BALANCED FERTILIZATION IN PAPAYA (CARICA PAPAYA L.) FOR HIGHER YIELD AND QUALITY

Papaya is considered as an exhaustive crop as it is a heavy yielder besides demanding large quantity of nutrients.
Fertilizer treatments involving four graded levels of potash fertilizer (0, 150, 300 and 450 K₂O g/plant/year) along with N 300 and P₂O₅ 300 g/plant/year on growth, yield and quality were assessed over a period of three years in cvs.
CO 2 and CO 7 in five different locations in Tamil Nadu, India.
The stem girth was not affected significantly by potassium nutrition in four locations, while at one location potassium nutrition exerted a significant influence on the stem girth.
The leaf number was significantly influenced with the application of potassium nutrition up to 300 g/plant/year in one location and up to 450 g/plant/year in two locations.
The fruit yield per plant and its components viz., fruit number and single fruit weight increased significantly with the application of potassium up to 300 g/plant/year and thereafter it declined.
The potassium nutrition improved the fruit quality characters like TSS, pulp thickness and carotenoid content in yellow and red fleshed varieties.
The latex quality as assessed by its tyrosine content was perceptibly influenced by increased dose of potassium application up to 300 g/plant/year.
From the overall studies, it is concluded that balanced fertilization with N₃₀₀, P₂O₅ 300 and K₂O ₃₀₀ kg/ha/year is recommended for papaya to get higher yield with quality fruits per latex in papaya.

II International Symposium on Papaya

N. Kumar, K. Soorianathasundaram, N. Meenakshi, M.I. Manivannan, J. Suresh, V. Nosov

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.851.54