Botany of Papaya

• Papaya is usually dioecious but hermaphrodite type and gynodioecious types are also recognized.
• In dioecious type, both male and female plants are separate.
• The male flowers are found on long pendulous panicle. Female flowers are solitary and are much larger than male.
• The ovary usually large in female flowers.
• In the case of hermaphrodite flowers, two kinds are often observed viz. one with long corolla type and 10 stamens and another type with a short corolla and 5 functional stamens.
• Fruit is a large hollow berry elongated or globular in shape.
• In gynodioecious type, the female and bisexual flowers are borne one on the same plant.
• The fruit develops from female flowers are globular in shape while fruits that develop from bisexual flowers are elongated in shape.

Climate

• Papaya is tropical in its climatic requirement.
• It is susceptible to frost.
• It requires worm humid climate and can be cultivated up to an elevation of 1000-1200 m above MSL.
• It is very sensitive to frost but withstands extremes of temperature.
• Temperatures below 10°C will affect the growth and fruit set.
• It thrives well at temperature between 38-44°C, but optimum range is 22-36°C, a day temperature of 35°C and 25°C night temperature is most suitable.
• It is adapted to a wide range of rainfall conditions ranging from 35cm to 250cm annually; however, excessive moisture adversely affects the crop as well as fruit quality.
• It does not stand strong (80Km/Hour) or hot winds.
• Dry climate during flowering often causes sterility while the same conditions during fruit maturity add to the sweetness of the fruit.