152 Papaya
during subsequent harvesting and handling operations (Sankat and Maharaj 2001).
Papaya responds well to adequate irrigation, which helps rapid fruit development and
regular fruit yield. Pre-harvest application of pesticides and growth regulators does
not directly influence fruit composition but may indirectly affect it due to delayed or
accelerated fruit maturity (Nakasone and Paull 1999).
14.1 Maturity, Ripening and Harvesting
The main problem faced in papaya fruit marketing is identification of optimum har-
vest maturity to ensure adequate fruit ripening to good eating quality (Workneh
et al. 2012). Fruit quality and storage behaviour are influenced greatly by maturity
of fruit at harvest. Immature fruits are more subject to shrivelling and mechanical
damage, and are of inferior flavour quality when ripe. Overripe fruits are likely to
become soft and mealy, with insipid flavour soon after harvest. Fruits picked either
too early or too late are more susceptible to post-harvest physiological disorders than
fruits picked at the proper maturity. Most of the fruits reach their best eating quality
when allowed to ripen on the plant. However, some fruits are usually picked mature
but unripe so that they can withstand the post-harvest handling system when shipped
long distance (Kader and Płocharski 1997).
Fruits require 125–140 days from flowering to maturity. Change in fruit skin
colour has been used as a harvest index criterion to judge maturity. Portion of fruit
exposed to sunlight becomes dark yellow in colour. Papaya fruits should be har-
vested when the colour of the skin changes from dark green to light green and when
one yellow streak begins or some skin yellowing development from the base upwards
takes place (Figure 14.1). However, the yellow colouration pattern is not necessarily
restricted to longitudinal stripes, and yellow coloured sites can appear almost any-
where on the fruit skin (Peleg and GomezBrito 1975). Fruits in this condition will
continue to ripen normally after harvest. The papaya flavour is at its peak when the
skin is 80% coloured. Flesh colour changes from green to yellow or red depending
upon cultivar (Kader 2006). For the local market, in winter months, papayas may
be allowed to colour fairly well before picking, but for local market in summer and
FIGURE 14.1 (See colour insert.) Papaya fruits with the sign of ripening: (a) Pusa Majesty
and (b) Pusa Dwarf.