Effect of Different Colour Shade Nets on Germination and Seedling Growth of Papaya (Carica papaya) Var. GJP-1

A research study was undertaken at the College Nursery, Department of Horticulture, N. M. College of Agriculture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, during the years 2018-2022 to investigate the impact of various color shade nets on the germination and seedling growth of papaya (Carica papaya L.) var. GJP-1. The experiment was conducted in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) design with six distinct treatments, each replicated three times. The papaya variety Gujarat Junagadh Papaya-1 was sown in plug tray using Red soil + FYM + Vermicompost (2: 1: 1) as growing media. In this investigation, various colors including red, white, green, blue, yellow and a control, each with 50% shade net intensity, were employed as treatments. The findings, based on the three-year mean, revealed a note worthy significance in the germination and seedling growth of papaya within the white shade net as compared to other color. The earlier germination (16.21) and highest survival percentage (60.00%) were found in white colour shade net whereas maximum seedling height (6.13 cm and 11.75 cm, respectively), seedling diameter (1.20 mm and 2.32mm, respectively) and No. of leaves (6.27 and 8.69, respectively) at 30 DAS and 45 DAS was recorded in white colour shade net. In case of photosynthesis rate and light intensity, significantly higher value of photosynthesis rate (468.40 μmol CO₂m^-2s^-1) and lower light intensity (320.10 μmol m^-2s^-1) were also observed in same treatment. The light intensity slowly increased and reached peak at 12.30 hrs then decreased slowly up to 17.00 hrs in all shade nets. The lower temperature and higher Relative Humidity (RH) were obtained in different colour structure as compared to open condition.