🍐 Papya

Important points, varities, pests

  • Botanical Name: Carica papaya
  • Family: Caricaceae
  • Origin: Tropical America
  • Papaya was introduced in India in 16th century.
  • It is a tropical fruit and more sensitive to frost.
  • Carica candamarcensis — Mountain papaya.
  • Highest productivity after Banana.
  • India has 4th rank in papaya production in the world.
  • Highest producing state in India - Andhra Pradesh
  • Frost is the most limiting factor in papaya cultivation in north India.
  • Papaya is thermosensitive crop.
  • Papaya plants are very susceptible to water logging.
  • Yellow pigment in papaya — Caricaxanthin
  • Carpine obtained from papaya, is utilized as a diuretic and heart stimulent.
  • Pepsin - Dried latex of Papaya contains this enzyme.
  • Papain - Enzyme present in papaya for marinating meat and meat products.
  • Papain contain 72.2% protein.
  • Papaya is highly cross-pollinated plant.
  • Papaya is commercially propagated by seed.
  • Papaya is Polygamous plant i.e. Bearing some flowers with stamens only, some with pistils only, and some with both, on the same or different plants.
  • Seed Rate for Gynodioecious (Gynodioecy is the evolutionary intermediate stage between hermaphroditism (exhibiting both female and male parts) and dioecy (having two distinct morphs: male and female variety) - 250-300 gm/ha.
  • Seed Rate for Dioecous (Plant in which male and female reproductive parts occur in different plants) - 400-500gm/ha.
  • 1 gram = 20 seeds of papaya.
  • Seed are enclosed in gelatinous sarcotesta.
  • Recommended spacing for Pusa Nanha is 1.25 X 1.25 m2 (6000 plants/hac)
  • Damping off is most serious disease of papaya seedlings.
  • 10% male plant is planted where dioecious varieties are cultivated.
  • Sunrise solo type of papaya produce no male plants.
  • Irrigation by ring method.

Varieties

  • Gynodioecous [DMCTSS]
    • Pusa Delicious
    • Pusa Majesty: One of highest papain yielders
    • Coorg honey dew: Selection from honey dew (Madhu Bindu) - Hermaphrodite
    • Taiwan – (Blood red flesh)
    • Sunrise solo – (Pink flesh)
    • Surya
  • Dioecious Varieties
    • Pusa Nanha: Extremely dwarf, suitable for HDP (pot garden).
    • Pusa Giant: Suitable for tooty fruity and candies used in canning industry and have good wine resistance.
    • Pusa Dwarf
    • Hatras gold
    • Betty
    • Pant C-1
    • CO-1: Dwarf
    • CO-2
    • CO-5: Cultivated mainly for papain extraction (Pupain yield 1500 – 1600 kg/ha).
    • CO-6: Selection from Pusa Majesty
    • Pink flesh sweet: TSS – 12-14° Brix
    • Sunny bank
    • Improved Peresons
  • Hybrid
    • CO-3: CO-2 x Sunrise Gold
    • CO-4: CO-2 x Washinghton
    • CO-7: Pusa delicious x Coorg honey dew

Disease

  • Stem rot / Foot rot / damping off
    • Pythium aphanidermatum
    • It is most serious disease of papaya seedlings.
  • Papaya Leaf curl
    • Papaya leaf curl virus
    • Spread by whitefly Bemisia tabaci.
  • Papaya ring spot
    • Papaya ring spot virus
    • Upper leaves of papaya is mottled.
    • Transmitted by aphid (Aphis gossipi).
  • Management:
    • Both white flies and aphids can be managed by spraying of any systemic insecticides i.e. Acephate @ 1.0 mllliter of water or Dimethoate 30 EC @ 1 ml/liter of water or
    • Imidacloprid @ 0.5 ml/liter of water with Streptocyclin a 0.1 g /liter of water is also effective.

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