International Journal of Farm Sciences 7(4): 43-46, 2017

Effect of growing media and polybags on seed germination, growth and seedling
establishment of papaya (Carica papaya) cv Pusa Nanha
BABU SINGH TANWAR, VIVEK KUMAR and HARI RAM JAT

Department of Horticulture
Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture Technology and Sciences
Allahabad 211007 Uttar Pradesh, India
Email for correspondence: [email protected]

© Society for Advancement of Human and Nature 2017 Received: 18.1.2017/Accepted: 22.5.2017

ABSTRACT

An experiment was conducted on seed germination and seedling establishment of papaya (Carica papaya) cv
Pusa Nanha as influenced by growing media and containers during 2014-2015 at Department of Horticulture, Sam
Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture Technology and Sciences, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Different treatments
took 14 to 19 days for completion of germination. The treatment T 3 [Black polybag + vermicompost
(VC):soil:sand 2:2:1] resulted in highest seedling height (25.79 cm), had maximum leaves (14), higher
stem diameter (1.2 mm), higher plant spread (23.7 cm), higher number of roots (16.03), maximum root
length (9.74 cm) and higher survival percentage (88.00). The overall growth and development parameters
were thus found significantly higher with the growth media of VC:soil:sand (2:2:1) in black polybag followed by
white polybag.

Keywords: Container; farmyard manure; vermicompost; poultry manure; germination; papaya

INTRODUCTION adhesive manufacture, sewage disposal etc. Both ripe

and raw fruits of papaya are used in the preparation of
Papaya (Carica papaya) is a tropical fruit various products. Papaya fruits are used for the
having commercial importance because of its high treatment of piles, dyspepsia of spleen and liver,
nutritive and medicinal value. It belongs to the family digestive disorders, diphtheria and skin blemishes
Caricaceae. It is the second richest in vitamin A after (Shivakumar et al 2012).
mango. Papaya cultivation had its origin in South Mexico
and Costa Rica (Singh and Sexena 2008). India leads The micronutrients are very effective in
the world in papaya production with an annual output activating enzymes responsible for energy
of about 3 MT. Other leading producers are Brazil, metabolism, starch synthesis and nitrate reduction
Mexico, Nigeria, Indonesia, China, Peru, Thailand and and these encourage strong root and shoot
Philippines. In India it is mostly cultivated in the states development and undesirable lodging of plants (de
of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Orissa, West Kreij and Van Leeuven 2001). The method of
Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and supplying nutrients to plants in different colour
Maharashtra. containers increases plant growth and also improves
quality of the papaya seedlings.
Papaya fruit is a rich source of vitamin A
and C. It has a high nutritive and medicinal value. Papain Proper seed germination and seedling growth
prepared from dried latex of its immature fruits is used are most important considerations in successful seedling
in meat tenderizing, manufacture of chewing gum and production under nursery technique of papaya
cosmetics, for degumming natural silk and to give shrink cultivation. As the germination rate and seedling growth
resistance to wool. It is also used in pharmaceutical are affected by pre-sowing seed treatment of papaya
industries, textile and garment cleaning paper and growth media, an experiment was therefore carried
 Tanwar et al

out to identify a suitable treatment for getting better colour of polybag maintained temperature and
seed germination and seedling growth vigour. supported phototropic growth of papaya seed. The
results are in conformity with the findings Bhardwaj
MATERIAL and METHODS (2014) in papaya.

The experiment was conducted at the Days taken to completion of germination:

department of Horticulture, Sam Higginbottom Institute Different treatments took 14 to 19 days for completion
of Agriculture Technology and Sciences, Allahabad, of germination. The treatments T 2 (Black polybag +
Uttar Pradesh during the year 2014-2015. The FYM:soil:sand 1:2:1), T3 (Black polybag + VC:soil:sand
experiment was laid out in factorial complete 2:2:1), T4 (Black polybag + VC:soil:sand 1:2:1) and T9
randomized block design with three replications. The (White polybag + VC:soil:sand 2:2:1) were at par with
experiment comprised 12 treatment combinations viz days taken to completion of germination (14-16 days)
T1 (Black polybag + FYM:soil:sand 2:2:1), T 2 [(Black whereas rest of the treatments took 17 to 19 days.
polybag + farmyard manure (FYM):soil:sand 1:2:1)], The results are in conformity with the findings of
T3 [(Black polybag + vermicompost (VC):soil:sand Anburani and Shakila (2010) and Acharjee et al (2015).
2:2:1)], T4 (Black polybag + VC:soil:sand 1:2:1), T 5
[(Black polybag + poultry manure (PM):soil:sand Seedling height: Seedling height varied from 15.49
2:2:1)], T6 (Black polybag + PM:soil:sand 1:2:1), T 7 to 25.79 cm in different treatments. The treatments
(White polybag + FYM:soil:sand 2:2:1), T 8 (White T12 (White polybag + PM:soil:sand 1:2:1), T 6 (Black
polybag + FYM:soil:sand 1:2:1), T 9 (White polybag + polybag + PM:soil:sand 1:2:1) and T 8 (White polybag
VC:soil:sand 2:2:1), T10 (White polybag + VC:soil:sand + FYM:soil:sand 1:2:1) resulted in lower seedling height
1:2:1), T11 (White polybag + PM:soil:sand 2:2:1), T 12 of 15.49, 16.23 and 16.15 cm respectively than the
(White polybag + PM:soil:sand 1:2:1). other treatments being statistically on par with one
another. The T3 (Black polybag + VC:soil:sand 2:2:1)
The seeds of papaya cv Pusa Nanha were resulted in highest seedling height (25.79 cm). The
collected from the Narendra Dev University of observations are in agreement with the findings of
Agriculture and Technology, Kumargang, Faizabad, Barche et al (2010) and Deb et al (2010).
Uttar Pradesh. The seeds were soaked before sowing
in the aqueous solution of distillate for 12 hours in a Number of leaves per plant: Number of leaves in
beaker, dried for 10 minutes on newspaper for one different treatments varied from 8 to 14. T 12 (White
hour under shade and dried seeds were immediately polybag + PM:soil:sand 1:2:1), T 11 (White polybag +
sown in the prefilled white and black polythene bags PM:soil:sand 2:2:1), T6 (Black polybag + PM:soil:sand
(12 x 10 cm size). Seeds were slightly covered with 1:2:1) and T8 (White polybag + FYM:soil:sand 1:2:1)
thin layer of paddy straw and the bags were watered had lowest number of leaves (8, 9, 9 and 9 respectively)
by water cane. The bags were monitored daily and which were at par with one another whereas T 3 (Black
irrigated regularly. The data were recorded on different polybag + VC:soil:sand 2:2:1) had maximum leaves
aspects such as initiation of germination, completion (14). Increase in number of leaves might be due to the
of germination, height of seedlings (cm), number of combination of organic manure that helped in
leaves per seedling, stem diameter (mm), petiole length invigoration of physiological process of plant and
(cm), plant spread (cm) and per cent survival of papaya stimulatory effect of chemicals to form new leaves at
seedlings. faster rate. The results are in line with those of
Kumawat et al (2014) and Madiha et al (2015) in
RESULTS and DISCUSSION papaya seeds.

Days taken to initiation of germination: Minimum Leaf area (cm2): Lower leaf area of 61.58, 62.94,
days taken to initiation of germination (9) were recorded 63.82 and 64.26 cm2 was recorded in T 12 (White
in the treatment T3 (Black polybag + VC:soil:sand polybag + PM:soil:sand 1:2:1), T 8 (White polybag +
2:2:1) which was statistically lower than other FYM:soil:sand 1:2:1), T6 (Black polybag + PM:soil:sand
treatments. Maximum days to initiation of germination 1:2:1) and T11 (White polybag + PM:soil:sand 2:2:1)
(15) were taken by the treatment T 12 (White polybag respectively which were at par with one another with
+ PM:soil:sand 1:2:1). The possible reason of early maximum of 97.14 and 94.89 cm2 in case of T3 (Black
germination in T3 as compared to T12 could be that black polybag + VC:soil:sand 2:2:1) and T 9 (White polybag

44
 Growing media, polybags effect on papaya seedling

+ VC:soil:sand 2:2:1) the two being at par.

polybag + PM:soil:sand 2:2:1), T 6 (Black polybag + PM:soil:sand 1:2:1), T 7 (White polybag + FYM:soil:sand 2:2:1), T 8 (White polybag + FYM:soil:sand 1:2:1), T 9 (White polybag +
The results are supported by the work of

T1 (Black polybag + FYM:soil:sand 2:2:1), T 2 (Black polybag + FYM:soil:sand 1:2:1), T 3 (Black polybag + VC:soil:sand 2:2:1), T 4 (Black polybag + VC:soil:sand 1:2:1), T 5 (Black
Babu et al (2010) in papaya.

Stem diameter (mm): Stem diameter was

Survival

higher in T3 (Black polybag + VC:soil:sand

1.130
2.333
2:2:1) and T9 (White polybag + VC:soil:sand
(%)

85
84
88
87
80
81
85
83
87
87
80
80
2:2:1) with 1.2 and 1.1 mm respectively and
Table 1. Effect of growing media and containers on germination and growth of papaya (Carica papaya) cv Pusa Nanha seedlings

the two were at par. However all other

length

treatments had lower stem diameter ranging

0.206
0.574
Root

(cm)

6.30
5.01
9.74
8.41
4.86
3.98
5.17
4.93
8.01
7.12
4.07
3.12
from 0.8 to 0.9 mm except except T4 (1.0

VC:soil:sand 2:2:1), T 10 (White polybag + VC:soil:sand 1:2:1), T 11 (White polybag + PM:soil:sand 2:2:1), T 12 (White polybag + PM:soil:sand 1:2:1)
mm). Meena and Jain (2012) reported that
of roots
Number

for plant growth differences in nutrients, pH

11.13

16.03
14.87

10.75

14.22
12.40

0.358
1.671
9.84

7.61
6.07

8.04

6.85
5.91
and cation exchange capacity among
substrates may be more important than
differences in increased seedling growth of
spread

1.326
2.737 papaya plant.
Plant

(cm)

19.3
18.5
23.7
20.4
17.9
17.0
18.8
18.0
22.1
20.0
17.2
16.5

Petiole length: The petiole length ranged

from 4.24 to 5.98 cm among the different
Petiole
length

1.054
(cm)

5.12
4.97
5.98
5.54
4.75
4.31
5.00
4.89
5.83
5.21
4.53
4.24

treatments but there were no significant

NS

differences among them for this trait.

diameter

Plant spread: Plant spread varied from 16.5

0.074
0.153
(mm)
Stem

0.9
0.8
1.2
1.0
0.9
0.8
0.8
0.8
1.1
0.9
0.9
0.8

to 23.7 cm in different treatments. The plant

spread of 23.7 and 22.1 cm was recorded in
T3 (Black polybag + VC:soil:sand 2:2:1) and
Leaf area

T9 (White polybag + VC:soil:sand 2:2:1) the

78.10
66.34
97.14
83.12
71.68
63.82
78.43
62.94
94.89
81.51
64.26
61.58
2.269
4.684
(cm2)

two being at par and it was higher in

comparison to all other treatments. The
results are in accordance with the work of
of leaves

Li et al (2015) in papaya seeds.

Number

0.707
1.459
11
10
14
12
10

10

12
11

FYM= Farmyard manure, VC= Vermicompost, PM=Poultry manure

9

9
8

Number of roots: Number of roots was

lower 5.91, 6.07 and 6.85 in case of T12
(White polybag + PM:soil:sand 1:2:1), T 6
Seedling

(Black polybag + PM:soil:sand 1:2:1) and T11

height

22.84
18.74
25.79
22.06
18.92
16.15
20.17
16.23
24.01
20.42
17.81
15.49
0.636
1.313
(cm)

(White polybag + PM:soil:sand 2:2:1)

respectively the three being at par. The
treatments T3 (Black polybag + VC:soil:sand
Germination
completion

2:2:1) and T4 (Black polybag + VC:soil:sand

1:2:1) resulted in higher number of roots
(days)

1.113
2.29

(16.03 and 14.87 respectively). The

17
16
14
15
17
17
18
17
16
17
18
19

observations are in agreement with the

findings of Lazcano et al (2009) and Deb et
Germination

al (2010) in papaya.
initiation
(days)

0.076
1.588

Root length: It was maximum (9.74 cm) in

13
13

11
14
13
11
12
11
12
12
15
9

T3 (Black polybag + VC:soil:sand 2:2:1) and

Treatment

minimum (3.12 cm) in T12 (White polybag +

CD 0.05

PM:soil:sand 1:2:1). The observations are in

SEd±
T 10
T 11
T 12
T1
T2
T3
T4
T5
T6
T7
T8
T9

45
 Tanwar et al

agreement with the findings of Angeline and Ouma and economics of different cultivars of papaya (Carica
(2008) and Bhardwaj (2014) in papaya. papaya L). Acta Horticulturae 851: 279-284.
Bhardwaj RL 2014. Effect of growing media on seed
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polybag + VC:soil:sand 1:2:1), T 9 (White polybag +
Chumpookam J, Lin HL and Shiesh CC 2012. Effect of smoke-
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PM:soil:sand 2:2:1), T11 (White polybag + PM:soil:sand de Kreij C and Van Leeuven GJL 2001. Growth of pot plants
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