190 Papaya
of this technology at the Center for Protected Cultivation Technology (CPCT),
Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, which has paid good dividends.
17.2 Scope
The technology of protected cultivation mainly of papaya is most suitable to
promote much needed peri-urban and urban agriculture being useful to both
small-scale and large-scale farmers. The bulging metros would need this tech-
nology if they want to have fresh fruits, especially papaya, as transportation of
these from distant places, mainly rural areas, would not render them as fresh pro-
duce. Moreover, under net house pure seed production and round the year disease
free planting material production is carried out successfully. Post-harvest losses
can also be reduced significantly when production is located close to consumers,
especially of perishables.
It is an upcoming and alternative production system involving high-tech and
intensive practices, especially for urban and export demands of crops for fruit, nutri-
tion and economic security. Burgeoning population, fragmentation of land hold-
ings, depletion and erosion of natural resources are adversely affecting agricultural
productivity. The protected cultivation offers several advantages to grow high-value
crops such as papaya, strawberry, etc. with improved quality even under unfavour-
able and marginal environments. It has the potential of fulfilling the requirements
of small growers as it can increase the yield manifold per unit area. The planting
material can also be grown round the year, including off-season with increased
profitability. The market size of fruits has increased several folds in the last decade
due to globalisation of trade and liberalisation of Indian economy. Besides the mar-
ket size, the purchasing power of people and consumer profile has also changed
positively towards the nutrient-rich quality fruits and major herbs for medicament.
The consumption of the fruits is increasing in middle and upper class of the Indian
society and consumption of unripe fruit and other parts of plant by lower society
as medicament is also increasing. The rising demands from such sectors of the
consumers could not be met from the traditional system of fruit production alone.
Plants in open field conditions experience short growing season, unfavourable cli-
matic conditions (too cold, too hot, too dry and cloudy) impairing photosynthetic
activities and vulnerable to predators, pests, weeds, depleted soil moisture and plant
nutrients leading to drastic reduction in fruit yields. Hence, there is a need to pro-
tect this valuable crop to sustain the productivity. A breakthrough in production
technology that integrates market-driven quality parameters with the production
system, besides ensuring a vertical growth in productivity is required. In fruit pro-
duction, protective structures have proved to be beneficial in crop improvement,
plant propagation, protecting from biotic and abiotic stresses, altering cropping sea-
son, growth and yield enhancement and quality improvement. It has been used to
modify the microclimate to advance maturity, increase yields and expand the area
of production.
Protected cultivation is economically more rewarding in production of high value,
low volume crops, seeds, planting materials, off season fruits, etc. With appropriate
structures and plant environment control measures, the constraints of environment