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Papaya (Carica papaya L.)
Family: Caricaceae
Origin:
• Lowlands of Central America and southern Mexico, possibly
West Indies (Caribbean).
Distribution:
• Throughout the tropical and subtropical world
History: Papaya was taken to the Caribbean and Southeast Asia
first and then spread to India, Oceania, and Africa.
Importance:
• Papaya is a major commercial crop throughout the tropical and
subtropical world
• Nutritionally, papaya is a good source of calcium and an
excellent source of vitamins A and C
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Description
Tree and tree types: Giant
arborescent plant to 10 m tall
soft-wooded perennial plant that
lives for about 5-10 years
Papayas normally grow as single-
stemmed trees
with a crown of large palmate leaves
emerging from the apex
trees may become multi-stemmed
when damaged
Leaves
Leaves are palmately-lobed and
short-lived, 6-8 months.
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Flowers
Papaya is a polygamous
species with 3 basic plant
types.
1. Male (staminate)
small, tubular, yellow
flowers possessing only 10
anthers are held in cymes
at the ends of long
peduncles.
flowers have no ovary
and do not produce a
fruit
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2. Female (pistillate)
• have an ovary and are born in the
axil of the leaf petiole).
• Female flowers are bulbous at the
base and pointed at the tip.
• The ovary of the female flower
must receive pollen from another
plant (either a male or
hermaphrodite type) before it can
be fertilized and produce a fruit
containing viable seeds.
• The pollen is carried in the wind or
on an insect.
• If there is no pollen in the vicinity,
the small, developing fruit aborts
and falls from the plant.
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3. Hermaphrodite flowers
• have both an ovary and stamens
• They can pollinate themselves
• They are born in the leaf axils
• The hermaphrodite plant is the
preferred type of papaya plant
for dependable fruit production,
but under certain conditions its
flower morphology is unstable
and subject to “sex reversal.”
Cool winter weather or high soil moisture can lead to a shift
toward femaleness, where the stamens fuse to the carpels or ovary
wall.
The resulting fruits become severely ridged (carpelloid, or “catfaced”) and
hence are deformed and unmarketable.
High temperature and water stress can lead to a shift toward maleness, in
the form of a reduction in Tsegaye
the number of carpels (normally 6five)
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The flowers and fruits of male, female, and hermaphrodite papaya. (A) Female flowers; (B)
hermaphrodite flowers; (C) male flowers; (D) female fruit; (E) hermaphrodite fruit; (F)
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male tree
Ecology
Temperature
•The temperature of the site is the most important
factor.
•Temperatures below 16°C cause carpeloidy,
which results in “cat-face” deformity when floral
stamens develop abnormally into fleshy, carpel
like structures.
•Even at low elevations, fruits formed during cool
winter months can express carpeloidy.
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• Cool growing conditions also cause reduced sugar
content and delay in fruit maturity.
• Thus, commercial operations are generally limited to
elevations under 1500 m
• High temperatures (32–35°C) may induce “female
sterility,” in which normally hermaphroditic papaya
plants produce male flowers, resulting in poor fruit set
and production
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Rain fall
•A min monthly RF of100 mm and an av. RH of 66% are
suggested as “ideal”
•In low rainfall areas irrigation should be provided
Soil : Papaya requires good soil drainage.
•Where soil drainage is restricted, papaya is susceptible
to fungal root diseases.
•The plants are severely affected by water logging and
can be killed when subjected to puddled conditions for
even a few hours.
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Wind
• Papaya plants must be protected from wind.
• Plants exposed to constant wind develop
deformed, crinkled leaves.
• When wind stress damage is excessive, the plants
have reduced growth, fruit set, fruit quality, and
productivity.
• Wind-blown dust can cause sap bleeding that
harms fruit appearance.
• Winds of 64 km/hr can uproot papaya trees
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Husbandry
Propagation: Papaya is mainly propagated by seed, but tissue
culture and rooted cuttings are practiced to a limited extent.
•The sex of the plant is determined by its parents.
•To propagate by seed, remove the seeds from an elongated
ripe fruit
•After extraction, rinse seeds thoroughly and place on a
paper towel to dry under shade.
•planting 2 to 3 plants is best to insure fruit production from
at least 1 plant.
•This is because depending upon the source of seeds, they
may produce female, bisexual, or male plants.
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Progeny Distribution
Sex ratio
Fruit Pollen
Non
Female Male Hermaph. viable
Parent Parent (mm) (Mm) (M h
m) (MMh,
MhMh )
Female (mm) Male (Mm) 1 1 0 0
Hermaph.
Female (mm) (Mhm) 1 0 1 0
Hermaph. Hermaph.
(Mhm) (Mhm) 1 0 2 1
Hermaph
(Mhm) Male (Mm) 1 1 1 1
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Progeny Distribution
Sex ratio
Fruit Pollen
Non
Female Male Hermaph. viable
Parent Parent (mm) (Mm) (M h
m) (MMh,
MhMh )
Female (mm) Male (Mm)
Hermaph.
Female (mm) (Mhm)
Hermaph. Hermaph.
(Mhm) (Mhm)
Hermaph
(Mhm) Male (Mm)
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Planting
Raise 2-3 seedlings per container (plastic bag).
The potting media should be sterile and well drained to
minimize root rot.
Seedlings are transplanted when they are 20 cm high
Planting distance is 2.5 m x 1.6 m
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.
In the absence of hermaphrodite plants, one male plant
per 25 female plants is retained
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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. Tsegaye 17
Irrigation
• To minimize flower drop or fruit drop, irrigate the plants
before the soil gets dry.
• Weekly watering is advisable during dry months.
• Avoid too much watering to avoid fungal infection
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.
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Propping: Propping is necessary to support the growing
plants, esp. during the fruiting stage
1. Use wooden poles, or bamboo as propping materials.
2. Prop only leaning plants. Observe what direction the plant
is leaning to. This is where you place your poles keeping
in mind to contract gravitational force.
Weed control
•It will remove competitor for plant food nutrients in
the soil.
•Weeds are host and vector/carrier of pest and plant
diseases.
•Always remember that weeds can reduce by 25%
your production.
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Harvest and post harvest handling
The appearance of yellow color traces on the green
fruit is an indication of maturity and ready for harvest.
The papaya fruits shall be harvested when 25% or ¼
of the fruit is ripen.
Hold on the fruit, twist until it snaps or cut peduncle
with a shape knife.
Handle the fruit carefully to avoid bruising and
unnecessary cuts.
Never drop fruits to the ground.
On tall trees, use ladder to reach and pick the fruits by
hand.
Place the fruits gently on baskets with soft padding.
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Major disease and insect mgt
Papaya Anthracnose
Powdery mildew
Black spot
1. Papaya Anthracnose
Cause: Fungus (Colletotrichum gleosporoides)
Symptoms: Small water-soaked lesions on the fruit during ripening later
becoming circular sunken lesions with light brown margins.
• The fungus is spread by wind and rain while disease emergence is
favoured by high T and humidity.
• The disease can have a serious impact on refrigerated fruit for export
Control: Appropriate protective fungicides. Benomyl or thiobendazole
• hot water treatment after harvest.
• Dipping fruits in hot water at 48°C for 20 minites
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2. Black spot
Cause: Fungus (Asperisporium caricae)
Symptoms: Circular water-soaked or brown lesions on
older leaves;
• sunken circular lesions on fruit.
• Disease is spread by wind and rain and its
emergence is favoured by cool weather.
Control: sanitation, Spraying with foliar protectant
fungicides
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