Published May 8, 2025
PAPAYA GUIDE
1. Nursery:
· Soak the seeds for about 48-72 hours in water. HB hormone can be added for better results.
· Sow the seeds in planting bags or seedling trays and place them in a protected area; avoid deep planting. Manage the seedlings for at least 2 months before transplanting to the main field.
· Regular pesticide spray is vital to protect the seedlings against pests and diseases. Spray Goldazim 20ml/20L + Actara 8g/20L at 10 days intervals. Use Goldmax Starter 20ml/20L in between the sprays to provide nutrients.
2. Seedbed:
· Make planting holes of about 30cm in diameter and 15cm depth, with a spacing of about 2m by 2.5m. This will accommodate about 800 plants in an acre. A closer spacing of 2m by 2m results in about 1,000 plants in an acre.
· Fill up the holes with well composed manure mixed with top soil.
· The following guide may be used. Note that the spraying intervals may vary depend on disease/pest pressure:
Time | Application | Target |
At transplanting | · DAP/Yara Power 10g/plant · Ridomil Gold 50g/20L + Systema 20ml/20L (drench at the base of the seedling) | · Provide phosphorus essential for proper rooting · Phytophthora blight · Cutworms, crickets |
After 7 days | · Brilliant 40ml/20L | · Root formation and early crop establishment |
After 7 days | · Othello Top 10ml/20L + Orbea Opti 10ml/20L | · Powdery Mildew · Aphids, thrips |
After 7 days | · Brilliant 40ml/20L | · Early crop establishment |
After 10 days | · Tabibu 10ml/20L + Pyrimite 20ml/20L · CAN 20g/plant | · Powdery mildew · Mealybugs · Boost vegetative growth |
After 7 days | · Mastercop 20ml/20L + Rapid 15ml/20L | · Black spots, die back · Thrips, aphids, red spidermites |
At the end of the programme, repeat from here until harvesting is over.
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After 14 days | · Pegasus 25ml/20L + Othello Top 10ml/20L | · Red spider mites, thrips, aphids · Powdery mildew, Downy mildew, anthracnose |
After 7 days | · Goldmax Super 30ml/20L | · Balanced nutrition |
After 7 days | · Miravis Duo 15ml/20L + Orbea Opti 10ml/20L | · Powdery mildew, anthracnose · Aphids, thrips |
After 14 days | · NPK 17.17.17 100g/plant · Mastercop 20ml/20L + Systema 20ml/20L | · Balanced nutrition · Black spots, die back |
After 7 days | · Goldmax ZincBor 30ml/20L | · Provide zinc and boron essential for flowering and taste |
After 7 days | · Pyrimite 20ml/20l + Tabibu 10ml/20L | · Mealy bugs · Powdery mildew, anthracnose, botrytis |
After 14 days | · Othello Top 10ml/20L + Rapid 15ml/20L + Goldmax Super 30ml/20L · NPK 17.17.17 100g/plant | · Powdery mildew, anthracnose, botrytis · Aphids, thrips, whiteflies · Balanced nutrition |
After 14 days | · Agripest 60ml/20L | · Thrips, aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs |
After 14 days | · Tabibu 10ml/20L + Goldmax Multi K 30ml/20L + Karate Zeon 12ml/20L | · Powdery mildew, anthracnose, botrytis · Aphids, thrips |
After 14 days | · Mastercop 20ml/20L + Rapid 15ml/20L | · Black spots, die back · Thrips, aphids, red spidermites |
After 14 days | · Fenari 15ml/20L + Milthane Super 50g/20L · NPK 17.17.17 100g/plant | · Aphids, thrips · Leaf spots, downy mildew · Balanced nutrition |