Specialty vegetable crops
Technical Development
Premium Vegetables
Papaya聽
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Cultivation Environment
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Warm and sunny weather, as well as an environment with low humidity and no strong wind are preferred.聽Grow well between 22��� and 30���.聽Growth will be retarded below 10��� and flowering be affected above 35���.聽Suitable to sow seeds from March to September locally.聽Highly adaptive to soil.聽Grow well in thick sandy loam or loam soil with rich organic matter, good drainage and ventilation, and a pH value between 6 and 6.5.
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Papayas are not suitable for continuous cropping.聽The crop can be grown on the same farmland at least 2 to 3 years later.
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Planting and Spacing
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Cultivation by means of transplantation of seedlings is preferable.聽32is the most suitable temperature for germination, which will be retarded below 23���or above 44���.聽The seedlings can be transplanted when coming into 5 true leaves (about 20 to 25 cm in height).聽Cultivate in a triangular or square pattern.
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Plant and row spacing should be 2 m and 2.5 to 3 m respectively.
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Fertiliser Application and Management
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Basal dressing is used as the primary fertiliser for growing papayas, supplemented by the application of top dressing.
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Basal Dressing: Apply 1 000 kg of compost and 100 kg of organic fertiliser (N:P:K:MgO = 4:3:3:1) to each d.c..
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Top Dressing: Apply top dressing about 2 weeks after planting.聽The quantity and timing of application are given below for reference.
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Weeding: Perform timely weeding in the papaya field.聽Light ploughing is preferred to avoid damage to roots.
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Irritation: Papaya is a shallow-rooted crop.聽Excessive or inadequate moisture in the soil will hinder the growth of the plant, resulting in irregular fruit bearing or more deformed fruits.聽Therefore, moderate moisture should be maintained in the soil during the growth period.
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Others: Pluck axillary buds, deformed flowers/fruits and withered leaves.聽Before the advent of rainy seasons or strong winds, erect a pole 20 cm from the trunk in the exposed area, and fasten the trunk to the pole tightly with a rope to prevent it from blowing down or breaking off.聽Pay attention to pest control in the field and remove diseased plants as soon as possible.
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Harvesting and Storage
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It is ready for harvest when the fruits are plump and 50% to 65% of the skin turns yellow.
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Better to harvest the papaya fruits on sunny days.聽When harvesting, retain 1 to 2 cm of peduncle as far as possible and avoid spreading latex to the fruits.聽Protect harvested fruits from being bruised and pressed.聽Fruits should be delivered to markets as soon as they are packed.聽Depending on the degree of ripeness, harvested papayas should best be stored between 7��� and 12��� to slow down the rotting process.
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Horticulture Section, AFCD
2014
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