60-75 tons per hectare annually
● Seedlings
● Fertilizers
The insect pests mostly observed are fruit flies (Bactrocera cucurbitae), ak grasshopper (Poekilocerus pictus), aphids (Aphis gossypii), red spider mite (Tetranychus cinnabarinus), stem borer (Dasyses rugosellus) and grey weevil (Myllocerus viridans).
In all cases, the infected parts need to be destroyed along with the application of prophylactic sprays of Dimethoate (0.3%) or methyl demeton (0.05%).
The main diseases reported are powdery mildew (Oidium caricae), anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides), damping off, and stem rot. Application of wettable sulphur, carbendazim/thiophanate methyl, and Kavach/Mancozeb (2 g./l.) has been found to be effective in controlling diseases.
Papaya plants start flowering 5-8 months after planting and fruits are ready for harvesting approximately 2 months after the flowering stage.
Yields per tree vary from 30 to 150 fruits annually, giving 35 to 50 tons of fruit per ha per year. A papaya plantation can be productive for over 10 years but the economical period is the first 3 to 4 years. It is therefore advisable to renew the plantation every 4 years.
The land meant for papaya cultivation must be well-protected from strong winds and must not get waterlogged easily during rains. In case of strong winds, there must be windbreaks around the land. The seeds are first sown in nurseries and the seedlings are transplanted to the main field after about 6-8 weeks of growth.
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Make sure you purchase quality Papaya varieties. They include varieties that are preferred by consumers, grow fast, give good yield, store well in soil, resistant, and are tolerant to major pests and diseases.
Seedlings are ready for transplanting into the field about 6-8 weeks after germination. Transport the seedlings to the field 3-4 days before the proposed planting date to reduce stress at planting. A spacing of 1.8 x 1.8 m. is normally followed. However higher density cultivation with a spacing of 1.5 x 1.5 m./ha enhances the returns to the farmer and is recommended.
The papaya plant needs heavy doses of manures and fertilizers. Apart from the basal dose of manures (@ 10 kg./plant) applied in the pits, 200-250 g. each of N, P2O5 , and K2O are recommended for getting a high yield. Application of 200 g. N is optimum for fruit yield but papain yield increases with an increase in N up to 300 g. A five-month period from transplanting to first flowering is important for the nutrition of papaya plants. The stem girth attained by a plant just before flowering decides the vigour and productivity of a plant. If the plant remains weak during this period owing to insufficient nutrition, production during the rest of its life is adversely affected. Therefore, fertilizers should be applied at frequent intervals and at proper rates for building a stout and vigorous plant before flowering, and to maintain its subsequent growth and productivity.
Weeds are plants growing in undesired places. They compete with the target crop for growth factors like nutrients, sunlight, space, and water, as well as harboring pathogens that directly affect the performance of the crop. Spray CLAMPDOWN 480SL 150-300/20l, which is a non-selective herbicide used to control both broadleaved and grass weeds keeping the garden weed-free.
Fruits are harvested when they are of full size, light green in colour with a tinge of yellow at the apical end. On ripening, fruits of certain varieties turn yellow while some of them remain green. When the latex ceases to be milky and becomes watery, the fruits are suitable for harvesting.
The economic life of papaya plant is only 3 to 4 years. The yield varies widely according to variety, soil, climate, and management of the orchard.
1. Solo– produces small round sweet fruits with uniform sizes and shapes. It’s hermaphroditic and popular for both local and export markets.
2. Vega F1– produces medium-sized fruits with attractive red flesh. Fruits are firm and sweet, weighing 1-1.2kg.
3. Sunrise– produces smooth pear-shaped fruits of high quality, weighing about 400-650g. The flesh of fruits is reddish orange and the variety is high yielding.
4. Mountain– produces small fruits only suitable for preserves and jam.
5. Red royale F1– this is an improved breed that gives good quality fruits weighing 1.7-2.3kgs which have red attractive colour and are very sweet.
6. Sinta F1– female fruits are round while hermaphrodite fruits are oblong with an average weight of 2kg. The flesh is deep yellow, firm, and sweet.
● Rainfall– papaya cannot withstand prolonged drought. An even distributed annual rainfall of above 1000mm is suitable. Irrigation should be done in low rainfall regions.
● Soils– the crop does well in light, well-drained soils with PH 6-6.5 and rich in nutrients. Roots are very sensitive to water logging.
● Temperature– papaya thrives in warm to hot regions in a temperature range of 20-35 degrees centigrade. Fruit is sweeter when grown during warm sunny season.
In good climatic conditions, fruits grow all year round.
https://www.britannica.com/plant/papaya
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/275517#benefits
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papaya
https://www.bighaat.com/pages/papaya-farming
https://guardian.ng/features/business-opportunity-opens-for-paw-paw-growers/
https://www.plantechkenya.com/product-list/pawpaw\
https://www.farmingindia.in/papaya-cultivation
http://agriculture.gov.vc/agriculture/images/stories/PDF_Documents/Pawpaw-Production-Guide-Booklet.pdf
https://www.richfarmkenya.com/2017/01/now-let-us-do-money-maths-for-pawpaw.html