Planting Male Papaya Tree near Female Papaya for Better Genetic Diversity

and Pollination

Christian Vic Fernandez

Sandara Abante
Mackenzie Griffin Deveza
Proponents

Jennilou De Villa
Research Adviser
 INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Pollination has a great impact on growing a papaya in the fruiting season. Female
papaya seeds really needs more male papaya seeds to pollinate them to have a better
growth. Without his process, the female seeds will be weak and can be easily attracted
by diseases in terms of growth. Papaya seeds will have difficulties in producing a fruit or
it will not produce normal fruits. The more grown-up a papaya tree, the more it must be
exposed to this process. This process also allows the papaya to fight diseases for a better
growth ad fruiting.
Papaya (Carica papaya) are one of the most popular and useful fruiting tree in
tropical and subtropical countries. This fruiting tree is accepted all over the world and the
demand for fresh papaya is increasing for its high content of provitamin A, B and C, which
has a protective effect against cancer and recommended for low hypocaloric diets
because of its low presence of calorie and it is also rich in calcium.
Papaya farmers have difficulties in terms of growing papaya seeds. It’s really hard
for them to find the perfect set-up of the seeds in the way of its cultivation. Some
researcher said to use a hybrid gender of seeds but according to
(TropicalPermaculture2008) it is better to plant a papaya with the ratio of 1 male: 10-15
female.
Some farmers and researchers just fix the problem of growing a papaya seeds by
using different fertilizers. Others use different soils for their seeds but one of the main
problems of cultivating this seed is that there is no exact gender set-up that is best to use,
and this problem comes up for the researcher to conduct a study about the perfect set-
up for better pollination and genetic diversity.
The researchers decided to conduct this study to prove the perfect set-up for the
cultivation of this tree. The researcher will apply the same amount of fertilizer for a fair
experimentation.
Significance of this Study
This study aims to determine which gender set-up is the most effective in growing
a papaya tree. Utilizing different set-ups of the seeds’ gender on planting papaya will help
in the surveillance and control in terms of the height and growth of the tree. This study
would be a big help on increasing the speed of the growth of a papaya tree.
The following are the benefactors of the study:
Farmers. It will help them in cultivating Carica papaya. Determining the perfect set-up
of the seeds’ gender will also help them to speed up the production of the fruit in its fruiting
season.
 Community. If the production of papaya fruit increases, the higher the possibilities
that the price of it in the market will more likely to decrease.
Market. The more production of papaya fruit, the easier for the vendors to import
papaya fruits to the market. Also more papayas will appear and be sold in the market.
Statement of the Objectives
The purpose of this study is to determine which set-up will be more effective in
cultivating Carica papaya tree.
Specifically, this study seeks answers the following questions:
1. Is there a significant difference between using different gender set-ups of papaya
seeds on the growth and height of the papaya tree?
2. Which set-up will be the most effective on speeding up the growth and height of a
papaya tree?
a. 1 male: 9 female
b. 5 male: 5 female
c. 10 hermaphrodite
Hypotheses
HA: Using different gender set ups has a significant effect to the growth of the papaya
in a given amount of time.
HO: Using different gender set ups has no significant effect to the growth of the papaya
in a given amount of time
Scope and Limitations
This research study is focused on determining the most effective gender set-up for
pollination and growth. It will only be observed at its early stages.
This research study will be limited to only common papaya (Carica papaya) and may not
apply in other plants that also require a specific gender set up.
The papaya seed will also come from the same place, with the same brand. The
study will be conducted and be observed for 6 weeks and be judged by their physical
appearance.
Review of Related Literature
Papaya
According to (Krishna, K.L., et al 2008), papaya (Carica papaya) is a food known
for its nutritional benefits worldwide. The fruit’s medicinal properties are commonly used
in traditional system of medicine. The papaya tree is grown in a commercial scale
because of its economical value. Medicinal applications for this fruit had been discovered
during the past few decades and is now considered a valuable nutraceutical fruit plant.

Female Papaya Tree

Based on the research study of (Karen Clark 2018), female papaya trees grow in
small clusters or as solitary blooms that are larger than male flowers, but on shorter
stacks. They do not possess stamens and can produce fruit if pollinated. The green
skinned melon type fruit is typically 6-8 inches long with yellow or orange flesh and black
seeds. If female papayas aren’t pollinated, the trees may produce seedless fruit.

Male Papaya Tree

(Karen Clark, 2018) stated that male papaya trees can be identified by clusters of
thin tubular flowers that grow at the end of branching stalks 5-6 feet long. Both a stamen
or male organ and pistil, the female organ are present in the flowers. However the pistil
is not functional, and the tree cannot produce fruit. The tree may change gender
temporarily if the temperature rises, typically at the height of the summer. At this time, a
male tree may became a hermaphrodite with a functional pistil. In this case, the tree can
now be pollinated and produce fruit.

Hermaphrodite Papaya Tree

(Karen Clark, 2018) mentioned that hermaphrodite have fruits with seeds. Their
flowers are tubular-shaped and is much thinner than a female. It contains both male and
female parts placed closed to each other. This allows the flower and tree to self-pollinate.
Thus, all hermaphrodite grow fruits. Their fruit are more oval rather than the round fruit a
female tree bears.

Pollination
(Richard Monsharat, 2014) prove that when a female papaya is pollinated by a
male, half of the seeds produced will be male, half will be female. When pollinated by a
hermaphrodite, half will be female and the other half will be hermaphrodite. Thus, when
a hermaphrodite tree is pollinated by a male tree, there will be an equal distribution of
male, female, and hermaphrodite papaya seeds. When both hermaphrodite plants
pollinate each other, they will primarily produce hermaphrodite seeds, and the remaining
will be female.

Bibliography
Krishna, K.L., Paridhavi, M. & Patel, J.A. (2008). Review on Nutritional, Medicinal,
Pharmacological Properties of Papaya (Carica papaya linn.) Indian Journal of
Natural Products and Resources, 7(4), 364-373

Karen, C. (2018). The Differences of Male and Female Papaya Trees, Retrieved June 20,
2019, from https://homeguides.sfgate.com/male-female-papaya-trees-56987.html

Richard, M. (2014). Pollination Activity of Male and Female Papaya Tree, Retrieved June
20, 2019, from https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/46738898820621081/