Papaya is grown worldwide it is one of the most popular trees which is not only grown commercially but also grown by people in their gardens.
Papaya farming introduction
It is a fast-growing herb that grows 5 to 10 m (16 to 33 ft) tall. This tree is usually grown with a single stem and a bunch of branches are found at the top of the tree trunk. Flowers are sweet-scented and open at night for wind or insect pollination. It is a sweet-flavoured fruit that is grown even in the gardens of the Dominican Republic, India, Brazil and Indonesia etc. India is the leading country and the production of papaya fruit followed by Dominican Republic.
Plant information
Height – 5 to 10 meters (16 to 33 ft) tall.
Leaves – Spirally arranged leaves at the top of the trunk.
Lower trunk – This part is scarred when leaves and fruits are born.
Leaf size – Large in size, 50-70 cm (20-28 in) in diameter.
Latex – All plant parts contain latex. Latex are microparticles in water.
Flowers – Flowers are consist of 5 parts and highly dimorphic. Male and female both flowers are born in the leaf axils.
Pollination – Window or insect pollinated.
Fruit – Large in size 15-45 cm long and 10-30 cm in diameter.
Fruit ripen – Turns from green to yellow in colour during the ripening period. When it gets soft means it is ripened. It gets as soft as avocado.
Fact – Sensitive to frost but needs good irrigation.
Uses
Due to the good amount of latex content unripe green fruit is often eaten. Papaya fruit is commonly eaten in raw form in countries like Thailand and Vietnam. Usually, the ripe papaya fruit is not cooked it is eaten after removing its skin and seeds. However, the black seeds of papaya are also edible having a spicy taste. Raw fruits can easily ripen by placing them in the sunlight.
Human platelets are improved by drinking boiled water with papaya leaves. The whole papaya tree including leaves, stems, flowers, seeds and fruits are beneficial for health hence it is widely used in the medicinal sector.
Project Report
| Cost Plant price = Rs 10. 500 saplings cost = 500 plants x Rs 10 = Rs 5000. Land preparation cost = Rs 10,000. Fertilizer and manure cost = Rs 15,000. Irrigation + electricity cost = Rs 19,000. Labour cost = Rs 25,000. Drip irrigation cost = Rs 50,000. Fencing cost = Rs 45,000. Plant protection charges = Rs 6000. Miscellaneous cost = Rs 10,000. Total cost = Rs 185000. Total cost for 5 years Reduce 1-time cost i.e. Drip irrigation cost(Rs 50,000) + Fencing cost (Rs 45,000) + 500 saplings cost (Rs 5000) = Rs 100000. Above cost (Rs 185000) – Rs 1 lakh = Rs 85000. 5 year cost = 5 years x Rs 85000. 5 year cost = Rs 425000. Now add the one-time reduced cost to 5-year cost to get the total cost. Total cost = Rs 425000 + Rs 100000. Total cost = Rs 5,25,000. Papaya farming profit per acre Trees per acre = 500 trees. Yield per tree = 35 to 75 fruits yearly. If 500 trees are planted on 1 acre and 1 tree produces 45 fruits. Then 500 trees x 50 fruits = 25000 kg fruits per acre. 1 kg papaya price is around Rs 15 to Rs 20. Profit = Rs 15 x 25000 kg = Rs 375000. Net profit = Rs 375000 – Rs 5,25,000. Net Profit = – Rs 150,000. You are at a loss because the cost is more than the profit. Don’t worry you will achieve profit from the next year. I have also added drip irrigation and fencing cost which you might not add but adding these are good practices of agriculture. Note -The above-given price me before and you might Book Profit according to the fruit production, price and market. |
Papaya cultivation best practices
Climate conditions
This plant cannot tolerate strong winds and also not friendly with the frost but still needs good amount of water to grow healthy.
Temp required
This tropical plant grows best in temperatures ranging 25° to 30°C.
Water requirements
1st year – Protective irrigation.
2nd year – 10 days regular interval in summers and fortnightly basis in winters.
Drip and sprinkler – In low rainfall areas drip and sprinkler methods are more beneficial.
Good irrigation is required with a drainage facility.
Soil requirement
Light porous soil containing good organic matter is preferred for papaya cultivation. The soil pH should be 5.5 to 6.7. Avoid sticky calcareous soil for growing papaya in a garden or farm.
Propagation method
It can be propagated through seeds and seedlings.
Seedlings – Seedlings are easily available in nurseries you can purchase 2 to 5-month-old healthy seedlings for your farm.
Seed propagation – Takes 3 to 5 weeks. Germinate quicker when aril is washed off and treated with fungicide thiram. Papaya seeds can be directly sown on the land or first raised in nursery beds. For nursery planting prepare a seedbed 10 cm high, 3 m in length and 1 m wide. Cover the bed with dry paddy straw or poly sheet for protection. Once seeds are grown and become saplings, after 2 months this happenings are transplanted into the main area. Tissue culture and airing culture are some other methods for propagating this plant.
Planting season
March-June, July – october or November are good for planting this herb plant.
Land preparation
Ploughing – Cuple of ploughing is required to level the land.
Drainage – Build pulverization and camels for the proper drainage system.
Organic manure – Apply organic manure as basal does and mix into the soil during land preparation.
Planting distance – 2.5 m x 1.6 m to 3 x 2 m. For high density 1.2 m x 1.2 m.
Pits dimension – 60 x 60 x 60 cm.
Pit filling – Top soil mix, 20 kg FYM + 1 kg neem cake + 1 kg bone meal.
After planting – Immediate watering is required.
Papaya plant price Rs 10 to Rs 25 per plant.
Papaya plants per acre
300 to 500 trees.
Manure and fertilizer
1 year – Apply in 6 parts, 250 gram nitrogen + 250 gram phosphorous + 500 gram potash.
Basal dose – Fermented compost @10 tons per hectare per year.
4th and 8th months – Micronutrients ZnSO4 (0.05%) + H2BO3 (0.1%).
Fertilizer – 13.5 gram urea + 10.5 gram muriate of potash + 10 litre water. Apply in drip irrigation for 3rd or 4th month of planting.
Intercultural activity
Weed removal on a regular basis is compulsory.
Organic solution – Mulching technic can be used to avoid weed problems.
Chemical solution – Generic glyphosate substance 6 times a year.
Intercropping with papaya
Timing – Intercropping can be done before flowering in papaya.
Intercrops – Leguminous and pomegranate plants are preferred for intercropping. Corn is suitable for most trees as intercropping.
Care
Pest and disease control
Pests – Fruit flies, grey weevils, snails, slugs, red spiders, aphids, stem borer, and grasshoppers.
Spray – 0.3 % dimethoate and 0.05% methylene demeton.
Diseases – Damping off, black spot, nematode, powdery mildew, anthracnose and stem rot.
Solution – 1 g/l wettable sulphur, 1 gram per litre carbendazim and 2 g/l mancozeb.
Fruit hardness solution – When fruit becomes hard and delays the ripening process.
Solution – Mix 0.25% borax in hot water and spray in the dry season in 2 to 3 week intervals.
Harvesting
Papaya plants start bearing fruits from 9th to 14 months from the planting. However, to produce fruits commercially it takes 3 to 4 years from the planting. When the fruit turns yellowish from the green colour it means it is riped. When papaya latex stops being milky and becomes watery it means it is ready for harvesting.
Papaya yield per plant
35 to 75 fruits per plant per year.
Papaya yield per acre
If 500 trees are planted and 1 tree produces 45 fruits a year. Then 500 trees x 45 fruits = 22500 kg fruits per acre.