The health benefits of papaya

Papaya is once known in our country as aunty fruit and vegetable. Papaya has many health benefits. Due to the huge demand, many farmers are interested in cultivating this papaya.

The Red Lady variety is a high yielding dwarf variety of papaya from Taiwan which is suitable for cultivation in the climate of Bangladesh. It is being cultivated in many parts of Bangladesh. Yield is very good especially in hilly areas. The soil and climate of Bandarban are suitable for cultivation of Red Lady Papaya.

Seed collection

Red Lady Papaya seeds are available at Siddique Bazar, a seed market in Fulbaria, Dhaka. Many companies are cheating by selling low quality seed packets as Red Lady. So when buying seeds, you have to check and select well. Red Lady seeds are available in China and Taiwan, but Taiwanese seed results are much better. So it is better to buy seeds from Taiwan.

Price

Red Lady of Taiwan is available at Rs. 550-650 per packet of 2 gram seeds.

Seed rate

The number of seeds in each village is 60-70. 80-100 grams of seed is required per hectare. As such, papaya saplings can be planted in 1 hectare of land with 3000-3200 saplings. Seed germination rate is 85-95%.

Seedlings made

Seed can be propagated. After cutting the packets of seeds and drying them in the sun for 2 hours, keep them in a cool place and after soaking them in water for 10 to 12 hours, make seedlings in polythene bags. If the seedlings are made in polythene bags, the seedlings grow fast after planting. Fill a 5x7 cm bag with a mixture of equal amount of sandy loam soil and rotten dung and make 2-3 holes in the bottom of the bag. Then one seed should be sown if it is a newly collected seed and 2 seeds if it is an old seed. No more than one sapling should be kept in 1 bag.

At the time of planting

Ashwin (September-October) and Poush (December-January) are the best time to sow papaya seeds. Suitable for planting saplings 40-50 days after sowing.

Planting seedlings

1.5 to 2 months old seedlings can be planted. Row to row distance is 2 meters. Fertilizer should be mixed in the soil of the hole 15 days before planting the seedlings by digging holes in the size of 60x60x60 cm at a distance of 2 m. For drainage of water 50 cm ditch should be kept in the middle of 2 rows.

Characteristics of Red Lady Hybrid Papaya variety

It is a high-yielding dwarf species of papaya in Taiwan.
Every tree of the Red Lady variety bears papaya.

The Red Lady variety of papaya tree grows to a maximum of 10 feet.
When the height of the tree is 60-70 cm, the fruits begin to bear.
Each tree bears 50-120 fruits.

Flowering occurs in 5-6 months and first fruits are available in 8-9 months.
This variety of papaya is quite large.
The color of the fruit is red-green.

One fruit weighs 1.5 to 2 kg.
The flesh of the fruit is quite thick, dark red in color, also quite sweet and fragrant in taste.
Can be marketed both raw and cooked.

This variety of papaya is not easily spoiled when ripe. As a result, it can be easily marketed far and wide.
This variety of papaya is tolerant of ring spot virus disease.
The life span of this variety of papaya is more than 2 years.

Fertilizer management

After planting, the new leaves should be applied at the rate of 50 g of urea and MP fertilizer every 1 month. The flowers on the tree will actually double this level. Fertilizer should be given even before the last fruit is collected.

Caring for papaya trees

The garden must be kept clean and tidy at all times. Weeds should be removed from the base of the tree. The soil at the base of the tree should be lightened with a spade. If you pick extra fruit on the tree and tear some of the fruit and lighten it, the rest of the fruit will get a chance to grow. There are several benefits to applying different hormones to papaya plants.

Fruit collection

The papaya tree usually flowers in 5-6 months and the first fruits are obtained in 6-9 months. Some fruits will turn yellow when nourished. If you prick the nutritious fruit with something, liquid glue like water will come out from the fruit. Malnourished fruit will produce a thick paste like milk.