PAPAYA FARMING

Papaya is a very popular fruit. You can harvest papaya throughout the year. It is popular
worldwide as it gives quick returns. It originated in tropical America. The scientific name is
Carica papaya. Another regional name is papaw or Papita.

Furthermore, there are numerous industrial and processing applications other than fresh
consumption. Papaya gains popularity also in kitchen gardens. Papaya has huge commercial
importance because of its high nutritive and medicinal value.

You can start papaya farming with a small piece of land. Major commercial papaya-producing
countries are India, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, Nigeria, China, and Thailand.

Create a Papaya Farming Business Plan

You must do an economic analysis to verify the use of various inputs of production and the
income obtained. In papaya cultivation, fixed cost is largely in initial land development.
Additionally, the fixed cost includes wages of permanent labor and repair of farm equipment,
and other miscellaneous costs.

The variable cost consists of production practices and input costs including the FYM, fertilizer,
and pesticides. Additionally, it includes the wages for hired labor for irrigation, inter-culturing,
harvesting, handling, transportation, and other management practices. Calculate the total cost of
production. Calculate the projected profitability and ROI and document it in your business plan.

Different Application Of Papaya

o Ripe papaya is usually consumed fresh as a breakfast or dessert fruit

o There are different types of food processing opportunities such as jams, fruit juices, and ice
cream.
o Furthermore, papaya is also consumed as a dried fruit.
o Culled fruits can be fed to pigs and cattle.
o Papaya is an ingredient in a variety of cuisines throughout the world. Unripe fruits and leaves are
consumed as vegetables.
o Another popular item is tutti frutti from papaya. This is very popular in bakeries and
confectionery.
o Papain is a milky latex collected by making incisions in unripe papayas. The latex is either sun-
dried or oven-dried and sold in powdered form to be used in beer clarifiers, meat tenderizers,
digestion aids, wound debridement aids, tooth-cleaning powders, and other products.
 Health Benefits of Papaya

o Papayas are rich in fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants that prevent cholesterol build-up in the
arteries.
o One medium-sized papaya contains just 120 calories. So, it helps in weight loss activity.
o A single papaya can fulfill more than 200% of your daily requirement of Vitamin C, making it
great to build a stronger immune system.
o Papayas are low in sugar content (8.3 gm in one cup of sliced papaya) as well as a glycemic
index. This property makes papayas excellent fruits for diabetics.
o Papayas are rich in Vitamin A and flavonoids like beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin and
lutein which keep the mucous membranes in the eyes healthy.
o Papaya is rich in several nutrients like Vitamin C which can keep you free from stress.

Improved Varieties for Papaya Cultivation

Some of the popular varieties are Honey Dew, Coorg Honey Dew, Washington, Solo, Co-1, Co-
2, Co-3, Sunrise Solo, Taiwan, etc. Other improved varieties are

o Washington: It comes fairly true to type from seed. The fruit is round to ovate in shape, and
with excellent sweet taste and flavor.
o Honey Dew or Madhu Bindu: It has a good flavor and taste of fruit with less number of seeds.
The bearing is heavy with long fruits in clusters.
o Coorg Honey Dew: This is a variety from Chethalli station of the Indian Institute of
Horticultural Research.
o Solo: This is a famous variety from the Hawaii islands. The fruits are small (0.5 to 1 kg) and
pear-shaped.
o C0-1 and Co-2: Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has invented these varieties. Both varieties
are famous for their dwarf stature.
o Ranchi: It performs well under north Indian conditions. It is highly valuable in respect of yield
and quality. It bears large fruits on plants of medium height.
o Barwani: It is a popular variety in central India.
Additionally, there are several other new varieties such as Pusa Delicious, Pusa Majesty, Pusa
Dwarf, Pusa Giant, etc.

Suggested Read: Profitable Cash Crop Plants To Grow

Agro Climatic Condition For Papaya Cultivation

Papaya is a tropical, plant. However, it also grows well in sub-tropical parts. It is very sensitive
to frost. The optimum temperature is 25 – 30° C and a minimum of 16° C. The suitable ph value
is between 6 and 6.5.  Those foothills which enjoy a mild winter are ideal for papaya cultivation.
Low temperature and frost limit its cultivation in higher altitudes. Excessively cold nights cause
the fruits to mature slowly and to be of poor quality in the winter season.

Suitable Soil for Papaya Cultivation

The most suitable soil type is well-drained or sandy loam soil with adequate organic matter.
Sticky and calcareous soils are not good as rainwater may accumulate in the soil. As a result, this
may be fatal to the plants. In this case, you must arrange for a higher raised bed and drainage
ditch. Furthermore, you must keep the field with suitable soil moisture which is necessary for the
growth of papaya plants.

Also, a dry climate at the time of ripening is good for the fruit quality. Additionally, continuous
cropping in the same field may result in poor growth.  Hence a slightly sloppy land is preferred
to

Season for Papaya Plantation

Papaya is planted during monsoon, autumn and spring season. It is not planted during winter as
the frost can cause damage or injury to the crop. In other words, they are planted during the
months of June-July (monsoon), October-November (autumn) or February-March (summer). The
first few things to be considered while planting papaya are rain, frost and hot air since all three
cause injury to the plant.

Watering Papaya Plant

Water requirement for papaya depends on the environmental factors of the area like light,
temperature, rainfall, wind, soil type, etc. It also differs with the age of the plant. A young
papaya plant would need more moisture than the older trees. This is because older trees have
slower vegetative growth. Hence the seedlings are irrigated once or twice a week while fruit
bearing trees need irrigation once in every 15 days. Older trees need ample water. However, they
cannot tolerate stagnated water or water logging since their roots are shallow and not deep. It
results in ‘wet feet’ and lower fruit yield. That’s why drip irrigation in papaya plantation is a
good practice. During winter, papaya must be irrigated at an interval of 10-12 days while in
summer they are watered once a week till the rains begin.

a perfectly leveled one. The hilly soil of this region is best suited, being well-drained in organic
matter.

Read: How To Take Soil Samples For Analysis?

 Planting Material for Papaya Farming

Papaya seedling

Papayas are commercially propagated through seeds. Although tissue culture technique of
growing papaya has been developed, they are restricted to laboratories. Papaya seeds cannot be
stored for long unlike other seeds since they lose their viability quickly. They are first planted in
nurseries in poly-bags. The newly-germinated young seedlings are then transplanted after 6-8
weeks.

Papaya Varieties

Different varieties have been developed for papaya cultivation in India. These varieties can be
divided into 2 broad categories:

 Dioecious- producing separate male and female plants

 Gynodioecious- producing  female and hermaphrodite plants
Some of the important commercial varieties commonly cultivated by farmers in India are:

Pusa Delicious

 Mainly cultivated in Jharkhand, Orissa, Karnataka and Kerala.

 Medium-sized plants
 First fruiting within 253 days of planting at a height of 80 cm.
 Gynodioecious, high-yielding variety.
 Individual fruit weighs 1-2 Kg
 Distinct flavor and moderate keeping quality.
 Flesh is deep orange in color
 Total plant yield is about 41 Kg per plant.
 Pusa Dwarf

 Dwarf-sized plants
 Starts fruiting at 40 cm height
 Dioecious plant variety
 Fruits vary in shape from oval to round.
 This variety is suitable for kitchen gardening and also high density cultivation.
 Individual fruit weighs 0.5 to 1 Kg.
 Per plant yield is about 40 Kg.

Pusa Giant

 They bear their first fruit when they are a meter tall.
 Fruits are yellow with moderate firmness.
 They are dioecious.
 Individual fruit weighs 2-3 Kg.
 Yield per plant is 40 Kg.

Pusa Majesty

 Fruit bearing starts when the plant attains a height of 48 cm within 245 days.
 Gynodioecious plant.
 Fruit is orange-colored with a firm pulp.
 It is suitable for long distance transport since it has a long shelf life.
 Individual fruit weight is 1-1.5 Kg.
 Total per plant yield is 38 Kg.

Pusa Nanha

 Popular in Jharkhand, Orissa, Karnataka and Kerala.

 It is a mutant variety of dioecious dwarf.
 Plant bears fruits at 30 cm height and total height attained by the plant is 106 cm.
 Suitable for pot cultivation, high density papaya plantation.
 Tolerant towards water logging conditions.
 Medium sized fruit with round to oval shape.
 Per plant yield is 10.1 Kg.

Sunrise Solo

 Popular in Andhra Pradesh

 It is an improved variety of Hawaiian variety called Solo.
 Fruit is pear shaped, smooth; red colored and has a mild flavor.
 Individual fruit weigh is about 400-500 grams.
 Per plant yield is 20 Kg.

Arka Surya

 Variety developed by crossing Sunrise Solo with Pink Pulp Sweet.

 The fruits are medium-sized and firm with pink colored pulp.
 Individual fruit weighs 600-800 grams.
 Individual plant yield is 60-70 Kg
 The cropping period for this variety is 28 months.

Arka Prabhath

 Advanced hybrid resulting from the cross between Surya, Tainung-1 and Local Dwarf.
 The fruits are large in size with firm and deep pink colored pulp.
 Individual fruit weighs 900-1200 grams.
 Yield per plant is 90-100 Kg.

CO-1

 Popular in Andhra Pradesh

 It is a dioecious variety that was developed in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University,
Coimbatore after working for eight years.
 Fruits start developing when the plants attain a height of 60-75 cm.
 Size of the fruits range from medium to big with a flat base, ridges at the apex and a slight
nipple.
 The fruit pulp is orangish to yellow in color with medium firmness.
 It does not contain the papain odor.
 Individual fruit weighs around 1.5 Kg.
 Per plant yield is 50-60 fruits in a period of 20 months.

CO-2

 Popular in Andhra Pradesh

 Dioecious variety of papaya developed from a local type by Tamil Nadu Agricultural
University, Coimbatore.
 The fruits are large sized with orange colored pulp.
 Pulp firmness is soft and they are moderately juicy.
 Individual fruit weigh 1.5-2.5 Kg.
 Per plant yield is 80-100 fruits.
 It is also cultivated for its latex papain and it yields about 30 grams of latex.
 CO-3

 Popular in Andhra Pradesh

 Developed by crossing CO2 and Sunrise Solo by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University,
Coimbatore (TNAU).
 Gynodioecious hybrid.
 Pyriform, smooth fruits with firm, red pulp.
 Individual fruit weight varies between 450 to 800 grams.
 Per plant yield is 90-120 fruits.

CO-4

 Dioecious variety developed by crossing CO1 with Washington by TNAU.

 The plant has a purple coloration.
 Fruits are medium-sized, round-shaped with firm, yellow pulp.
 Individual fruit weighs 1.3 to 1.5 Kg
 Total per plant yield is 80 fruits over a two-year period.

CO-5

 It is a dioecious variety of Washington developed by TNAU.

 The papain content is very high in this variety.
 Suitable for table purpose.
 The fruit is yellow with soft pulp moderate in firmness.
 Each individual fruit weighs 1.5 Kg.
 Total yield per plant is 80 Kg of fruits.
 This variety also yields about 600 Kg of dried papain per acre.

CO-6

 A dwarf selection from Giant papaya by TNAU.

 It is a dioecious variety.
 The fruit size is large and the pulp is yellow with moderate firmness.
 Individual fruit weighs 2 Kg.
 Yield per plant is 80-100 fruits.

CO-7

 It is developed by crossing Pusa Delicious, Coorg Honey Dew, CO3 and CP85 multiple times
over a period of 4 years by TNAU.
 It is gynodioecious.
 Fruits are oblong in shape with red colored pulp.
 Individual fruit weighs about 1.15 Kg.
 Total yield per plant is 98 fruits per tree for a cropping period of 28 months.

CO-8

 It is a red pulp variety of papaya developed by selective hybridization and intermating.

 They are popular for making desserts, jams, other processing food and papin.
 Fruits produced are large in size and oblong.
 Individual fruit weighs 1.5-2.0 Kg.

Taiwan Red Lady Papaya Cultivation

This is a new variety of papaya and very popular among farmers in recent years. Red lady
papaya is very large in size and is cultivated for fruit purpose.

Land Preparation for Papaya Plantation

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.

Before transplantation, pits of dimensions 50cm X 50cm X 50cm are dug a month and filled with
farm yard manure, organic waste and soil. 2-3 seedlings are transplanted per pit. When the plants
start flowering only one plant per pit should be kept. In order to avoid weeds, hoeing is done
regularly for the first year. Once the plants start flowering, only 10% male plants are kept
scattered in the orchard while the rest are removed.

Intercropping in Papaya Cultivation in India

Papaya is intercropped with crops like coconut, peanut, pineapple, jackfruit, coffee, etc. in India.
They are also planted as fillers for litchi, guava and mango. This is mainly because they stay on
field for 2-3 years. In case papaya is cultivated in the entire orchard, then vegetables like garlic,
turnip, onion, cauliflower etc. are grown for the first year. However, no crops are cultivated
alongside after the first year since competition for nutrition is likely at later stages.

Frost Protection in Papaya Farming in India

Since papaya is sensitive to frost, in North India, papaya cultivation must have adequate frost
protection. Frost occurs during the months from December to February. Generally, planting is
done before the onset of winter. In addition, the plants are covered by thatching around them
with polythene bags of the plant size. The bags must have air holes punched in them on the upper
side. This is for the first winter. The next year, gunny bags can be used to wrap the plant around
the fruit and at the apex.

Diseases in Papaya Plantation

Disease in papaya plantation

The main diseases that affect papaya crop are anthracnose, powdery mildew, stem rot and
damping off. Water logging around the roots is the chief reason for rots to occur. Wettable
Sulphur, carbendazim and mancozeb are effective in controlling these diseases.
Aphids, red spider mite, stem borer, fruit flies, grey weevils and grasshoppers are the insects
attacking papaya plants. Destroying the infected part and spraying prophylactic spray like 0.3%
dimethoate would help control them.
Harvesting Papaya

Harvest from papaya cultivation in India

When the fruits are fully grown and start developing a tinge of yellow color at the apex, it is time
to harvest them. Another indication of harvesting time is the latex. Once the latex start turning
watery instead of being milky, the fruits must be harvested. Not all papaya varieties turn yellow
on ripening. Some turn yellow while others remain green even when fully ripe.

The economic life of papaya lasts for a maximum of 4 years. However, farmers do not extend its
life beyond 2-3 years as from the 3rd yes production decreases. Good farm management and
timely care can increase papaya production to a great degree.

Basic Steps in Papaya Farming

1. Propagation
You will need to propagate papaya from seed. First of all, you must collect the seeds. You can
collect from ripe, large-sized, healthy fruits, essentially from female plants free from pests and
diseases. Sometimes, the seeds fail to germinate because seed viability is completely lost in
about 45 days.
2. Seed germination
The optimum temperature is 21 – 27° C, and radical emergence is 19 – 29 °C. it takes 1 – 4
weeks from sowing to emerge depending on the temperature. Treat the seed with Thiram
(TMTD) W.P. before sowing to control the fungus diseases at the young stage.

3. Sowing
You can use a transparent plastic bag 8 – 9 cm wide and 8 cm wide and 8 cm high or a black soft
plastic pot for raising seedlings. The bags must have a drainage hole. Also, you can use the
plastic seedling tray. This is a new way of seedling culture to obtain healthy seedlings.

4. Transplanting
When the seedlings are 15 to 20 cm tall, the bag is cut open with a razor blade. Now the
seedlings are ready for transplantation in the pits in the evening. Therefore, you can plant three
seedlings about 15 cm apart in each pit. Watering is essential after transplantation for a quick
recovery from the transplanting shock.

5. Manuring
The plant needs continuous fertilization, as fruiting is continuous upon maturity. You must plan
for fertilization from day one. Because a five months period from transplanting to first flowering
is important for the nutrition of papaya plants. However, you must stop manuring 6 months
before harvesting the crop.

6. Cropping
The male plants of papaya are generally vigorous in growth and start flowering after three
months of transplanting. As soon as their presence is detected, you must remove most of them.
However, for effective pollination of female flowers, about one male tree is maintained for every
10 female trees. Papaya starts flowering about five to six months after it is transplanted.

7. Irrigation
Normally, irrigate every 10 days in winter or every week in summer. However, it varies
according to the soil, climatic conditions, and irrigation methods. You can adopt the ring method,
furrow, or drip irrigation. However, be sure to prevent the water from coming in contact with the
stem. Irrigation may prevent the plants from being damaged by frost.

Papaya Cultivation Plant Protection

You must do proper disease control to get the maximum yield. The main diseases are powdery
mildew (Oidium Caricae), anthracnose (Colletotrichum Gloeosporioides), damping-off, and stem
rot. Another potential disease is Root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita)

You must remove weeds at the young stage frequently and lightly. However, never do deep
tillage to the soil since the plant has shallow roots. You can apply herbicide once before
emergency with 43% lasso E.C. at 1:200.
Harvesting in Papaya Cultivation

In general, papaya takes six months to flower. And another five for harvesting. However, it may
vary according to climate conditions and management. For shipping to the distant markets, the
fruits should be harvested when the apical starts turning yellow and the latex is no longer milky.
During the cold months, the fruits can be left on the tree to develop deeper colors and obtain
better flavor. In papaya cultivation, a tree with good management produces 25 to 40 fruits
weighing 40to 60 kg in the first 15 to 18 months.

Cost of Papaya Farming

The cost of papaya farming will depend largely on the area of the farmland. The cost
components are the purchase of farmland, plantation expenses, irrigational expenses, fertigation
infrastructure like labor shed, and land development. other than the farmland cost, the other cost
of papaya farming is not much.

Profit Margin in Papaya Farming

The profit margin in papaya farming will depend on the area of the land and the variety of
papaya cultivated. Generally, papaya farmers get the payback of their entire investment in
around 2- 2.5 years.

Post-Harvesting Practices

At the time of harvest, papayas must not suffer any injuries or blemishes. These can cause a risk
of fungal contamination. In that case the fruits would start decaying quickly thus reducing their
market value. Since they are perishable fruits, each individual papaya must be wrapped
separately in paper and then placed in wooden crates. The crates must be filled with straw,
sawdust and other such soft material to protect the papayas from transportation injuries.

Conclusion

Papaya cultivation does not require too much hard work. It is a versatile crop and can be
cultivated for vegetables, fruits and latex, even the dry leaves has market value as raw material
for medicine.