Breeding for red pulped fruits in dioecious lines of papaya (Carica papaya L.)

Evaluation of 426 plants of BC₃F₁ generation of 9–1(D) papaya, a dioecious type with red type colour imparted by crossing with selected male parent, M₁-R(D) along with 20 plants of CO.2 was taken up. Of the 426 progenies, 308 were females, which segregated into yellow and red pulped types in a ratio of 2:1. Higher mean values and high variability were recorded in the red fruited type for fruit yield and associated parameters than the yellow fruited progenies or the base population of CO.2. Fifteen high yielding individual progenies were isolated out of 110 red fruited female trees. Eight of these progenies also recorded higher papain yield per fruit.