Papaya (Carica papaya) produces fruits throughout the year. It requires less area for tree, comes to fruiting in a year, is easy to cultivate and provides more income/ha next to banana. It has a high nutritive and medicinal value. Papain prepared from dried latex of its immature fruits is used in meat tenderising, manufacture of chewing gum, cosmetics, for degumming natural silk and to give shrink resistance to wool. Besides, it is also used in pharmaceutical industries, textile and garment cleaning paper and adhesive manufacture, sewage disposal, etc.
Climate and Soil
Papaya is a tropical fruit. However, it also grows well in the mild subtropical regions of the country up to 1,000m above mean sea-level. Temperature is one of the most important climatic factors which determines the success of papaya cultivation. Night temperature below 12°–14°C for several hours during winter season affects its growth and production severely. It is very much sensitive to frost, strong winds and water stagnation.
It can grow in a wide variety of soils, provided these are well-drained and aerated. A rich, well-drained sandy loam soil is ideal for its cultivation. It grows well in deep, rich, alluvial soils on banks and deltas of big rivers of India. Papaya can also be grown in calcareous and stony soils provided with heavy dose of organic manures. Soils with high pH (8.0) and low pH (5.0) should be avoided.
Varieties
A large number of varieties are cultivated. As a matter of fact many of these are not real varieties since these cannot be relied upon to reproduce the parental characters in all their progenies. However, well-known varieties with certain specific plant and fruit characters are described below.
Pusa Delicious
It is a gynodioecious variety with 100% productive plants with good fruit yield and quality having excellent taste and good flavour.
Pusa Majesty
This is also gynodioecious variety with high productivity and better keeping quality of fruits. This is also one of the highest papain yielders.
Pusa Giant
This is a vigorous variety and is dioecious in nature. The plants are sturdy and tolerant to strong winds. The fruits are suitable for tooty-fruity and candies like petha.
Pusa Dwarf
It is a dwarf-statured dioecious variety with good yield. Fruits are medium-sized with oval shape and are preferred by consumers.
Pusa Nanha
An extremely dwarf variety, it is suitable for kitchen gardens, pot and roof-top cultivation. This is ideal for high-density orcharding.
Co 1
A dwarf and dioecious variety. Fruits are medium-sized with spherical shape.
Co 2
It is medium-tall, dioecious variety, having good fruit quality with high papain content. It is predominantly cultivated for papain production.
Co 3
It is a gynodioecious variety with tall, vigorous trees. The fruits are medium-sized, with high sugar content and red coloured flesh. This is preferred for dessert.
Co 4
It is a dioecious variety with medium-tall, vigorous trees. There are purple tinges on the stem, petiole and leaf. It is suitable for home-gardening.
Co 5
It is a selection from Washington variety, cultivated mainly for papain production. It yields 1,500–1,600kg/ha of dried papain.
Co 6
A selection from Pusa Majesty, it is dioecious having dwarf stature. It produces large-sized fruits. It is recommended both for papain and dessert purposes.
Coorg Honey Dew
A selection from Honey Dew, it is a gynodioecious variety having excellent fruit quality under south Indian conditions.
Pink Flesh Sweet
It is a selection with excellent-quality fruits. Fruits are medium-sized with pink flesh. The TSS is 12–14° Brix. It is a good dessert variety..
Pant 1
Its plants are dioecious providing medium-sized fruits. It is recommended for tarai area in Uttar Pradesh.
Sunrise Solo
This is a gynodioecious variety having pink flesh and good taste.
Taiwan
This is also gynodioecious variety with blood-red coloured flesh and good taste.
Climate and Soil
Papaya is a tropical fruit. However, it also grows well in the mild subtropical regions of the country up to 1,000m above mean sea-level. Temperature is one of the most important climatic factors which determines the success of papaya cultivation. Night temperature below 12°–14°C for several hours during winter season affects its growth and production severely. It is very much sensitive to frost, strong winds and water stagnation.
It can grow in a wide variety of soils, provided these are well-drained and aerated. A rich, well-drained sandy loam soil is ideal for its cultivation. It grows well in deep, rich, alluvial soils on banks and deltas of big rivers of India. Papaya can also be grown in calcareous and stony soils provided with heavy dose of organic manures. Soils with high pH (8.0) and low pH (5.0) should be avoided.
Varieties
A large number of varieties are cultivated. As a matter of fact many of these are not real varieties since these cannot be relied upon to reproduce the parental characters in all their progenies. However, well-known varieties with certain specific plant and fruit characters are described below.
Pusa Delicious
It is a gynodioecious variety with 100% productive plants with good fruit yield and quality having excellent taste and good flavour.
Pusa Majesty
This is also gynodioecious variety with high productivity and better keeping quality of fruits. This is also one of the highest papain yielders.
Pusa Giant
This is a vigorous variety and is dioecious in nature. The plants are sturdy and tolerant to strong winds. The fruits are suitable for tooty-fruity and candies like petha.
Pusa Dwarf
It is a dwarf-statured dioecious variety with good yield. Fruits are medium-sized with oval shape and are preferred by consumers.
Pusa Nanha
An extremely dwarf variety, it is suitable for kitchen gardens, pot and roof-top cultivation. This is ideal for high-density orcharding.
Co 1
A dwarf and dioecious variety. Fruits are medium-sized with spherical shape.
Co 2
It is medium-tall, dioecious variety, having good fruit quality with high papain content. It is predominantly cultivated for papain production.
Co 3
It is a gynodioecious variety with tall, vigorous trees. The fruits are medium-sized, with high sugar content and red coloured flesh. This is preferred for dessert.
Co 4
It is a dioecious variety with medium-tall, vigorous trees. There are purple tinges on the stem, petiole and leaf. It is suitable for home-gardening.
Co 5
It is a selection from Washington variety, cultivated mainly for papain production. It yields 1,500–1,600kg/ha of dried papain.
Co 6
A selection from Pusa Majesty, it is dioecious having dwarf stature. It produces large-sized fruits. It is recommended both for papain and dessert purposes.
Coorg Honey Dew
A selection from Honey Dew, it is a gynodioecious variety having excellent fruit quality under south Indian conditions.
Pink Flesh Sweet
It is a selection with excellent-quality fruits. Fruits are medium-sized with pink flesh. The TSS is 12–14° Brix. It is a good dessert variety..
Pant 1
Its plants are dioecious providing medium-sized fruits. It is recommended for tarai area in Uttar Pradesh.
Sunrise Solo
This is a gynodioecious variety having pink flesh and good taste.
Taiwan
This is also gynodioecious variety with blood-red coloured flesh and good taste.
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