Papaya

Nutrient Management

Nutrient Management

Introduction

  • Adequate and efficient manuring of young and mature papaya tree is essential to maintain the health of the papaya and to obtain high yields.
  • It is a heavy feeder.
  • Extent of the various nutrients removed from soil by whole papaya plant at different phases of growth viz., seedling, vegetative, pre-flowering, flowering, fruit development and harvest is given in Table.
  • Significant uptake of the nutrients is observed after flowering.
  • The nutrients removed by whole plant at harvest are 305, 103, 524, 327 and 183 kg per hectare N, P, K Ca and Mg respectively.
  • Thus, the ratios of N, P, K removed are 1:0.34:1.71.
  • The nutrients removed from the soil by one tonnes of papaya fruits in Hawaii in descending order are K, N, Ca, Mg and P, and the ratio of N, P and K removed is 1:0.14:1.48.

Nutrient uptake by whole plant of papaya cv. CO 1 (kg/ha/dry weight basis)

Growth stage
N
P
K
Ca
Mg
Seedling
0.02
0.005
0.02
0.02
0.02
Vegetative
0.29
0.074
0.67
0.05
0.05
Pre-flowering
9.04
0.808
18.58
1.46
0.99
Flowering
53.37
15.414
209.36
4.10
2.30
Fruit development
56.76
44.593
515.19
30.74
6.32
Harvest
305.78
103.679
524.02
327.40
183.34

  • Papaya responds positively to application of nitrogen, phosphorus, potash and to several micronutrients.
  • Since papaya grows vigorously and continuously, it has a continuous demand for nutrients.
  • They must be supplied to keep it in good health and high bearing.

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Biofertilizers

  • Biofertilizers are carrier based preparations containing beneficial micro organisms in a viable state intended for seed or soil application and designed to improve soil fertility and help plant growth by increasing the number and biological activity of desired microorganisms in the root environment.

Azospyrillum

  • Azospyrillum sp.

Phosphobacteria

  • Bacillus megathelium var. phosphaticum Bacillus subtilis

VAM

  • Vesicular Arbuscular mycorrhizae (Glonus fasciculatum) Apply biofertilizers viz., Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae (VAM), Azospirillum and Phosphobacteria each @ 20 g per plant and again six months after planting.

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Manuring

Manuring in the Nursery

  • Adequate manuring of young seedlings is of the greatest importance towards the production of vigorous healthy seedlings.
  • Do not apply chemical manures to papaya seed nursery at the time of planting as high concentration of nutrient solutions in the soil coming in contact with the tender roots of the seedlings may cause permanent damage.

Manuring at the time of planting

  • Both organic and inorganic manures are beneficial to the papaya plant. Apply only dry and well rotten cattle manure @ 4-5 kg per pit.

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Sources of Nitrogen

Organic sources

Material
Nitrogen (N) (per cent)
Farm yard manure 0.5 - 1.5
Compost (Urban) 1.0 - 2.0
Compost (Rural) 0.4 - 0.8
Green manure's 0.5 - 0.7
Non-edible cakes
Castor cake 5.5 - 5.8
Cotton seedcake (undecorticated) 3.9 - 4.0
Mahua cake 2.5 - 2.6
Karanje cake 3.9 - 4.0
Neem cake 5.2 - 5.3
Safflower cake (undecorticated) 4.8 - 4.9

Inorganic sources

Name of the fertilizer
N%
Urea
44.0 - 46.0
Ammonium sulphate
19.9 - 21.0
Calcium ammonium nitrate
25.0
Ammonium chloride
26.0
Calcium nitrate
13.0 - 15.0
Sodium nitrate
16.0
Calcium cyanamid 21.0
Anhydrous ammonium 82.0
Ammonium nitrate 32.0 - 35.0

Particulars
 Compound fertilizers
N
P
K
Diammonium phosphate
18
46
0
Urea ammonium phosphate
28
28
0
Ammonium phosphate (Gromor)
20
20
0
NPK (Complex fertilizers)
10
26
26
NPK (Complex fertilizers)
17
17
17
NPK (Complex fertilizers)
15
15
15
NPK (Complex fertilizers)
19
19
19
NPK (Complex fertilizers)
14
35
14

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Sources of Phosphorus

Organic sources

Material
 Phosphate P2O5 (per cent)
Farm yard manure 0.4 - 0.8
Compost (Urban) 1.0
Compost (Rural) 0.3 - 0.6
Green manure's 0.1 - 0.2
Non-edible cakes  
Castor cake 1.8 - 1.9
Cotton seedcake (undecorticated) 1.8 - 1.9
Mahua cake 0.8 - 0.9
Karanje cake 0.9 - 1.0
Neem cake 1.0
Safflower cake (undecorticated) 1.4 - 1.5

Inorganic sources

Name of the fertilizer
Phosphatic fertilizers
  P2O5
Super phosphate (single) 16.0 - 20.0
Super phosphate (double) 30.0 - 35.0
Super phosphate (triple) 45.0 - 50.0
Basic slag 3.0 - 8.0
Mussori 23.0 - 24.0
Purulia 23.0

Particulars
Compound fertilizers
N
P
K
Diammonium phosphate (SPIC)
18
46
0
Urea ammonium phosphate
28
28
0
Ammonium phosphate (Gromor)
20
20
0
NPK (Complex fertilizers)
10
26
26
NPK (Complex fertilizers)
17
17
17
NPK (Complex fertilizers)
15
15
15
NPK (Complex fertilizers) 19 19 19
NPK (Complex fertilizers) 14 35 14

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Potassium

Organic sources

Material
Potash (K2O) (per cent)
Farm yard manure 0.5 - 1.0
Compost (Urban) 1.5
Compost (Rural) 0.7 - 1.0
Green manure's 0.6 - 0.8
Non-edible cakes  
Castor cake 1.0 - 1.1
Cotton seedcake (undecorticated) 1.6 - 1.7
Mahua cake 1.8 - 1.9
Karanje cake 1.3 - 1.4
Neem cake 1.4 - 1.5
Safflower cake (undecorticated) 1.2 - 1.3

Inorganic sources

Particulars
 Potassic fertilizers
N P K
Muriate of potash (KCl) - - 50.0 - 60.0
Potassium sulphate - - 48.0 - 52.0
Potassium phosphate - - 30.0 - 50.0

Particulars
Complex
N
P
K
NPK (Complex fertilizers) 10 26 26
NPK (Complex fertilizers) 17 17 17
NPK (Complex fertilizers) 15 15 15
NPK (Complex fertilizers) 19 19 19
NPK (Complex fertilizers) 14 35 14

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Method Of Application

  • Take a circular basin evenly around papaya trees at 30 cm away from the stem and at 15 cm deep.
  • Apply the fertilizer/manures around the basin and mix well with the soil without disturbing the roots.
  • Irrigate immediately to dissolve the fertilizers in the soil.
  • Take care such that no fertilizer comes in direct contact with any above ground parts of the plant.

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Recommendations

  • Apply 110 g of urea, 300 g of super phosphate and 80 g of muriate of potash to each plant per application. First application three months after planting and repeat the same at bimonthly intervals.

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Role Of Nitrogen

  • Nitrogen increases vegetative growth and vigour of the plant, thereby increases the yield.
  • An increase in nitrogen fertilization results in increased petiole concentration of nitrogen and in decreased petiole moisture, potassium, phosphorus and calcium contents.

Deficiency symptoms

  • Plant light green, lower leaves yellow, drying to brown colour, stalks short and slender if element is deficient in later stages of growth.

Excess

  • Reduces phosphorus and potassium uptake and more vegetative growth leads to less fruit set.

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Role Of Phosphorus

  • Phosphorus is very essential for root development and root activity thereby increasing uptake of other nutrients.
  • Phosphorus fertilization results in increased petiole potassium and decreased nitrogen, calcium and magnesium contents.
  • Phosphate fertilization increases stem girth and weight of petiole at vegetative stage only.

Deficiency symptoms

  • Plants dark green, often developing red and purple colours, lower leaves yellow, drying to greenish brown or black in colour, stalks short and slender.

Excess

  • Scorching in leaves and drying, reduces nitrogen availability.

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Role Of Potassium

  • Potassium fertilization is very essential for improving quality of the fruit.
  • Potash fertilization increases the stem girth at the bearing stage but has no effect on the weight of petiole.

Deficiency symptoms

  • Spots of dead tissue small, usually at tips and between veins, more marked at margins of leaves, stalks slender.

Excess

  • Spots of dead tissue small, usually at tips and between veins, more marked at margins of leaves, stalks slender.

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Micro Nutrients

Zinc

Deficiency

  • Spots are generalized, rapidly enlarging, leaves thick stalk with shortened internodes.

Boron

Deficiency

  • Young leaves of terminal bud becoming light green at bases and finally break down, later leaves become twisted, stalk finally dies back. Apply Zinc Sulphate 5 g dissolved in one litre of water along with Borax at 2g dissolved in one litre of water as foliar spray 3 times starting from flowering and subsequently at four months intervals.

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Growth Regulators

  • Spray ethrel at 250 mg dissolved in one litre of water and gibberellic acid 25 mg dissolved in one litre of water to increase the weight and volume of papaya fruits. Spray of ethrel solution containing 200 mg chemical dissolved in 1 litre of water to increase papain production. Before sowing the seeds in nursery, treat the seeds in solution containing 100 mg of gibberellic acid dissolved in 1 litre water for 1 hour to enhance germination.

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Tissue Analysis And Papaya Fertilization

  • The use of plant tissue analyses to determine the fertilizer requirements of papaya tree has not been used to any great extent.
  • Take the petioles or leaf stems from the most recently opened flower for nutrient analysis.
  • Normally it composes of Nitrogen-1.30%, phosphorus-0.164% and Potassium-5.20% on a dry weight basis.
  • The best time for the sampling of the petiole is June to September.

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Papaya

Papaya Management