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PAPAYA GROWING

INTRODUCTION

PAPAYA (Carica papaya) is one of the very popular tropical fruits belongs to the cactus group of plants.

Papaya is a fast growing tree-like herb that reaches 3 to 10 meters tall.

The leaves are arranges spirally, greenish or purplish green, measuring 25-27 c, in diameter. The leaves have 7 11 lobes that have prominent vains and are deeply and broadly toothed. Male, female and hermaphrodite (containing both male and female parts) flowers are found in separate plants.

Fruits from female plants are rounded while those from hermaphrodite plants are elongated or oblong. Seeds are numerous and are enveloped by a gelatinous seed coat.

VARIETIES

There are generally two groups of papaya varieties, the small fruits called solo weighing 500 grams below and big fruits weighing 500 grams up to 10 kilos. They are both used as fresh table fruit. Some big varieties are used for processing and canning.

Tree fruits weighing less than 500 grams are called solo papaya because one fruit, can easily be consume by one person. There are several varieties of this size. Among them are Sunrise, Sunset, Kapoho, Hawaii, etc.

Big fruits are named after the place they are found to be growing like the Cavite Yellow. We have several native varieties. Morado is named according to its color. Because of the natural out-crossing, the plants do not produce true to type.

SOIL & CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS

1. Papaya is best grown in warm areas, plenty of sunlight.

2. They need adequate moisture and even distribution of rainfall throughout

the year.

3. Papaya grows best in light, well-drained soil rich in organic matter.

4.Papaya grows best at 6.0 to 6.5 pH but can tolerate 5.8 to 7 pH.

5.  Papaya is a tropical plant, prefers warm climate with abundant rainfall or irrigation. Temperature range or 21*C to 33*C is ideal for sturdy growth but higher temperature can be tolerated with adequate soil moisture and not too low relative humidity.

6.Rainfall of 1.0 inches per week, well distributed during the growing season, is ideal. Poor drainage and standing water can kill the plant.

8. Papaya grows best at near sea level elevation although they can be found to grow even at 2000 meters above sea level. For high grades commercial production, papaya is best planted at elevation below 500m.

Propagation

Papaya is propagated with seeds. Wash the seeds and remove the gelatinous covering as this can inhibit germination. Get seed from selected fruits produced by controlled pollination to insure the quality and uniformity of the plantings. Raise 3-4 seedlings per container (plastic bag) and field plant when they are 20 cm high.

Planting

Planting distance is 2,5 m x 1.6 m to 3m x 2 m. This can be increased if papaya is inter-cropped with coconut and other crops. Retain one female or one hermaphrodite plant per hill by thinning out extra plants at flowering stage. In the absence of hermaphrodite plants, one male plant per 25-100 female plants is retained as pollinator. There are no reliable characteristics to distinguish male, female and hermaphrodite plants until they bear flowers. This is the reason why 2-3 plants are recommended to be planted and allowed to grow on each hill until flowering. The plants bear flower in 6 months after germination. When the flowers appear and the sex determined, remove the male and undesirable plants. Leave only on vigorous hermaphrodite of female plant.

1. Remove side growths along the leaf axles that occur during the early stages of plant growth. They compete with plant nutrients needed by the plant. These areas can also harbor pests and diseases.

2. Always exercise general sanitation. Clean fields minimize spread of pests and diseases.

3. Regularly remove diseased, senescent and dried leaves. These areas provide good habitat and unnecessary source of pests and diseases.

4. Cut down and carry away blown down and diseased trees from the field. Diseased leaves and fruits will be removed and buried or burned.

Irrigation

1. If possible, transplant during the rainy or cloudy days to assure good plant start.

2. After transplanting, make sure the plants get adequate water every 2-3 days until they are well established.

3. Water the papaya plants regularly especially when the climate is hot or dry to prevent growth retardation, flower abortion and dropping of young fruits.

Fertilization

The best fertilizer is the organic compost mixed with the soil during land preparation. This should be augmented with chemical fertilizers high in potash and contain trace mineral elements. Boron is one critical element that needs to be always present as it is needed for flower fertilization and fruit development. 20-40 grams Boron is adequate for each plant.

Pest and disease management

1. Oriental fruit fly is a major pest of papaya that exporters are concerned. They deposit their eggs on mature fruits. Harvest fruits at the mature green stage and dispose properly over ripe & infested fruits to avoid spread of pest.

2. Army and Cut-worm – The larvae feeds on young and mature leaves of the host plants, making large holes on the leaves. Control – Decis, spray the leaves and stems after emergence. Repeat procedure every two weeks. Use 1.5 tbs. per 16 liters water (1 knapsack load sprayer).

3. Grubs (Japanese Beetle). As the larvae grow older, they become voracious and feed on the roots. Control Decis – use 4 tbs. per 16 liters water. Drench the soil at the base of the stem. Apply organic fertilizer with herbal pesticide property.

4. Scale insects – Round, oval pear shaped flattened scales of various colors on trunks or fruits. Control – Spray Malathion 4 tbs. per 16 liters water. Spray Lime sulfur 1 tbs per gallon water.

5. Red spider mites – Tiny 8 legged yellow, dark green or reddish spider on the underside of foliage. Mites prefer to feed on very young plant tissues. They can transmit viral disease. Prevention – A heavily infested parts (branches and leaves) should be pruned and buried or burned. Spray with herbal insecticide or Lime sulfur. When planting, see to it that seedlings are clean without infestation or diseases.

6. Mites and aphids suck plant sap and may transmit virus diseases. To control, remove alternate host, ants and allow natural predators and enemies in the plantation. Spraying herbal insecticide and lime sulfur underneath the leaves will greatly help clean the plant of these pest.

7. Thruiops – Tiny, elongated, winged dark brown or black adults – white or yellow when young. Control by spraying Malathion, Decis or Lime sulfur at weekly intervals.

8. White flies – Minute winged insects – Control Spray with Malathion and Lime sulfur. Herbal pesticide will also drive away the insect pest.

9. Nematodes also cause damage to papaya roots. Planting marigold or spreading organic fertilizer will greatly help suppress nematode infestation.

10. Damping-off infect both the seedlings and the mature plants. Cultivating the soil to aerate with good drainage will reduce this fungal disease. Allow sunlight to penetrate the soil surface to dry-off the fungus.

11. Anthracnose infects the fruits during ripening. They appear as circular spots on the fruit. Spraying herbal fungicides at weekly interval before harvest is an effective control. Hot water treatment similar to mango (dip in 45*C for 20 minutes or 52*C for 10 minutes. 58*C for 30 seconds) reduce or eliminate decay. See to it that the fruits are well died after the hot water treatment. Control – Spray Dithane M-45 6 tbs. per 16 liters water, Mancozeb or Zineb use 2.5 tbs. per 16 liters water, Lime sulfur mix 1 tbs. per gallon of water.

12. Papaya ring-spot virus initially appears as oil streaks on stem and petioles and as it progresses, mottling of leaves become evident. Severely infected plants do not flower or they die young. To control, plant is isolated, removed and burned. Use tolerant varieties.

13. Ants – Small to large, yellow, red brown or black winged or wingless ants. They love in colonies. Control – Regular hand weeding and cultivation at the base of the plant to disturb foraging ants and nests. Maintain a weed free area at the base of each plant, the diameter of which is the same as the plant canopy

14. Mealybugs – Flatten oval insects (1-4 mm long). They can transmit a viral disease known as leaf drop and will cause a reduced yield. Control by spraying Malathion at the rate of 1.5 to 3.0 tbs. per 16 liter knapsack sprayer or 4 tbsp. Lime sulfur. Control the presence of ants that spread mealy bugs and other minute insects. Spray herbal pesticide.

15. Aphids – These are tiny lice-like insects with color ranging from pink yellow, brown to black. They can transmit a viral disease known as rosette. Control by spraying Decis the stem, leaves after emergence. Repeat procedure every two weeks, Use 1.5 tablespoon per 16 liters of water (1 knapsack spray load). Spray weekly with Lime sulfur 1 tbs. per gallon water.

16. Phytophthora – Roots, fruit and stem rot. Seedling damping-off, root rot, trunk cankers and fruit rots. Prevention by removal of infected plants and fruits from the field and dispose properly by burying or burning.

Control with

a. Ridomil – mix 80 grams or 8 tablespoon per 16 liters of water.

b. Mancozeb – Procedure: Root rot – Apply 4 sardines can solution per hill.

Stem rot – Brush or spray around infected area.

Fruit rot – Spray around infected area.

c. Lime sulfur – Spray solution 1 tbs. per gallon on all parts of the

plant,

VIRAL DISEASES

1. Rosetting – Shortening of the internodes.

2. Chlorosis – Weakening of the green color of the leaves.

3. Yellowing – Chlorosis and dominance of yellow color of the leaves.

4. Mosaic – Pale green, yellow or chlorotic areas sharply bordered by small vines of the leaves that are often angular in appearance.

5. Mottle – Discolored areas of various rounded shapes, often diffusely bordered.

6. Leaf spots – Single or concentric rings of chlorotic or necrotic areas to large irregular patches of the leaves.

7. Vein clearing – Vein appearances of the leaves are translucent rather than chlorotic or yellow.

8. Papaya leaf curl – Crinkling and curving of leaves with margins rolled

down and inward.

Prevention

1. Control all insects that are virus carriers like aphids, white fly, leafhopper, mealy bug, thrips and mites or insects that produce viral disease.

2. Use herbal insecticides for control of the virus carriers.

3. Remove weeds and other plants which are virus alternate host like kalabasa, sitaw and patani.

4. Rouge and bury or burn infected plants to destroy the virus source.

5. Disinfect all tools and equipment being used to cut any part of the plant after each use in every plant. Use 3% formalin / aniline solution.

6. Spray Lime sulfur one a week for 4 consecutive weeks and once a month thereafter.