48 Papaya
Pusa Delicious: It is a selection from progenies of variety ‘Ranchi’, gynodioe-
cious, excellent fruit quality, deep orange flesh; 13% TSS with medium-tall plants
and starts yielding 8 months after planting. The fruit is medium sized (1.0–2.0 kg)
with excellent flavour. It is grown as a table purpose variety (Ram 1984a).
Pusa Nanha: A dioecious is dwarf mutant and precocious variety of papaya which
is suitable for pot cultivation. Fruiting starts at a height of 40 cm within 239 days of
planting with the total height of the plant being 130 cm. Fruits are medium to small,
oval and flesh 3.5 cm thick of blood red to orange colour with TSS ranging between
6.5 and 8.0° Brix.
Pusa Dwarf: It is a dioecious variety with dwarf plants and medium-sized (1.0–
2.0 kg) oval fruits. The plant starts bearing from 25 to 30 cm above the ground and is
comparatively drought hardy. This variety is highly suitable for high-density plant-
ing (Ram 1981).
Pusa Giant: This is a dioecious line, most vigorous and produces large-sized
fruits (2.5–3.0 kg each). It starts fruiting at a height of 92 cm within 259 days of
planting. The plant reaches a height up to 220 cm. It is sturdy and tolerant to strong
winds. Fruits are oblong with 18 × 10 cm seed cavity and 1.5 cm thick flesh of orange
colour having TSS between 7 and 8.5° Brix. It is suitable for marketing ripe or green
for use as a vegetable and also for canning (Ram 1984a).
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore has also started work
on papaya improvement at Coimbatore. It has released seven varieties so far which
are discussed in the following (Fig u re 2.7):
CO-1: It is a selection from progenies of var. Ranchidone at TNAU, Coimbatore in
- The plant is dwarf in height, producing the first fruit within 60–75 cm from the
ground level. Fruit is medium sized, spherical, round or oval with smooth greenish-
yellow skin and orange-yellow, soft and firm flesh. It is moderately juicy with good
keeping quality. The objectionable papain odour is practically absent in the fruits.
CO-2: It is a pure-line selection from a local type at Agricultural College and
Research Institute, Coimbatore done in 1974. Plant is medium tall; fruits are medium
sized, obovate, greenish yellow and ridged at the apex and flesh is red, soft to firm
and moderately juicy with good keeping-quality. It is a suitable type for extraction of
papain. It gives 4–6 g dried papain/fruit or 250–300 kg papain/ha.
CO-3: This is hermaphrodite (55 female: 45 hermaphrodite flowers) type hybrid
developed during 1983. The fruit of this hybrid (CO-2 × Sunrise Solo) is larger in
size when compared with Solo and exhibits all the desirable attributes of Solo. Total
soluble solids (TSS) are as high as 13.8° Brix and average fruit weight ranges from
1.0 to 1.5 kg with reddish flesh colour. The fruits have a good keeping quality. Each
tree yields 100–120 fruits in 2 years.
CO-4: This is a hybrid between ‘CO-1’ × ‘Washington’ released in 1983. Plant
parts have purple colouration. The fruit is medium in size and round in shape similar
to ‘CO-3’. Flesh colour is with purple tinge. About 80–90 fruits/plant are obtained
during the bearing period of 2 years. The fruit quality is better than ‘CO-1’ and
‘ Wa s h i n g t o n’.
CO-5: It is a selection made in 1985 from Washington and isolated for its high
papain production. It produces consistently 14–15 g dry papain/fruit. It gives 75–80
fruits/tree in 2 years with an average yield of 1500–1600 kg dried papain/ha.