Organic Pawpaw Farming

 

 Pawpaw Farming {Carica papaya}, also known as papaya, is a tropical fruit.

            

 Health Benefits

 It is rich in vitamin C and A, reduce caner risk, reduce risk of heart disease, improve                               constipation and other irritable bowel syndrome, powerful antioxidant.

 Varieties

 Yellow flesh

 Red flesh

 Site Selection

 A sandy loam soil or loamy soil is ideal.

 Land Preparation

 Plough the soil to loosen it.

 pH of 6.0-6.5 and 1200mm is ideal for optimum growth.

    

 Time of Planting

 April to June is the best time to plant

 Nursery

 Make a bed or use nursery bags.

 Mix with treated organic manure.

 Plant the seeds, two seeds in a hole.

 Transplant after two months.

Transplanting

After two months, prepare the land for transplanting by tilling and digging holes 15-20m deep                and 2m x 2m apart.

 Apply compost into the holes.

Carefully cut off the nursery bags before placing the plants into the holes and take care not to                damage the roots as they are delicate.

Intercropping

Other crops like okra, maize, groundnut and beans can be planted among pawpaw plants.

Watering

Pawpaw plants do not need much water to grow but in dry season, you can apply 3litres of                    water per plant twice a week for the transplanted seedlings, 5litres twice a week for the                        flowering plants, and 15 litres per week for the fruiting plants.

Fertilizer Application

Add treated manure after two months of transplanting and add every three months.

Weeding/Mulching

Weed {manually} 3 months after transplanting before adding manure/compost.

Mulch with rice straws, saw dust or plastic mulch.

Pest/Disease Control

Pawpaw plant pests include grasshopper, papaya mealy bug, white fly, aphid, red spider mite                and fruit fly.

Use organic pesticides to eliminate pests like neem oil.

 Harvest

They start fruiting 8 months after planting. Harvest once a patch of yellow colour is seen on the            skin.

Preservation

The harvested papaya can be processed into fruit juice, jam, smoothie, fruit salad or puree..

They can also be dried and ground into powder.

Yield

50 - 90 fruits annually

Market

The harvested  papaya can be sold to fruit juice companies, fruit vendors, cosmetic companies            making use of papaya or supermarkets.