Papaya is a significant tropical fruit known for its high nutritional value and adaptability, leading to a substantial increase in production, especially in India. It is cultivated primarily in states like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, with a notable rise in commercial demand for both fresh fruit and papain. Various cultivated varieties exhibit distinct characteristics, and optimal production practices, including planting techniques, fertilization, and harvesting, are crucial for maximizing yield and fruit quality.

2. Papaya is an important fruit of the tropics and
sub-tropics and deserves greater attention due to
its high nutritive value and production
potentiality. The areas and production of papaya
have increased sharply in the last few decades
owing to its wide range of adaptability, increased
demand of fruit and papain and also for high
economic returns per unit area. It is one of the
few fruit crops that flowers and fruits throughout
the year giving early and steady economic returns.

3. Importance
The ripe fresh fruit of papaya is delicious and
used as a table fruit. Fruits are used in preparation
of jam, syrup etc. Green fruits are diuretic and
mildly laxative and are used as vegetables.
Papain, prepared from dried latex of immature
fruits, is a proteolytic enzyme similar in action to
pepsin used for manufacture of drugs, meat
tenderizing, manufacture of chewing gum and in
leather industry.
The fruit is a rich source of carbohydrates,
minerals (Ca, P, Fe), vitamins (carotene, thiamine,
riboflavin) and ascorbic acid.

4. Area and Production
India is the largest producer of papaya in the
world (Chadha, 1992). The area and production
of papaya have increased from 16,050 ha and
2.5 lakh tons in 1965 to 70,100 ha and 17.67
lakh tons in 2001-2002. In India, it is cultivated
mainly in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka,
Gujrat, Jharkhand, Kerala Maharashtra, Orissa
and West Bengal. The productivity is higher in
Andhra Pradesh (115.3 t/ha.) followed by
Karnataka (46.5 t/ha).

5. The fruit, which was hither cultivated as an
intercrop or in a homestead garden, has
emerged as a commercial fruit owing its
demand for domestic requirement, export
potential and processing uses. The area under
papaya has shown commendable increase in
the state of U.P. in the past few years.

6. Area, Production and Productivity of Papaya in India
States Area
(000ha.)
Production
(000tonnes)
Productivity
(t / ha.)
Andhra Pradesh 2.9 334.3 115.3
Assam 7.5 109.3 14.6
Gujarat 4.0 154.5 38.6
Jharkhand 4.3 44.5 10.3
Karnataka 6.3 293.1 46.5
Kerala 13.2 59.7 4.5
Maharashtra 5.7 171.0 30.0
Orissa 10.7 219.7 20.5
West Bengal 6.7 220.5 32.9
Others 8.8 160.5 18.2
Total 70.1 1767.1 25.2

7. This is a gynodioecious line with medium tall plants and
has heavy yield (58-61 kg per plant) and good quality (10-12
oBrix). Fruiting starts at the height of 70-80 cm from ground
level within 260 – 270 days after planting. The fruits are
medium sized (1.5 to 2.0 kg) with orange flesh, having
excellent flavour.
Pusa Delicious

8. A gynodioecious line, suitable for papain production and is
comparable to CO2 for papain yield. The fruits are medium
sized, round in shape and have better keeping quality.
Pusa Majesty

9. It is a dioecious variety with dwarf plant and
medium sized (1.0 – 2.0 kg) oval fruits. The plants start
bearing from 25 – 30 cm above ground level. The
variety is very suitable for high density planting.
Pusa Dwarf

10. It is an ultra dwarf variety and suitable for cultivation in
kitchen garden, pot and even on the roof of the house. It can
produce fruits up to 3 years.
Pusa Nanha

11. It is a dioecious variety selected from ‘Ranchi’ during 1972.
The plants are dwarf and fruits are round with flattened base.
Fruiting starts 60 cm from ground level. The fruit weight varies
from 1.0 to 1.5 kg with a TSS of 10 – 12 oBrix. Fruits have
yellow flesh with no papain odour and hence suitable as a
good table variety.
CO-1

12. It is a dioecious type developed from pure line from local
type during 1979. Fruit weight varies from 1.25 to 1.5 kg and
has good papain yield (4-6 g per fruit). Fruits are large in size
with less cavity, yellow flesh and 11 – 12 oBrix TSS. This
variety can produce 250 – 300 kg papain per hectare.
CO-2

13. It is a hybrid between CO-2 (female parent) and Sunrise
Solo (male parent). It is a gynodioecious type released during
1983 as a table variety. The fruits are medium in size, yellow
to orange flesh with a TSS of 12 – 13 oBrix. The average fruit
weight is 0.5 to 0.8 kg with 90 – 120 fruits/ plant/ year. The
fruits are pyriform in shape.
CO-3

14. This is a hybrid of CO-1 X Washington. Fruit flesh is thick
and yellow. The plant has attractive purple colouration in all
the parts. It is a dioecious type. The mean fruit weight varies
from 1.0 to 1.5 kg with a TSS of 12 oBrix. The tree gives 80 to
90 fruits over a period of two years.
CO-4

15. It is a selection from Washington during 1985 and isolated
for its high papain production, which has high proteolytic
activity and high protein (72%). It produces 14- 15 g dry
papain/ fruit. It gives 75 – 80 fruit/ tree in two years with an
average weight of 1.5 kg with a TSS of 12 – 13 oBrix.
CO-5

16. This variety is a gynodioecious type and the hybrid was
developed during 1997. It produces 100 – 110 fruits/ tree with
1.0 to 1.5 kg average fruit weight. The fruits are oblong,
attractive, firm red fleshed with a TSS of 12 – 13 oBrix.
CO-7

17. CO-6
It is a selection from variety ‘Giant’ during 1986. The
variety is dioecious, dwarf and suitable for table and papain
purpose. The yield is 80-90 fruit/ tree in two years with
average fruit weight 1.5 to 2.0 kg and TSS of 12 – 13 oBrix.
Pusa Giant
Plants are vigorous, sturdy and tolerant to strong wind. It
is a dioecious cultivar with big sized (2.5 – 3.0 kg) fruits,
suitable for canning industry.

18. Sex Forms
Papaya is a polygamous plant and has many sex
forms. There are three basic sex types – staminate or
male, hermaphrodite and pistillate or female. Of these,
only female is stable whereas flowers of hermaphrodite
and male vary in sex expression under different
environmental conditions. Storey (1958) classified
papaya flowers into eight categories (i) staminate,
(ii) teratological staminate, (iii) reduced elongata,
(iv) elongata, (v) carpelloid elongata, (vi) pentandria,
(vii) carpelloid pentandria and (viii) pistillate.

19. Staminate flower is produced by male plant whereas
teratological staminate flower is produced by sex reversing
male. Type (iii) to (vii) are normally produced by
hermaphrodite plants and type (viii) is produced by female
plant. Since sex expression of male and hermaphrodite
plants varies depending on environmental conditions, male
plants can produce all 8 types of flowers during sex
reversal, while hermaphrodite plants can produce all types
except (i) and (ii). Female plant produces only pistillate
type but, in very rare cases produces bisexual flowers.
Generally, the change of sex of male plant is towards
hermaphrodite and female and neither hermaphrodite
plants produce male flower nor female plants produce
hermaphrodite and male flowers.

20. Anthesis and stigma receptivity
Stigma receptivity in all the species was maximum on
the day of anthesis (Subramanyam and Iyer, 1986).
Inflorescence of Washington papaya emerged 45-48 days
after transplanting (Khuspe and Ugale, 1977).
The period of anthesis depends upon sex forms and is
at peak from 6-9 a.m. anther dehiscence completes
within 18-36 hours before flowers open and stigma
become receptive a day before the flowers open,
remaining receptive for 6 days.

21. Flower Bud Development Studies
The experiment on flower bud development studies
in papaya cv. Pusa Delicious at this institute indicated
that the length of un-open female and hermaphrodite
flowers i.e. 2.9 cm and 4.1 cm, respectively were
recorded. The hermaphrodite ovary is estimated to
initiate at a flower length of 6.1mm while the female
ovary initiates at a flower length of 3.4 mm. The
observation on flower initiation to fruit set were also
recorded. The results show that the average time i.e.
20 days were taken by the female flowers and 32 days
by hermaphrodite flowers.

22. Production Technology
Papaya is normally propagated by seeds. To ensure
the genetic purity, seeds should be procured only from
reliable sources. About, 500 g seeds will be required for
planting one hectare.
Raising of Seedlings
The seedling can be raised by two ways:
(i) The seedling can be raised in nursery beds measuring
3 meter long, 1 meter wide and 10 cm high or in
polythene bags. The seeds should be sown one cm

23. deep in rows 10 cm apart and covered with fine compost or
leaf mould. Light watering with watering can in the
morning hours should be done. The nursery bed may be
covered with polythene sheet or paddy straw or dry straw
mulch to protect the nursery from adverse weather
conditions.
(ii) The seedling are raised in polythene bags of size not
less than 10X20 cm. The polybags are filled to the brim
with a pot mixture made of 2 parts of sand and 1 part each
of soil and well decomposed farm yard manure. To control
nematodes at the nursery stage, application of neem cake
at 100g/ bag is recommended. Nematodes can also be
easily controlled by the application of Carbofuran 3G @
3 g/ polybag at nursery stage.

24. Seedling Protection against Damping Off
(i) Tender seedlings should be protected against heavy
rainfall. The most serious disease in the nursery is
‘damping off’. Treating the seed with 0.1% Monosan
(phenyl mercury acetate) before sowing is the best
preventive measure against this disease. Also the nursery
bed should be treated with 10% formaldehyde solution
before sowing. If this disease appears in the nursery,
Bordeaux mixture (5:5:50) should be sprayed. Dusting of
5% BHC powder should be done for protection against
insect pests.

25. Transfer of Seedlings
When the seedlings are growing densely, they can
be transferred to next nursery bed or polythene bags to
avoid overcrowding and further check of growth of the
seedlings. Generally, the seedlings become ready to
transplant in about two months when it is 15-25 cm
high.

26. Planting Season
The season of planting has a great influence on the
growth and fruiting. Seedling planted during the
monsoon, grow taller and bear fruits at higher level on
trunk than those planted in other seasons (Madhava Rao,
1974), thereby increasing the cost of production. In
Deccan, planting in the cold weather induces the fruiting
at the lower height of the trunk. Viruses play havoc in
papaya cultivation. Since, there is no effective control
measure, only alternative left is to avoid the infestation
by checking the vector population during the active
growth stage of plant.

27. The experiment on planting season of papaya cv.
Pusa Delicious was conducted at this institute, the
results shows that among the different months of
planting cv. Pusa Delicious was found to produce
highest yield (58 kg/plant) with better fruit quality i.e.
heavier mean fruit weight (1.68 kg), maximum TSS
(11.2 oBrix), vitamin C (74 mg/100g) and total
carotenoid content (1152 µg/100g) when planted in
September.

28. Plant Spacing
The plant density in papaya plays a vital role in
productivity per unit area. Similar to other fruit crops,
yield per unit area of papaya fruits can also be increased
by increasing plant density. The planting distance in
papaya varies from variety to variety. The experiments
on this aspect conducted at this institute show that
planting of papaya variety Pusa Delicious at 2.0m X 1.8m
spacing produced maximum yield, better light
interception and fruit quality.

29. In case of dioecious varieties of papaya, three
seedlings should be planted in each pit in a
triangular fashion followed by light irrigation. Only
one seedling may be planted with pure
gynodioecious varieties.

30. Aftercare
Proper care should be taken to save the planted
seedlings in the field especially against the insect pests
and heavy rainfall in the beginning. In the frost prone
areas these should be protected with thatches. Some
extra seedlings should also be reserved in the nursery for
gap filling.
Intercropping
In the beginning sufficient space is available
therefore, a leguminous crop can be taken. In north and
eastern parts of India where planting is done in October-
November, a number of crops like onion, maize, potato,
cauliflower, cabbage, spinach etc. are taken in the first
rabi season.

31. Weeding and Hoeing
The weeds grow luxuriantly in the papaya orchard
and exhaust most of the nutrients applied to it. In the
beginning they also compete for light, air, water and
nutrients, which results in poor fruit production.
Therefore, weeding should be done as and when
required specially around the plant.
Deep hoeing is recommended in the first year to
discourage the weed growth. In no case hoeing should
be done in rainy season or after fruit set as papaya is a
shallow rooted crop.

32. Sex Expression and Removal of Unwanted Plants
It is necessary to keep 5 per cent male plants in the
orchard for good pollination where dioecious variety is
cultivated. As soon as the plants flower, the extra male
plants should be uprooted. The hermaphrodite plants
produce good quality fruit, which should not be confused
with male plants while removing them from orchard.
While removing other plants i.e. female or
hermaphrodite only weaker, diseased and dense plants
should be uprooted.

33. Topdressing / Fertilizer Application
Apart from the organic manures given in the pits i.e.
compost – 20 kg, neem cake – 1 kg and bone meal or
fish-meal – 1 kg, topdressing of chemical fertilizers is also
required as papaya is a heavy feeder. The following dose
of fertilizers per fruiting plant has been standardized after
experimentation.
Nitrogen : 250g
Phosphorus : 250g
Potassium : 500g
The above chemical fertilizers should be applied in five
split doses at two-month interval except December and
January months under north Indian conditions.

34. Irrigation
Irrigation in papaya is empirical and not based on
soil plant water relationship. It depends upon the soil
and climatic conditions of the specific region. In north
Indian condition of the country papaya requires
irrigation at 5-7 days interval during summer and 15
days interval in winter. The results of experiment
conducted at this institute shows that the basin method
of irrigation is more efficient as compared to other
methods.

35. Drainage
Papaya plants are very much susceptible to water
logging. Even 24 hours stagnation of water may kill the
well-established orchard. Therefore, it is essential to
make few furrows or trenches for quick and complete
drainage of water during rainy season.
Productive Life
The profitable productive life of papaya is two and a
half years under north Indian condition provided the
crop is well managed.

36. Harvesting and Packing
A good crop may fail if harvesting of fruits is not done
properly due to perishable nature of fruits. The fruits should
be left on the tree until they fully mature, but picked before
it begins to get soft, it is difficult to protect it from birds and
to market it without spoilage. On ripening some varieties
turn to yellow but some of them even remain green. When
the latex ceases to be milky and become watery, the fruit
may be considered suitable for harvesting.
While picking the fruits from the tree, care must be
taken to see that the fruit is not scratched and is free from
any blemishes. Since papaya fruits are easily perishable,
care should be taken to wrap individual fruit in paper before
packing in wooden/ plastic crates surrounded by soft
cushioning material like saw dust or straw.

37. Yield
The fruit yield of papaya varies widely according to
varieties, soil, climate and management of orchard. On
an average yield i.e. 50 to 55 kg per plant can be
obtained for a period of two and a half year crop cycle.

38. Extraction of Papain
Papaya yields papain which is a milky latex. It oozes
out from green fruits when lanced and it contains a
protein–hydrolyzing enzyme (Protease or proteolytic
enzyme). For extraction of papain, the milky latex is
tapped from 70-90 days (from fruit set) mature fruits. It
is collected in the morning up to 10 a.m. on the selected
fruits. Four longitudinal incisions are given using a razor
blade attached to a bamboo splinter. The depth of cut
should be 2-3 mm with cuts running down the length of
the fruit about 3 cm apart. The tapping is repeated four
times on the same fruit at an interval of four days. The
latex is collected in aluminium trays and is shade dried.

39. The dried latex is then powdered and packed in
polythene bags. Before drying, potassium meta-bi-
sulphite (KMS) 0.05% is added to the latex for better
colour and keeping quality. The latex can also be dried
in oven at a temperature of 45-500 C. The average
yield of papain is about 200-350 kg per hectare of
plantation up to two and a half year of age. Yield of
papain is generally low in dry weather, however during
monsoon (July–September) better yield can be
obtained. It can be stored in good condition for a
period of six months by packing in airtight containers.
The varieties suitable for papain extraction are CO2,
CO5, CO6 and Pusa Majesty.

40. Disease and Pest Management
Viruses
Three distinct types of viruses i.e. mosaic/ PRV, leaf
curl and distortion ring spot are found to severely
damage the papaya crop. Since, there is no effective
control measure, only alternative left i.e. to avoid the
infestation by checking the vector population (aphid)
during the active growth stage of plant and use of
insecticides for control of vectors.

41. Stem and Root Rot
On infection, the stem and roots start rotting
and the plants ultimately falls down. As soon as
stem rotting is noticed, the infected portion should
be scrapped and cleaned and then treated with
Bordeaux paste (5:5:20). Incorporation of one kg
lime and 100 g copper sulphate in the pits is an
effective measure to prevent the crop against root
rot.

42. Anthracnose
The southerly and westerly exposed areas of the plant
and fruits are affected due to hot sun. The affected parts of
the fruit show yellow patch, which slowly softens, turns
brown and extends to half portion of the fruit. Later on
black spots and pinkish pustules appear on the enlarged
affected area. The trunk and stem also get scorched on the
side exposed to the sun. Since the disease is associated
with the exposure to the scorching sun, therefore, the
control measures include close planting, judicious irrigation
and covering fruits with gunny bags. Precautionary spray of
Dithane M-45 or Dithane Z-78 at the rate of 0.25% can be
given to control this malady.

43. Bud and Fruit Stalk Rot
This fungal disease affects the dropping of flower
buds and newly born fruits. The pathogen causes the
rot of the stalk and as a result the flowers and new
fruits drop. Spray of Bordeaux mixture (5:5:50) or
Dithane M-45 or Dithane Z-78 at the rate of 0.2 to
0.25% can be given to control this disease in the
beginning.

44. Fruit Rot
Fruit rot fungus causes the fruits to rot. The control of
the disease lies in spray of Bordeaux mixture (5:5:50)
and providing good drainage.
Red Spider Mite
Red spider mite attacks the leaf and the fruit. In
severe cases the new leaf becomes distorted, which is
often confused with the virus. This can be controlled by
dusting with sulphur dust or spraying of 0.1 % Kelthane.

45. Nematodes
The reniform nematode (Rotylenchulus reniformis) is a
serious pest of papaya. This results in stunted plants and
reduced fruit production. In severe cases the leaves
become yellow, dry and fall down. The nematode may be
detected on well-washed root as a tiny grain of sand like
body attached to its surface. The soil application of
ethylene dibromide at the rate of 3 quintals per hectare
can control this problem effectively. To control nematodes
at the nursery stage, application of neem cake at 100g/
bag is recommended. Nematodes can also be easily
controlled by the application of Carbofuran 3G @ 3 g/
polybag at nursery stage.

46. Seed Production
Non-availability of sufficient quantity of pure seed has been a
major constraint in commercial production of papaya. In open
pollination, production of pure seed is not possible because of
its high isolation distance requirements. The papaya growers
should pay adequate attention for need to maintain the genetic
purity of seeds. The pure seed should either be produced under
controlled condition or in isolation. Under controlled condition,
sib mating should be followed. In this process the flowers of
female plant should be crossed with the pollen of male flower of
the same dioecious variety. Under isolation condition, a single
variety should be grown at a distance of 400 to 1000 m
depending on local conditions and the activity of vectors. If the
suitable isolation distance is not available, seed production may
be done inside any tall growing orchard like mango, litchi,
cashew, sapota and ber. These tall fruit trees act as a physical
barrier against contamination by foreign pollen.

47. Papaya Products
Considering the importance of papaya it can be
utilized in different ways viz. petha, papaya jam, papaya
jelly, papaya kheer, papaya halwa, papaya burfee,
papaya rayata, papaya pickle, papaya squash and
papaya nectar. Thus the surplus produce can be
preserved and brought to daily use.