Advances in Production Technology of Papaya

1. Botanical name : Carica Papaya L
Family : Caricaceae
Origin : Tropical America
Chromosome No. : 2n = 18
Papaya contain high levels of antioxidants, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E
Production technology of Papaya
Dr. M. Kumaresan (Hort.)
Department of Horticulture
Vels Institute of Science, Technology & Advanced
Studies (VISTAS)
Pallavaram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu -600117

2. Introduction
• Papaya has long been known as miracle fruit of the tropics
• It gives maximum yield per unit and income next to banana
• It is generally grown as fruit plant in kitchen garden, home garden or nutrition
garden and later as commercial fruit
• It is also planted as a filler plant in a fruit orchard
• It is grown for both fresh fruits and for papain extraction
• Ripe fruits are very rich in carotenoids, precursors of Vitamin A (666I.U)

3. Composition and uses
• Milky latex obtained from immature fruits is known as papain
• It is a proteolytic enzyme
• Tenderization of meat and it is used for tanning of leathers
• Used in brewing industries as a clarifying agent for beer etc.,
• Used in preparation of drugs for treating intestinal cancer, tape worms, round worms and
kidney disorders
• Papaya is very nutritious, it contains high quantities of vitamin A
• Apart from papain, raw fruits can also be used for extraction of pectin
• Pectin is generally extracted using alcohol precipitation method
• It is used in food industry as flavouring extract and blending agent

4. Tutti frutti
• Papaya bits (immature) are first soaked in brine and boiled in sugar syrup and
immersed in sugar syrup for 48-60 hours with permitted colours.
• The other products like, Papaya jam, canned slice, papaya beverages, fruit
bars/toffee bars, soft drinks etc, could be made out of the fruits.

5. Origin and Distribution
• India is the second largest producer of papaya in the world after Brazil
• It is a fruit native to tropical America and commercially grown in many parts of
the world viz., Australia, Hawaii, Taiwan, Peru, Florida, Texas, California, South
Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India
• In India, it was introduced by Portuguese in 1611
• It is grown in Karnataka, Bihar, Kerala, TN, Assam, Gujarat, Maharastra,
Andhra, Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh etc.,

6. Sex forms
There are two major sex forms
• Dioecious: male and female trees segregate in the ratio of 1:0. Sibmating is done for
maintaining of purity. (Controlled pollination between selected female and male
progenies of the same parent i.e., crossing of sister and brother)
• Gynodioecious: Female and andromonoecious (female + bisexual flowers in a single
tree) trees segregated in the ratio of 1:2. Selfing of bisexual flowers is done for
obtained pure seeds
Sex expression
• Male plants of Carica papaya L were induced to bear female flowers and yield a good
fruit crop by the application of ethrel and chlorflurenol
• Papaya is a highly cross-pollinated crop

7. Sex forms
(A)Female flowers
(B) Hermaphrodite
flowers
(C)Male flowers
(D)Female fruit
(E) Hermaphrodite fruit
(F) Male tree

8. Male Flower

9. Female Flower

10. Hermaphrodite flower

11. Species
Carica contains 48 species of which, only 3-4 species are important.
1. Cariaca papaya – It is a cultivated commercial species and polygamous in nature.
2. C. monoica - Monoecious and is suited for mild climate, found in Amazon basin.
3. C. candamarcensis – This species is known as mountain papaya is suited to cold climate.
4. C. gracilis – Ornamental
5. C. pubescens - Mountain papaya
6. Carica goudotiana –Papayuelo
7. Carica stipulata – Chamburo
8. Carica quercifolia- Oak Leaved Papaya
9. C. stipulate etc.

12. CO.1 (1972)
• It is developed by sib mating Ranchi type over a period of eight years
• The plants are dwarf in stature and dioecious
• Fruits are round with flattened base
• They are medium sized and smooth skinned
• Slight nipple and ridges present at the apex
• Fruits have orange yellow flesh
• There is no papain odor in the fruit
• It is a good table variety with good keeping quality

13. CO.2 (1979)
• It is pure-line selection from a local type
• A dioecious type with good papain yield (4-6g per fruit)
• Each fruit weighs about 1.5 to 2.0kg
• Fruit contains 75% pulp with a pulp thickness of 3.8cm
• Fruits are oblate and large in size, flesh orange colored, soft with TSS ranging from 11.4
to 13.5°brix
• It is a dual purpose variety for fruits and papain extraction
• Yield ranges from 80-90 fruits per tree
• Fruits contain 8.93% reducing sugars and 9.01% total sugars
• Vitamin C content is 50.8 mg per 100g
• Papain yield is 250 to 300 kg per hectare

14. CO.3 (1983)
• It is a hybrid derivative of the cross between CO.2 (female parent) and Sunrise
Solo (male parent)
• It is a gynodioecious type with harmophrodite flowers
• It is suitable as a table variety
• Fruits are medium sized
• Flesh is red with a TSS of 14.6°brix
• Mean fruit weight is 0.5 to 0.8kg
• Fruits are pyriform in shape
• Tree yields 90-120 fruits/year

15. CO.4 (1983)
• It is hybrid derivative of the cross between CO.1 (female parent) and Washington
(male parent)
• Fruits are medium sized weighing 1.2 to 1.5kg
• It is a dioecious type
• Fruits contain a TSS of 13.2°brix
• Flesh is yellow with purple tinge
• Tree has purple petiole and stem
• Suitable for home gardens
• Tree yields 80-90 fruits per annum

16. CO.5 (1985)
• It is a selection from Washington type
• It is a dioecious type suitable exclusively for papain production giving 14.45g of
dry papain per fruit
• Suitable for growing in all seasons and all soils with good drainage
• Petiole color is pink
• Duration is two years and yields 75-80fruits per tree with an average yield of 1500-
1600kg of dry papain per hectare
• Each fruit weighs about 1.5 to 2.0kg
• The TSS content of fruit is 13°brix and papain contains 72.2% protein

17. CO.6 (1986)
• It is a selection from a giant papaya
• Plants are dwarf
• First harvest can be had in 8 months of planting
• It is suitable for papain (7.5 to 8.0g of dry papain/fruit) and also for table purpose
• Plants are dioecious
• Fruits are medium sized each weighing 2kg with yellow flesh
• TSS content is 13.6°brix

18. CO.7 (1997)
• Gynodioecious in nature developed through multiple crosses and purified for over four
years
• The parents are Pusa Delicious, CO.3, CP.75 and Coorg Honey Dew
• It is superior to CO.3 papaya released during 1983
• First bearing height is 52.2 cm with low incidence of stamen carpellody
• Fruits are oblong with an attractive and firm red flesh
• TSS is 16.7% and carotenoids content of 7.95mg per 100g
• Crop has an economic duration of 21 months
• There are no serious insect pests
• It is susceptible to foot rot, collar rot and powdery mildew like other papaya varieties

19. CO.8
• Dioecious, derived through improvement of CO.2
• Red pulped, suitable for dessert, papain and processing
• Duration-2 Years
• Tree can be economically maintained for 20-22 months under a favourable
condition with a yield potential of 230 t/ha when planted at a spacing of 1.8 x1.8m

20. Pusa Delicious and Pusa Dwarf
Pusa Delicious
• This is a gynodioecious line with 100% productive plants
• Starts fruiting at a height of about 80 cm with 249 days of planting within the maximum height of
216 cm
• Fruit size medium to large (1-2 kg) round to oblong in shape. Flesh thickness 4cm and TSS ranging
10-13
o
Brix
• Fruits are excellent in taste with good flavour and deep orange flesh
Pusa Dwarf
• It is a dwarf statured dioecious variety with good yield.
• Fruits are medium in size with oval shape and are preferred by consumers
• Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Himachal

21. Pusa dwarf

22. Pusa Giant
• This is a dioecious line and is most vigorous and produces large sized fruits (12-13
kg each).
• It starts fruiting at a height of 92 cm within 259 days of planting
• Total height of plant is as high as 220 cm
• It is tolerant to strong winds
• Fruit oblong with 18 x 10 cm seed cavity and 15 cm thick flesh of orange colour
having TSS between 7 and 8.5
o
Brix

23. Pusa Majesty and Pusa Nanha
Pusa Majesty
• This is a gynodioecious line of medium stature and disease resistant
• Fruiting starts at a height of 48 cm within 246 days of planting with the total height
of plant as 196 cm
• Fruit size medium to big (1.5-2.5 kg) oblong shape, firm shape of 3.5 cm thickness
and TSS of 9
o
Brix
• Fruit has good keeping quality
Pusa Nanha (Mutant Dwarf)
• It is dioecious line, dwarf and precocious
• Fruiting starts at a height of 40 cm within 239 days of planting with the total height
of the plant as 130 cm
• Fruit medium to small, oval and flesh 3.5 cm thick of blood red to orange colour
with TSS ranging between 6.5 to 8.0
o
Brix

24. Pusa Nanha (Mutant Dwarf)

25. • Tree fairly vigorous, tall stem with purple rings, dark purple petiole growing darker
towards the lamina, yellow deep flowers, medium to large size fruits (1-1.5 kg
each) of ovate to oblong shape having distinct purple colour ring at its top
connected with the fruit stalk.
• Pulp yellowish red, very sweet, agreeable flavour of fine consistency, seeds few
and has better keeping quality
• Flesh is free from the disagreeable papain, making it a most popular variety
Washington

26. Coorg Honey Dew
• A gynodioecious type, producing both Andromonoecious (male and bisexual flowers in
single tree) and pistillate plants
• It is a selection from Honey Dew bred by ear-to-row method of selection of Chetalli
Research Station of the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore, Karnataka
• Since every plant is a fruit bearing one planting of more than one seedling per pit is not
required
• Trees are of medium height, bears fruit heavily low on the trunk in the first year
• Fruits medium to large (1.25 to 2.5 kg) long to oblong, smooth skinned, nippled slightly
and ridged prominently at the apex
• Flesh orange, soft, moderately juicy and has good taste
• Fruit with big central cavity of moderate keeping quality

27. SunRise Solo and Waimanalo
SunRise Solo
• Sunrise solo is an improved, high quality selection with reddish-orange flesh
• It is an improved strain resulting from a cross between line-8-Solo and or Pink Solo with the yellow-
fleshed "Kariya" Solo strain of Oahu
• Fruits are weighing 425 to 620 grams each
Waimanalo
• This is a high quality variety of Hawaii with orange-yellow flesh, resulting from crosses between
the variety of Florida and the line 5 and line 8 solo strains
• Fruits are round with a short neck
• Fruit weight ranges from 450 to 1090 grams, they are smooth and shiny and have a star-shaped
cavity
• Flesh is thick, firm of good flavour

28. Arka Surya and Arka Prabhath
Arka Surya (Sunrise Solo x Pink Flesh Sweet)
• Fruits are medium in size, weighing on an average about 600 to 800 g
• Pulp is red in colour with a thickness of about 3.0 to 3.5 cm
• Fruits are sweet to taste with a TSS of 13.5 to 15° Brix
• Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala
Arka Prabhath (Surya x Local Dwarf)
• Gynodioecious, pulp deep pink in colour, pulp thickness about 3.0 to 3.5 cm
• Fruits are sweet to taste with 13.5° to 15°Brix
• The average yield is 90 - 100 kg /plant

29. Red Lady
Red Lady
• Red Lady is a foreign breed of papaya.
• Plant grows to a height of about 2.5 m
• Papaya grows well in places where proper sunlight and water permeable soil are
available
• Fruits can be harvested within 6 months.
• About 50 fruits grow on a single plant

31. Propagation
• Papaya is commonly propagated by seeds
• Seeds lose viability very fast if stored with high moisture content (Orthodox
storage)
• Seeds dried to a moisture content of (6 to 8%) and packed in moisture impervious
container like poly lined aluminium pouch with airtight sealing can be stored at
ambient conditions for short term storage (18 months) and at 15oC for medium term
storage (2-3 years)
• Treating the seeds with 100 ppm GA for 8 hours enhances germination
• Seeds are sown in perforated polythene bags measuring 20 X 15 cm size with 150
gauge thickness, filled with equal proportions of farmyard manure, red soil and
sand.

32. • Two seeds are generally sown in each bag
• Best time for raising the seedling is between June to October
• In Eastern parts of the country, seeds are usually sown from March to May so that
the seedlings are ready for transplanting before the onset of the monsoon
• In North India, where frost is common, seeds are sown between February and
April.
• Seeds germinate in about 2 to 3 weeks time, depending on the temperature
• In the case of dioecious varieties, about 100 g of seeds and in the case of
gynodioecious varieties, 30 to 40 g of seeds are required per acre.
• Generally, 45 to 60 days old seedlings are preferred for planting
Propagation

33. Seedlings in poly bags

34. Pro-tray technology

35. Spacing and Planting
• In the main field, pits of 45 cm3
• A spacing of 1.8 x 1.8 m accommodating 3086 plants/ha. is normally followed.
• For High Density Planting, a closer spacing of 1.25 x 1.25 m for Pusa Nanha is adopted having
6400 plants/ha
• FYM applied @ 5 kg/plant at the time of planting and repeated at six months interval @ 2
kg/plant for growth promotion and yield enhancement
• Instead of pits, trenches can also be dug
• In the case of dioecious varieties, three plants are planted per pit so that early flowering
males are removed to maintain one male plant for every ten female plants

36. Planting

37. Pot Culture

38. • For papaya, fertilizers should be applied once every two months
• Although fertilizer application in a particular region depends on the soil and leaf
analysis, generally 90 g of Urea, 250 g of Superphosphate and 140 g of Murate of
Potash per plant are recommended for each application
• The total requirement is 250 g N + 250 g P2O5 + 500 g K2O per plant/year
• Application of 7-10 kg farmyard manure/plant every six months is
recommended in addition to fertilizers
Nutrition

39. Physiological disorders
Stamen carpellody or cat-faced fruit
• Melady occurs only in gynodioecious form of papaya
• When temperature goes below 20oC during flower initiation in bisexual flowers, the
stamens adhere to the ovarian wall and thus the developing fruit possess a mis-
shapened appearance.
• The development of carpellodic fruits is favored by low night temperatures in
combination with high moisture and nitrogen levels

40. Stamen carpellody or cat-faced fruit

41. Pest and Diseases

42. • Water-soaked patches on the stem at ground level, which enlarge and girdle the base of
the stem develop
• The affected tissues turn brown than black and rot
• The terminal leaves turn yellow, wilt and drop
• Fruits, if formed, also shrivel and drop off
• The entire plant topples and dies because of the disintegration of parenchymatous tissue
• Seed dressing with Captaf (Captan) or Chlorothalonil (Kavach) should be done before
sowing the seeds
• The soil at the orchard should be well drained
• Soil drenching with tridemorph (Calixin 0.1%) or metalaxyl + mancozeb (Ridomil MZ
0.2%) or chlorothalonil (Kavach 0.2%) at bimonthly interval provide effective control of
the standing crop
Stem rot or foot rot
(Phytophthora spp., Phythium aphanidrmatum, Rhizoctonia solani)

43. Stem rot or foot rot
(Phytophthora spp., Phythium aphanidrmatum, Rhizoctonia solani)

44. Damping off
(Pythium, Phytophthora, Rhictonia and Fusariumspp.)
• Pre emergence damping off : Characterized as the toppling of the growing tip before
it comes out of the soil
• Post emergence damping off: Seedlings show pale withering and bending symptoms
near the ground level with the severe girdling of the stem tissue. In the case of
Phytophthora and Fusarium, root rot is also observed. Such affected seedlings
suddenly topple down
• Water stagnation and low lying areas should be avoided for the nursery
• Seeds should be treated with oxycarboxin (Vitavax), carbendazim SD, captaf (Captan),
Tthiram @ 2 g/Kg seeds. Soil amendments with solarization, application of Dazomet,
Formaldehyde should be practised
• Drenching of Nursery with chlorothalonil (Kavach 0.2%) or oxycarboxin (Vitavax
0.1%) or carbendazim (Bavistin 0.1%) should be done.

45. • Disease can attack fruits petioles, leaves, floral parts, etc.
• Water soaked spots first appear as superficial brown discolouration of the
skin and then develop into circular, slightly sunken areas 1-3 cm diameter
• Infected leaves should be removed and destroyed.
• Spraying of mancozeb (Dithane M 45 0.2%) or chlorothalonil (Kavach 0.2%) or
carbendazim (Bavistin 0.1%) at 15 days interval provides effective control.
• Dipping fruits in water at 46 to 49°C for 20 minutes shortly after harvest provides
control of disease under storage.
Anthracnose
(Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

46. Anthracnose
(Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

47. Powdery mildew
(Oidium caricae)
• Small circular powdery patches develop on both the sides of leaves and on stem of
young seedlings
• These patches gradually extend, coalesce and cover the entire leaf surface
• Badly infected leaves curl, dry, hang down and ultimately fall off
• The disease is effectively controlled through the spraying of wettable sulphur (Sulfex
0.3%) when the atmospheric temperature is below 30°C
• Application of systemic fungicides, namely tridemifon (Bayleton 0.1%) or
carbendazim (Bavistin 0.1%) or thiophanate methyl (Topsin M or Roko 0.1%) at
monthly interval is much more effective

48. Powdery mildew
(Oidium caricae)

49. Insect Pests
• Important pests are Red spider mite, Mealy bug and root-knot nematodes.
• Mite infestation becomes severe during summer, and spraying dicofol
@ 2.5 ml /L water on the ventral side of the leaf can control.
• Applying 25 g Carbofuran/plant in the main field can control nematodes.

50. • Papaya mealybus usually occurs on the underside of leaves, and on new leaves, new buds, bud
eyes on the bark, juncture of overlapping fruit, and juncture of fruit and bark
• White mealybugs present as a patch like appearance in the base of the leaf stem, branches and
stem.
• Presence of red and black ants movement.
• Adhesive glossy honey- waste like growth and dark fungal growth found on it and at high
intensities, plants showed like burnt withered leaves.
• Keep the fields clean from weed free.
• Uproot and destroy infested plants and weeds to control spread of insects than pests.
• Release Acerophagus papayae @ 100 parasitoids / field / village or block.
• Locate ant colonies and destroy them with drenching of chlorpyriphos 20 EC @ 2 .0 ml/litre
of water
Papaya mealybug
(Paracoccus marginatus)

51. Papaya mealybug
(Paracoccus marginatus)

52. Root knot nematodes: Meloidogyne spp. and
Reniform nematode: Rotylenchulus reniformis
• The infected roots of papaya tend to form very small galls which look like beads on
a string.
• Combination of galls and coarse roots resulting in stunting, yellowing and drying of
leaves.
• Susceptibility to growth, often occurring in patches.
• Heavily infested plants have a much reduced root system with large elongated galls
in root-knot infested plants.
• Small galls along feeder roots in root-knot infested plants.
• Planting stocks certified free of infestation.
• Application of Carbofuran 3G @ 60g/plant
• Application of Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 50g/plant

53. Harvesting and Yield
• Harvesting generally starts 9 to 10 months after sowing
• Mature fruits are harvested when they show streaks of yellow colouration
• Since papaya trees are not very tall, handpicking is employed
• Yield in papaya varies from about 25 kg/plant in some varieties like Solo to 75 -
100 kg/plant in varieties like Coorg Honey Dew, CO varieties and Arka Prabhath.
It also varies from region to region and with cultivation practices
• The economic yield in papaya is for a period of three years

54. Latex extraction
• The latex should be tapped from immature papaya fruits
• Select 75 to 90 days old fruits
• On the selected fruit, give incisions (cut) with a razor blade or stainless steel knife
• The cuts should be given from stalk to tip of the fruit
• The depth of the cut should not be more than 0.3 cm
• Four such cuts are given spaced equally on the fruit surface
• Tap the latex early in the morning and complete the tapping before 10.00 a.m
• Repeat the tapping four times on the same fruit at an interval of three days
• The cut should be given on the fruit surface in places not covered by previous cuts
• The latex collected from all the trees in a day should be pooled, shade dried in an aluminium pan or tray
and passed through a 50 mesh sieve to remove all foreign matter

55. Latex extraction
• In large plantations, vacuum driers can be adopted with advantage
• Papain produced by artificial heating will have better colour and high quality
• Add potassium meta-bi-sulphite (KMS) at 0.5 % for better colour and keeping quality
• The latex should be dried very rapidly at temperatures of 50° to 55° C
• Stop drying when the dried product comes off as flakes having a porous texture
• Powder the dried papain by means of wooden mallets or in electrically operated granulators
and sieve the powder through 10 mesh sieve
• Pack the powder in polythene bags in convenient quantities and seal them
• Put the sealed bags in a tin container and seal it after evacuating air
• Exposure to air deteriorates the quality of papain and vacuum sealing is therefore necessary
• For large scale manufacture of papain, vacuum sealing machine and a granulator will be
useful.
• It is used as “meat tenderiser” and in textile and leather “sanforization” processes and drugs

56. Latex extraction

57. Yield
The yield of crude papain is as follows:
CO 2 : 600 kg/ha
CO 5 : 800 Kg/ha