Effect of growing media and polybags on seed germination, growth and seedling establishment of papaya (Carica papaya) cv Pusa Nanha

An experiment was conducted on seed germination and seedling establishment of papaya (Carica papaya) cv Pusa Nanha as influenced by growing media and containers during 2014–2015 at Department of Horticulture, Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture Technology and Sciences, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Different treatments took 14 to 19 days for completion of germination. The treatment T₃ [Black polybag + vermicompost (VC): soil: sand 2: 2: 1] resulted in highest seedling height (25.79 cm), had maximum leaves (14), higher stem diameter (1.2 mm), higher plant spread (23.7 cm), higher number of roots (16.03), maximum root length (9.74 cm) and higher survival percentage (88.00). The overall growth and development parameters were thus found significantly higher with the growth media of VC: soil: sand (2: 2: 1) in black polybag followed by white polybag.