Cultural Practices 65
fairly good liking and market and extension support, whereas papaya is confined to
home yards or near irrigation sources of farming communities. Hardly 2–5 plants are
seen at these places, and it is a usual practice with most of the farmers. The common
uses for which papaya is grown are raw fruit as vegetable and ripe fruit as medicine
for curing stomach disorder. The reasons for its exploitation for gainful employment
from production to processing. The major constraints for its commercialisation are
lack of proper market, farmers’ perception of risk, complex crop, lack of technology,
lack of extension support, misconceptions about or prejudices against papaya within
society and so on. The research and extension efforts are required to make this crop
competitive and relatively advantageous for generating income and employment.
4.12 Transplanting on Raised Beds or Pits
Papaya plants are transplanted on 12–15 cm raised beds or raised pits to avoid direct
contact of water with stem. It helps to prevent the spread of collar rot disease in
papaya plants (Figure 4.6). It facilitates irrigation of orchards by flood system, easy
fertiliser application, aeration of roots and weeding. The inter-row space of orchard
can be easily filled by power tiller and this space may be utilised for suitable inter-
crops. The plants are earthed up easily and effectively before onset of the rainy
season (Saran et al. 2014a).