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Friday, March 4, 2011

PAPAYA PRODUCTION TIPS FROM THE INTEGRATED FARMER



  1. Use only high quality seeds from the authorized retailers and distributors. Don't use F2 seeds of hybird papaya because they will be heterozygous and are susceptible to pests and diseases such as ring spot virus, mealy bugs, etc.;
  2. Start seeds in seedling trays and transfer them to seedling bags at the right time for fast and maximum growth;
  3. Fertilize regularly with the right kind of fertilizers so that the plants grow well and start flowering and fruiting as scheduled. Allan uses a mix of 16-16-16 and Urea during the maximum growing stage and 16-16-16 and 0-0-60 during the fruiting stage. He fertilizes about 50 grams per tree every 10-15 days;
  4. Inspect plants daily for growth, water stress, pest and disease infestation and weed intrusion so that corrective measures are immediately undertaken. He floods the papaya fields weekly just before water stress manifests;
  5. Isolate diseased and pest-infested plants as soon as detected to avoid spread of diseases and pests. Quarantine diseased areas and disinfect immediately;
  6. Harvest when fruits are mature green with just streaks of yellow on the bottom so that they will keep longer. Fruits that are ripe and from diseased plants should immediately be removed from the field. Allan gives the ripe fruits to his finisher pigs and disposes of the left over peels so that fruit flies are controlled;

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