1ICAR-Central Horticultural Experiment Station, Chettalli, Madikeri-571 248, Karnataka, India
2ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessarghatta, Bengaluru-560 089, Karnataka, India
3ICAR-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture, Lucknow-227 107, Uttar Pradesh, India
Coorg Honey Dew (CHD) is one of the earliest gynodioecious selections made in the country. In the long run, Coorg Honey Dew papaya has lost its genetic purity due to contamination of foreign pollen. Hence, papaya crop improvement programme was initiated to purify the variety and evolve high yielding and stable hermaphrodite types from CHD papaya. It was seen that sibmating followed by selection can bring about improvement of characters. The present study was conducted at Central Horticultural Experimental Station (ICAR-IIHR), Chettalli, Kodagu, Karnataka. Stable hermaphrodite types were selected from the sibmated progenies and evaluated for the growth, flowering and yield characteristics. Wide variations were observed from the stable hermaphrodite types with regard to genetic parameters. Regarding vegetative characters, stem girth of CHD1 (42.55 cm) was significantly higher when compare to CHD (40.44 cm). CHD had the minimum inter-nodal length (3.80 cm) than other stable hermaphrodite types. Maximum yield (127.4 kg/plant) was found in the CHD1 followed by CHD (121.9 kg/plant), CHD3, (119.9 kg/plant) and CHD2(92.9 kg/plant). The maximum individual fruit weight of 2.7 kg was found in CHD. The days required to attain the fruit maturity was almost ten days higher in CHD and CHD2 compared to the CHD1 and CHD3. TSS was higher in the fruits of CHD1 (14.1 0Brix) compared to CHD2 (10.80 Brix), CHD3 (10.60 Brix) and CHD (10.50 Brix). Therefore, selection and sibmating would be effective for improving and achieving uniformity for most of the characters.
Papaya, Coorg Honey Dew, stable, hermaphrodite, sibmating
