Papaya

• Botanical Name : Carica Papaya L .,

• Family : Caricaceae ,
• Chromosome No. : 2n = 18
• Papaya has long been known as wonder fruit of the
tropics
• papaya fruits throughout the year and a remunerative
fruit crop which is grown in almost every part of the
country.
• It gives maximum yield per unit and income next to
banana.
• It is generally grown as fruit plant in kitchen garden,
home garden or nutrition garden and later as commercial
fruit. It is also planted as a filler plant in a fruit orchard.
• Papaya is a very delicious, wholesome,
refreshing fruit with a unique food value. The
ripe fruits are used for desert purpose,
preparation of jam, jelly, soft drinks, ice
cream, flavoring, crystallized fruits, canned in
syrup, fruits salad. The unripe fruits are
consumed as vegetables also as a
contraceptive. The seeds also have medicinal
properties.
• The milky latex which is obtained from immature fruits is known as papain, which is a
proteolytic enzyme used in several ways.
• As a digestive aid and for the treatment of ulcer & diphtheria.
• In the industry of pre-shrinking of wool and degumming of natural silk and rayon.
• Tenderization of meat and it is used for tanning of leathers.
• Used in brewing industries as a clarifying agent for beer etc.
• Used in preparation of drugs for treating intestinal cancer, tape worms, round worms
and kidney disorders. The carpaine alkaloid present in green parts and in seeds used
as heart stimulant, as diuretic and for treatment of amoebic dysentery.
• Preparation of chewing gum, cosmetics, papers and adhesive materials.
• It is also be used for extraction of oil from liver of Tuno fish.
• Apart from papain, raw fruits can also be used for extraction of pectin. Pectin is
generally extracted using alcohol precipitation method. It is used in food industry as
flavouring extract and emulsifying agent.
• Tutti frutti: Papaya bits (immature) are first soaked in brine and boiled in sugar syrup
and immersed in sugar syrup for 48-60 hours with permitted colours.
• The other products like, Papaya jam, canned slice, papaya beverages, fruit bars/toffee
bars, soft drinks etc, could be made out of the fruits.
• Origin & distribution: India is the second largest producer of papaya
in the world after Brazil. It is a fruit native to tropical America and
commercially grown in many parts of the world viz., Australia, Hawaii,
Taiwan, Puerto Rico, Peru, Florida, Texas, California, South Africa,
Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. In India, it was introduced by
Portuguese in 1611. It is grown in Karnataka, Bihar, Kerala, TN, Assam,
Gujarat, Maharastra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh etc.
• Climate and soil: Papaya is tropical in its climatic requirement. It is
susceptible to frost. It requires worm humid climate and can be
cultivated up to an elevation of 1000-1200 m above MSL. It thrives
well at temperature between 38-440C, but optimum range is 22-
360C, a day temperature of 350C and 250C night temperature are
most suitable.
• Papaya grows well under well drained soil with a pH range of 6-7. It
prefers fertile soil, deep clayey and calcarious and rocky soils are not
suitable.
• Species and varieties: The genus Carica contains 48 species of which, only 3-4 species are
important.
• 1. Cariaca papaya – It is a cultivated commercial species and polygamous in nature.
• 2. C. monoica - Monoecious and is suited for mild climate, found in Amazon basin.
• 3. C. candamarcensis – This species is known as mountain papaya is suited to cold
climate.
• 4. C. gracilis - Ornamental
• 5. C. pubescens - Mountain papaya
• 6. Carica dodecaphylla - Jaracatia
• 7. Carica goudotiana -Papayuelo
• 8. Carica stipulata - Chamburo
• 9. Carica quercifolia- Oak Leaved Papaya
• 10. C. stipulate etc.,
•
•
•
• Varieties
• Coorg honey dew: Selection from Honey dew at IIHR, Chethalli. This variety produces no
male plants. The plants are either hermophorodite or female. Fruits borne on female plants
are almost seedless and are of excellent quality.
• Washington: The plants are vigorous, stem and leaf stalks are with purple ting, fruits
medium to large, round to ovate, sweet, pulp orange colour with good flavour.
• Some improved variety released from TANU
• Co-1 It is a selection from variety Ranchi, dwarf type medium sized, spherical shape and
greenish yellow fruits with golden yellow pulp good keeping quality, yield is about 100 –120
tons/ha
• Co-2: It is a dioecious, semi dwarf, medium tall type, very good for table and papain
extraction. It yields 5-6g. of papain per fruit.
• Co-3 : A hybrid between Co-2 x Sunrise solo. It is gynodioecious in nature, Tall vigorous plant
with medium sized fruits. The pulp is attractively red coloured and is good for table purpose,
Yields 100-220 tons/ha
• Co-4: A hybrid derivative from Co-1 x Washington. It is dioecious, medium- tall plant with
large fruits (1-1.5kg) , Yields 100-220 tons/ha
• Co-5: Selection from Washington and the plants are exclusively selected for papain
extraction and yields about 14-15 g. of papain/fruit, Yields 100-220 tons/ha.
• Co-6: Selection from pusa majesty, it yields about 80-100 fruits and also a high papain (7.5-8
g/fruit) yielder i.e., 890 kg of dry papain/ha, Yields 100-220 tons/ha
• Co-7: It is also a gynodioecious developed through multiple crosses CP-75 ( Pusa
deliciousxCo-3) and coorg Honey dew, yields 160-180 tone/ha.
• PUSA, Bihar-released some improved varieties.
• a. Pusa delicious - It is a gynodioecious with medium sized fruits (1.5kg) and high
yielder, male has been eliminated genetically by sibmating with hermaphrodite.
• b. Pusa majesty: A gynodioecious, medium round fruits with good keeping quality.
Plants resistant to virus diseases. The fruit with stand long distance transport.
• c. Pusa giant- Dioecious variety with big sized fruits (2-3.5 kg), plants are very
vigorous and resistant to wind damage. The fruits are suitable for canning
industries.
• d. Pusa dwarf: The plants are dwarf and bears fruits at 38cm from the ground,
they are dioecious and medium yielder, medium sized fruits, suitable for HDP and
home gardens.
• e. Pusa nanha: A dioecious dwarf mutant and well suited for kitchen garden,
nutrition garden and pot cultivation. It yields about 60-65 tonnes of fruit/ha. It is
developed by gama radiation, suitable for High density planting.
• Varieties released from Pantnagar University- Pant-1, 2 & 3.
• IIHR, developed some hybrids
• IIHR-39- Sunrise solo x Pink Flesh Sweet.
• IIHR-57- waimanello x PPS.
• Now a days Taiwan hybrids are grown on large scale – Red lady
• Cultivars:
• CO-1, CO2, CO3, CO-4, Washington, Honey Dew, Coorg Honey Dew, Pusa Delicious, Pusa
Majesty, Pusa Giant, Pusa Dwarf, Solo, Sunrise Solo, Pant Papaya 1, 2 and 3, Peradeniya,
Red Fleshed, Philippines, Madhubindu, Ranchi, Barwani, Pusa Nanha.
• Gynodiecious variety (in which two sex forms i.e.pistillate and hermaphrodite are
found:
• Pusa Delicious, Pusa Mejisty, Solo
• Hermaphrodite variety: Coorg Honey Dew.
• Dioecious Variety: Pusa Giant, Pusa Dwraf, CO-1, CO-2, Washington.
• Variety for papain production: CO-1, CO-2, Peradeniya, Botanist’s Selection,
Washington, Philippine.
• Propagation: Papaya is usually propagated by seeds. The seeds should be collected from healthy
ripe fruits essentially from of plants free from pest & diseases. The seeds should be rubbed with
ash to remove mucilaginous coating (Aril/Sarcotesta) to facilitate better germination. However
seeds can be stored for 45 days in a air tight container and stored at 10°C. Before sowing, soaking
seeds in 100ppm GA solution to enhance germination percentage.
• Seed:Papaya is normally propagated by seed. Since it is a cross pollinated crop, the plants raised
from seeds have a mixed inheritance which makes them highly variable in performance. Removal
of the aril and leaching of seeds prior to planting caused faster and higher germination. The
viability of the seeds can be retained if they are preserved in clean and airtight bottles or they are
stored at 100 C temperature.The best time for raising seedlings is the middle of June to the end of
October. In North India, where occurrence of frost is common, seeds are generally sown from
February to April but in the eastern India, seeds are usually sown in April-May, so that the
seedlings are ready for transplanting before the onset of monsoon. About 500 gm seed is sufficient
to raise seedlings for a hectare of land. Seeds are sown on raised beds at a depth of 1 cm in rows
spaced 15 cm apart with 2.5 cm on spacing in the row. Seeds start germinating with in 15-20 days.
Seedlings can also be raised in polyethylene bags. 2-3 seeds are sown in each bag filled with a
mixture of sieved soil, FYM and sand in equal proportions.
• Cutting: Papaya can also be propagated by cuttings, but the method is more expensive, laborious
and requires a large number of mother plants. It can also be propagated by tissue culture.
• Sowing: Seeds to be sown in poly bags (22x15cm with 150 gauge) 6 weeks prior to
transplanting. The media should be disinfected by using 2 per cent formalin solution, 4
seeds per polybag should be sown, if it is dioecious variety or 2 seeds, if it is hermaphrodite
variety. Seeds also sown in raised nursery beds; About 350 g seeds are required to plant one
hectare area. Germination will be observed in 2-3 weeks after sowing. About 6-7 weeks old
seedlings will be ready for transplanting.
• Planting: The pit size of 1-1.5 cubic feet should be dug at 1.8 x 1.8m or at 2.4 x 2.4m apart
and filled with 30-40 kg FYM with 25gm aldrin 5 per cent dust will be added to the pits and
• filled with top soil. Planting is done during monsoon season. Due to sex variation more than
one seedlings are required per pit. In case of dioecious varieties Co-1 & Co-2, four seedlings
are transplanted/pit, whereas, two seedlings are sufficient in case of hermaphrodite types
like solo, Coorg Honey Dew etc. After planting irrigate the pit & provide staking.
• Intercropping & Intercultivation: Different short duration vegetables can be profitably
grown for about six months from planting; For control of weeds, weedicides like fluchloralin
or butachlor at 2.0 kg/ha have to be applied. Post emergent herbicides - Glyphosate has
also been found effective.
• Flowering and Fruit set: Papaya starts flowering in 5-6 months after planting; When the sex
of the plant is identified, surplus male plants (plants with long 1-11/2 meters flower stalk
hang out with small tubular flowers contains stamens only), may be removed keeping one
male plant for every 10 female plants, as pollinizers.
• Thinning of Male plant: Removing of male plants by
maintaining1 male plant for every 10 plants after
flowering.
• Manuring: The recommended dosage of fertilizers
for different states are givenbelow and the fertilizers
are to be applied in 4 splits at 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th
months after planting. While applying fertilizers it is
not necessary to fertilize the male trees left as
pollinizers as they will regularly put forth necessary
male flowers without any extra manuring.
• Irrigation: Papaya should be irrigated once in 8-10
days in winter and 6 days in summer by ring system.
• Weed Management: Application of weedicide such as
Fluchloralin or Butachlor at 2.0 kg/ha., Post emergent
herbicides - Glyphosate has also been found effective.
• Sex distribution in papaya: Papaya is a polygamous
species, many forms of inflorescence have been
reported by Frankel and Galun, 1977. In general there
are 3 important types of flowers
• Staminate or male flowers:
• Spleder spoon shaped buds with long, narrow tubular flowers on long peduncles, from leaf axil
petals fused at base and contains stamens but no ovary, it cannot develop in to fruits
• Pistilate/Female flowers: Large yellow, borne singly or in groups of three in the leaf axils, close
to the trunk. These flowers have five large twisted and fleshy petals, surrounded ovary, which
swells and develops in to a papaya fruits.
•
• Hermophrodite flowers: These are bisexual flowers, having both female and male organs, they
are creamy white in colour, big sized flowers no peduncle. The bisexual flowers are also borne in
the same manner as of female flowers i.e. closer to the trunk in leaf axils.
• In papaya change in the sex expression is influenced by environmental factors like, low
temperature favoring production of perfect flowers on the male tree. It was observed that
fertile hermaphrodite types had some pistillate flowers which showed male tendency in
summer and female tendency in winters. Seedless fruits are developed from the pure female
flowers which are not cross pollinated.
• After flowering the fruits mature within 5 months after flowering; Under adverse climatic
condition flowers & fruit drop is very common, to avoid this problem spraying of planofix @
1ml/liter. Fruit thinning is suggested to get good size and quality.
• Harvesting Indices: Papaya comes to bearing with 10
months after planting. The economic life is only 3-4 years.
Fruits are harvested when the fruit turn slight yellow in
colour. While harvesting, fruit should not be damaged to
prevent rotting. Manual harvesting is commonly
practiced, wash the fruits with water or fungicide i.e.,
Benlate at 0.05per cent and pack in boxes with cushioning
materials. After harvesting in about 5-6 days fruit ripens
depending upon room temperature. Fruits could be
stored for more than 4-5 weeks at 0°C; also individual
fruits are wrapped in the newspaper for ripening
• Yield: The average yield is 30-80 tons/ha.
•
• Post-Harvest handling and storage: After harvesting the fruits are
graded on the basis of their weight, size and colour. Fruits are
highly perishable in nature. They can be stored for a period of 1-3
weeks at a temperature of 10-130 C and 85-90% relative humidity.
• Plant protection:-
• Insect pests: Few insects like scales, mealy bugs, aphids and thrips
have been reported infesting the fruit tree. Scale insects and
mealy bugs on stem and leaves.
• Mite incidence may be occasionally noted especially during
summer
• Diseases:
• Caller rot and wilt: This occurs mainly due to the incidence of pythium aphanidermatum and phytopthora
palmivora.
• Anthracnose: (colletotrichum gloesporiodes): The initial symptoms are small round water soaked area on
fruits which later develop into sunken or concentric lesions. The disease also affects the petioles of lower
leaves leading to their shedding.
• Powdery Mildew:- (Oidium caricae)- The fungus is found mostly growing on the upper surface of the
leaves with drawing nutrients from the cells of the leaf surface. Under severe attack the top portions of
the seedling may die.
• Viral Diseases:
• 1) Mosaic 2) Leaf curl 3) Ring spot.- Of these, the papaya ring spot virus is common in North India,
Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and after it has become a major threat to papaya production in several
tracts.
• Nematodes: Root knot (Meloidogyne Sp) - Affects the root systems and cause yield reductions.
• Pests:The plant is not affected by any serious pests. However, in Hawaii, mites-Tetranychus sp.,
Tenuipalpus bioculatus and Hemitarsonemus latus cause considerable damage to the crop. Birds also
damage the fruits.
• Nematodes: The root knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) and reniform nematode (Pratylenchuslus
reniformis) cause severe damage to papaya. In the nursery, to control nematodes, granular insecticide
should be applied @ 0.6 gm / nursery poly bag. In the main field, 25 gm of furadan may be applied/plant .
• Diseases:
• Coller rot (Pythium aphanidermatum):
• This is a soil-dwelling fungus.
• Sumptom: Water soaked patches are found on the stem which gradually enlarge and girdle the base of the stem. The
affected area turns black and rots.
• Control:
• Spraying of 1% Bordeaux mixture or copper oxychloride @ 2 gm/litre of water.
• Good drainage and drenching the plants with any one of the above fungicides prior to the commencement of heavy
monsoon.
• Root rot:This disease is caused by the fungus Phytophthora palmivora, and in the nursery by Rhizoctonia solani and
Fusarium spp.
• Seed treatment with fungicides like captan and ceresan, and sterilization of the nursery beds by burning dried
leaves, spraying of formaldehyde two weeks before sowing and drenching the soil with copper fungicides will control
this disease.
• Viral Diseases:
• Papaya Mosaic:
• The affected plants are stunted in growth, show yellow mottling and distortion of leaves, bending down of petiole,
followed by death of the plant. Diseased plant yield little or no crop. The disease is spread by aphid.
• Control:
• Roguing of diseased plants.
• Spraying of Rogor 1 ml/litre of water to control aphid.
• Papaya leaf curl:
• The virus disease is characterzed by severe curling, crinkling and distortion of leaves accompanied by reduction in leaf
size. This desease is transmitted by Bemisea tabaci. As the spread of the disease is slow, roguing of affected papaya
plants at the early stage of disease development is found effective in keeping the disease in check
•
• Papain extraction:
• Papain extraction: Papain is a proteolytic enzyme extracted from the milky
latex obtained from immature papaya; About 400 tons of papain is produced
throughout the world. The USA and UK are the major consumers of papain.
• Some of the important points to be considered while collecting the latex.
• Fruits of 90-100 days from fruit set are generally preferred.
• Oblong fruits relatively yield more yielder than round ones.
• Fruits set during July yield more papain.
• There will be a 4 fold increase in papain yield by using ethrel at 200 ppm.
• Always collect the papain in glass vessels or Aluminum trays.
• Use Potassium Metabisulphite (0.05 per cent) to extend the storage life
• About 450g/plant and 250-375 kg papain could be extracted from an
hectare area. The varieties C0-5 and C0-2 are preferred for papain
extraction. The quality and grade of papain is determined by colour and
enzyme activity (Tyrosine unit).
• Procedure of extraction: Papaya fruits which are about 90-100 days old (fully mature but not
ripe) are selected for tapping. In the morning hours before 10.00 A.M., four longitudinal
incisions are given on the four sides of the selected fruit from the stalk end to the tip. The
depth of the incision should be about 0.3 cm. on incising, the latex starts flowing and this
collected in suitable containers (arecanut spathes, aluminium trays or glass vessels). Care
should be taken not to use any other container for papain collection, since it will react with
papain rendering it unfit for any use. The latex that solidifies in the cuts should also be
scrapped carefully and added to the liquid latex. This process of making four incisions in the
untapped fruit surface at 3 to 4 day interval is repeated thrice or four times over a period of
12-16 days. The latex thus collected every time should be dried in the sun or in driers at
temperature ranging 50-550C. Potassium meta-bisulphite (0.05%) is added to the liquid latex
in small quantities before it is dried, since this helps to extend the storage life of papain. The
drying of papain is continued until it comes off in flakes having a porous structure. The dried
papain is powdered, sieved in 10-mesh sieve and stored in polythene bags or in other suitable
container. The biochemical analysis of fruits revealed that latex extraction has no effect on the
quality of fruits.
• Fruits oblong in shape, 14.3 inches length and 10.9 inches diameter produce highest amount
of papain. Papain yield is maximum in the month of July-January. Spraying of ethrel at 200
ppm can increase the yield of papain.