Papaya Nursery: Follow this plan to plant papaya in March-April
Papaya Nursery: Papaya is also cultivated in March and April in North India. Papaya crops grown now are less likely to suffer from fungal and viral illnesses. Since February is now in progress, the majority of farmers must have established or need to have prepared the papaya nursery. Before being planted in the main plots, plants are cultivated in a nursery. For fruits like papaya, plants are initially cultivated in the nursery before being moved to the main plot, depending on the quality of the seed. The seeds are often coated with a coating of fine dirt after being sown in the nursery. In order to shield it from the sun, birds and rats sometimes consume the plant.
Site Selection
The following factors are taken into account while choosing the nursery location since it should not be flooded. Avoid shadow at all costs if you want the sunshine you want. The water supply should be close to the nursery area. Pets and wild animals should not be allowed in the area.
Advantages of Planting
Losses are decreased by growing a nursery for a pricey seed like papaya. ensures that land is used properly. promotes improved development and growth. It also saves time to build a nursery. It may be possible to prolong the planting till the ideal moment. It is possible to prepare plants even under unfavorable circumstances. The nursery area is easy to maintain and care for.
How should nursery soil be prepared?
It is preferable to solarize the plowed soil with a plastic tunnel for four to five weeks, if at all feasible. Mix 1.5–2% formalin with 4–5 liters of water per square meter 15–20 days before planting, then cover the soil with a plastic sheet. To eradicate the pathogens inside the soil, fungicides such as captan and thiram, which contain 2 grams per liter, should also be produced. In order to prepare the nursery, some pesticides, such as Furadon and hexachlor, are placed into dry soil at a rate of 4-5 grams per square meter. The mixture should be blended down to a depth of 15-20 cm. For at least four hours, hot steam is continually applied to the seedbed under the soil and a covered polyethylene sheet.
It is crucial to grow plants in nurseries in order to produce papaya. This requires 500 grams of seed, which is enough for one hectare. However, you will need around 100 grams of seed if you want to cultivate a species similar to Red Lady. Since around 90% of fresh and quality seeds germinate, a 10-gram package of Red Lady includes roughly 600–700 seeds. One acre requires around 4440 plants.
The seed is appropriate if it is completely ripe, well dried, and stored in a glass container or jar with a covered mouth that is no more than six months old. Three grams of captan should be applied to one kilogram of seeds prior to planting. The bed should be elevated above the ground and narrow for seeding. In addition, big pots or wooden crates might be used. These may be made by combining equal parts sand, leaf manure, and rotting cow dung manure. The area where the nursery is situated has to be well plowed, weeded, and cleansed of any stones and weeds. The location should be one with little to no shade or intense sunshine.
Plants produced on 4050 square meters of land are enough for one acre. Build a 2.5 x 10 x 0.5 m bed in it, thoroughly mix the material above, and level the bed from above. Next, spread a layer of the mixture on the ground and plant the treated seeds in rows 3′ x 6′ apart and 1/2′ deep. Then, cover the area with a mixture of 1/2′ cow dung and pound it down with a wooden stick to ensure the seeds don’t stay on top. Use the same mixture in any pots, boxes, or trays that are used for growth. Water the seeded beds with a sprinkler in the morning and evening, then cover them with straw or dried grass. After being sown, the seeds sprout after 20–30 days. These plants should be moved to the main field after two months, when they are 25 cm tall and have four to five leaves.
