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PAPAYA
 Papaya is a luscious
fruit that has been taken for granted. The total crop area in
the Philippines planted to papaya amounts to only 8,720 hectares
or 0.1 percent of our agricultural land. Yet no one can deny
its tastiness as a dessert or as an indispensable vegetables
dish of various recipes. Papaya fruits are good sources of Vitamin
A, B and C. It is a familiar meat tenderizer because for clearing
fruit juices, on fermenting liquors, pre-shrinking the quality
of wo ol and as soap for
washing clothes. Papaya possesses medicinal values.
Papaya can be easily grown in home yard gardens. It can also
be a profitable enterprise. Under ordinary farm condition, production
cost amounts to only P2,700 per hectare on the first year and
P1,500 per hectare on the second year. The net profit on the
first year may be less than P400 per hectare; but in the second
year the returns can reach as high as P4,000 per hectare. The
productive life of a papaya plant is about 3-1/2 years. This
means that after establishing the plantation, income will flow
with little effort provided you have a ready market.
VARIETIES
There are several cultivars you can choose from whether for
backyard or commercial planting:
- "Cavite Special " is a popular semi-dwarf type
that blooms 6 to 8 months after planting. The fruit weighs from
3 to 5 kilos each and mainly eaten fresh.
- "Sunrise Solo" is a new improved high quality selection
with reddish orange flesh, each fruit weighing half a kilo.
- "Waimanalo" is high quality variety with orange
yellow flesh, each fruit weighing from one-half to one kilo.
- "Sinta" is the first Philippine-bred hybrid papaya,
semi-dwarf, profile, sweet and flesh and weighs 1.2-2.0 kg./fruit.
LAND PREPARATION AND PLANTING
Land preparation for papaya orchard is similar to other upland
crops. First clear the fields; then plow and harrow alternately
about 2 to 3 times to kill weeds and provide good internal drainage.
The distance of planting papaya ranges from 2 to 3 meters depending
on the variety.
Papaya plants are usually planted by direct seedling in the
field. Place 5 or more seeds in each hole; then cover with ¼
inch of soil. When fresh seeds are used, seeds will germinate
in 10 to 14 days after planting. Seed germination is better and
faster if the gelatinous envelope (sarcotestae) surrounding the
seed is removed by means of the fingers. In some cases, seedlings
are started in the nursery by sowing seeds in seed plots or individual
containers such as in cans or plastic bags. Sow 3 to 4 seeds
per container. Use sterilized soil to avoid nematode infestation
and damping-off. Seedlings in the nursery should be grown under
full sunlight to produce vigorous and hardy seedlings. Care should
be taken not to disturb the root system. Constant watering is
essential until plants are well-established. Seedlings are transplanted
when there are 3 to 4 leaves.
THINNING
 Thin papaya seedlings
in the field 4 to 6 weeks after emergence. Leave only 3 of the
strongest seedlings in each hole. Save plants that are spaced
far enough from one another to allow minimum competition for
sunlight and nutrients.
The second and final thinning in the field should be done
as soon as flowers appear. This is usually 4 to 6 months after
seed germination. At this stage, leave one tree seedling per
planting hole. In plantation where female trees are grown, some
pollinating trees of either male or hermaphrodite forms should
be preserved during the thinning process. Allow one male plant
to grow for every 15 to 20 female trees for pollination purposes.
CARE OF PAPAYA PLANTATION
Establishment of Windbreaks
Windbreaks are necessary in areas where strong winds prevail.
Local materials used as windbreaks are ipil-ipil and madre de
cacao. The distance between windbreaks varies with location.
Where winds blow horizontally across the plantation, a common
rule of thumb is to space windbreaks at a distance of 20-30 times
the height of windbreak trees. Where winds come in different
directions and angles, it is necessary to have windbreaks half
as close.
In general, a good windbreak should be permeable, allowing
some air to pass through.
Fertilization
Factors such as soil types, rainfall, locations, cultural
practices, and age of plant influence fertilization practices.
Start fertilizing when seeds are planted or when seedlings are
transplanted in the field. Mix a handful (5-10gms.) of complete
fertilizer (14-14-14) with the soil at the bottom of the hole
before planting. As papaya seedlings grow larger, more fertilizer
is applied.
Guide for papaya fertilization in the Philippines:
1. Apply 60 grams of ammonium sulfate as soon as plants are
well-established and show new growth.
2. Apply the same amount at intervals of six weeks until plants
are one year old.
3. Thereafter, apply 225 grams of ammonium sulfate per plant
every three months.
4. Apply 450 grams superphosphate per plant at the start of rainy
season every year.
5. In potassium-deficient soils, complete fertilizer with ratios
2:1:2 or 2:1:3 is recommended.
Weed Control
Weeds can be controlled by mechanical and chemical means.
Hand-weed when papaya plants are less than 2- ½ meter
high. Always keep one meter area around the trunk free from weeds.
In large commercial papaya plantation, weed control is done
by using herbicides. Spray pre-emergence herbicide to hinder
weed control for six months without much damage to plants. Spray
post-emergence herbicides such as Paraquat of Gramoxone plus
a surfactant, at intervals between sprays 5-6 weeks. Since papaya
seedlings are very sensitive to chemical sprays, remove weeds
close to the seedlings manually.
Intercropping
Papaya can be grown as intercrop with coconuts, coffee, pineapple
or assorted vegetables. Intercropping with papaya increases total
farm income and reduces weeding expenses. It is important to
provide fertilizer requirement of the intercrop.
Harvesting
 Harvesting is a
simple operation when papaya trees are short and the fruit can
be reached by hands. The first harvesting starts on the 7th to
8th month after planting. Pick all fruits showing a tinge of
yellow at apical end.
Place harvested fruits in picking bags, galvanized containers
or pails. Allow fruits to mature more fully to develop better
flavor. However, this shortens shelf life and make them more
susceptible to fruit fly infestation.
When papaya trees grow older, harvesting is done with the
use of ladder. It is a tedious, time-consuming and costly method
of harvesting. Farmers in Cavite use a long pole to strike the
apical end of the papaya fruit to detach it from the tree while
the fruit is caught by hand.
The papaya plant will keep on fruiting for many years but
production declines rapidly as it grows older. Old trees grow
slower and produce lesser fruits. The productive life span of
papaya plantations end after 3-1/2 years. The yield of well-managed
papaya plantation is 35 to 40 tons of fruits per hectare which
is roughly 4 times the average yield (national) of 10 tons per
hectare per year.
COMMON DISEASE AND PESTS OF PAPAYA AND THEIR CONTROL
Diseases
- Phytophtora blight - caused by Phytophtora palmivora. Common
symptoms are found on stems and fruits. Small, water-soaked,
discolored spots may occur anywhere on the stem, around the fruit
or leaf scars, especially during fruit production. These infected
areas enlarge and often completely encircle stems of young trees.
Green fruits are resistant to infection but can be invaded through
the wound or through the peduncle from the stem cankers. Infected
mature fruits that hand on the tree shrivel as disease progresses,
turn dark brown, become mummified and fall to the ground. Mummified
fruits become reservoir for fungus and source of infection.
Control - remove rotting fruits from the tree as these serve
as reservoir of spores from fungal mass which is carried by rain
or wind to healthy parts of plants. These spores may infect non-injured
leaf tissue, stems or fruit. Good drainage conditions reduce
infection and use of protectant spray such as copper sulfate
or DithaneM-45 fungicides limit extent of injury.
- Anthracnose - Affects both plants in the field and the fruits
at harvested. First symptom is usually a small, round, water-soaked
area on ripening portion of the fruit. As fruit ripens, these
spots enlarge rapidly, forming circular, slightly sunken lesions;
these enlarge up to 2 inches in diameter as fruit matures. Fungus
frequently produces large, light orange or pink masses of spores
in the center of the lesions. Sometimes spores are produced in
concentric rings similar to a bull's eye. In addition to producing
this surface damage, the fungus also advances into the fruit.
Occasionally, green portions of the papaya become affected with
anthracnose. Disease first appears as a small, water-soaked lesion.
Soon after fungus penetrates the fruit, latex comes out in sticky
mound of horns. These lesions enlarge to ½ inch in diameter
as fruit remains green and eventually plant dies. Infected petioles
may act as source of inoculum for infection of fruit.
Control - Control of this disease can be achieved only by means
of a thorough spray program. In rainy areas with high temperatures,
spray Dithane M-45 at 7 to 10 days intervals. Copper-based fungicides
also provide good control.
- Papaya mosaic - Initially, leaves develop rugged appearance.
Undersides of leaves show thin, irregular, dark-green lines etching
the borders of cleared area along veins. Younger leaves of crown
are generally stunted and severely chlorotic with veins banding;
transparent oily areas are scattered over leaf or along leaf
veins. In mature leaves, chlorotic patters is light color between
veins accompanied by numerous small rinds ranging from transparent
yellow to tan yellow. In several affected areas, defoliation
progresses upward until only a small tuft of leaves remains at
the crown. Stems of infected plants show pinpoint-sized, water-soaked
spots may develop into linear or concentric ring patterns, w/c
become larger and more intense in color. This is generally transmitted
by green peach aphid, Myzuz persicae.
Control - The only satisfactory way of controlling mosaic is
by destroying source of the virus. A strick roguing program should
also be followed:
- Spray all infected trees with insecticide to kill aphid
carriers.
- Cut all infected trees and remove them from growing trees
and other cucurbit plants.
- Avoid nearby cultivars of cucurbit plants.
- Control aphids with pesticides since they are disease-carriers.
Insect Pests:
- Mites - They colonized on different parts of plants and feed
on plant, causing premature leaf drop, reduce tree vigor and
produce external blemishes on fruit. They puncture plant tissues
with their needle-like mouthparts and feed on tissue juices.
Some mutiply rapidly throughout the year and cause widespread
damage in a very short time.
Control - Control mites by sulfur dustings. Spray Malathion at
rates recommended by manufacturers.
- Fruit fly - These infest papaya when fruits are allowed to
ripen on the tree beyond recommended picking stage. Fruits harvested
in the mature green stage are not infested due to the milky substance
they exude when fruit is punctured.
Control - Sanitation is important. Destroy all dropped and pre-mature
ripe fruits and suspected of being infested to prevent larvae
from developing into adults flies.
MEDICINAL VALUES OF PAPAYA
Bruised papaya leaves are used as poultice in treating rheumatism.
In nervous pains, leaves can be dipped in hot water or warmed
over a fire and applied. As purgative, one tablespoon of the
fresh fruit juice mixed with honey and 3 to 4 tbsp. of boiling
water is taken one draught by an adult; two hours later, it is
followed by a dose of castor oil. This treatment is repeated
for 2 days, if necessary, for children aged 7 to 10 years old.
The children under 3 years, half the dose is given.
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