, Indonesia, China, Peru, Thailand and Phillippines.
Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur, Maharashtra.
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