Papaya Plantation 2

Varieties of papayas

Among the many varieties of papayas found in almost every region of the world, here are some of them which are common and lead the market.

• Mexican Red / Yellow papaya
• Hawaiian Sunrise / Sunset papaya
• Bettina papaya
• Guinea Gold papaya
• Hortus Gold papaya
• Kamiya papaya
• Kapoho papaya
• Peterson papaya

Mexican and the Hawaiian papayas are the most common varieties in the  world at the moment as well as in the south asian region. 

What is the best time to plant papaya?

Papaya can be grown in all over the year. However, there are scientific proven season times that favors the plantation which have less pests and diseases problems to the plantation.   Hence these seasons have a potential of giving you better yield.  There are basically three (3) seasons which papaya can be planted. 

•          During spring season, between February and march.
• ·      Monsoon season between June and July.
• ·      During autumn season between October and November.

It is not recommended to plant during the winter. but in south asian countries, there is no considerable temperature drop during the winter and so papaya can be planted during any time of the year. 

Fertilisation

For steady growth, plants required necessary and appropriate organic substances. Manure are simply waste products of cows, goats, pigs etc or you can use fertilisers. Nutritional and mineral contents like Boron, Magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium which are essential for the crop’s growth and strength. Manure can be done just near to the root of the plant, the by making a pit or any other suitable arrangement. 
Realistically, it takes five month from plantation to a point where a plant begins producing flowers. fertilisers should be applied at frequent intervals to build a strong and healthy plant. Main content in fertilisers are nitrogen which formulates a strong lignin tissue, potassium which formulates plant cell walls and phosphorus. Annually a single plant takes a dose of 400g, 250 g, and 400g of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium respectively. Always remember the fertilisation should be done with a proper water supply.

Boron and calcium play a important role in papaya plantation, as the papaya yield might be wasted if these minerals are not sufficient.

Boron and calcium deficiency 

 

Pests and Diseases

Like any other crops, papaya plants face a lot of diseases. pest and insects are among some of them. Some common pest and insects which attacks the plants are, stem borers, aphids and mealybug. The pest and insects may also cause to spread the diseases unless control at the beginning. 

Mealybug attack

Treatments for Diseases

Neglecting to treat the plants may lead to unpleasant results. there are few actions to be taken at the beginning of the disease. 

• Destroy the diseased plants (Burn)
• Introduce natural enemies / predators such as plantation friendly ants. 
• wash with high speed water flow
• Cover the yield by using some bags
• spray soap water
• Use Organic Insecticides 
• Use suitable chemical

These chemicals are different from country to country by their name. so it is advisable to seek advice from professional before spray chemicals / poisons. 

Harvest Time

Nothing makes a farmer happy other than harvesting time. Papayas are left on the tree until they fully mature. When the appropriate harvesting time comes, the papayas are carefully pluck and sorted on the basis of weight, size and colour.The readiness of the fruit can be seen when the papaya’s colour changes from green to pale green or yellow. The more yellowish the colour is, the ready it is to be reaped. Proper care need to be taken when packing the fruits because they be easily distorted.

It is recommended to wash the papaya with slightly hot water soon after plucking to remove sap and use plastic buckets to store and transport. 

Global market price and ratings

Papayas are cultivated mainly for domestic consumption and commercial export. According to reports large boxes of papaya goes at 6 Euros per box whilst small sizes goes at 4  Euros per box, making  a price of  two (2) papayas  at 1 euro. On average 50_70   thousand tons of papayas are exported to European countries and the price of 1kilo in south asian countries is average 0.25 USD to 0.5 USD. 

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