California Papaya Cultivation, Agribusiness is Selling and Promises Profits

California papaya cultivation can be a business opportunity that has the potential to generate huge profits. Not a few people and regions choose this native plant of the archipelago as the object of their agribusiness.

Although it doesn't look much different from ordinary papaya, handling California papaya requires extra attention. There are new challenges that you must overcome during the process of planting to harvesting.

Not only for consumption with family, this California papaya does not refuse to serve at the dining table even at 5-star hotels. This fruit also does not know the season with a fairly minimal price.

California Papaya Cultivation Opportunities, What's Its History?

Papaya Latin name Carica papaya is a plant that comes from southern Mexico and Nicaragua. Over time, this plant began to develop in other tropical countries including Indonesia.

Papaya is a type of plant that grows quickly in sandy soil areas with sufficient sun exposure. In addition, good drainage also affects the fertility of this fruit plant.

While the California papaya or Calina is a new variety of papaya fruit that was born in Indonesia because of the breeding of Prof. Dr. Ir. Sriani Sujiprihati, an IPB. California papaya cultivation is of particular interest to farmers because of its promising profit potential.

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The benefits and advantages of California papaya are quite interesting too. This is because the fruit, which is not too large, weighing 0.8 to 1.5 kg per seed, has a chewy flesh and does not smell like papaya in general.

Now this California papaya has started to enter the market of Malaysia, Singapore, and several other countries. In Indonesia itself is in the process of expanding the cultivation of California papaya in an area of ​​2,500 hectares, the aim is none other than to achieve the target of 'Indonesia as a leading tropical fruit producer in ASEAN'.

Why Should a California Papaya Plant?

Of course, this California papaya cultivation is in great demand because it offers a million advantages and benefits. Planting can be in lowland areas up to an altitude of 100 meters above sea level.

While the height of good land ranges from 50 to 700 meters above sea level. California papaya is a type of plant that likes rainfall, at least 1000-2000 mm per year.

For planting in dry areas, this papaya variety requires regular watering. Drainage is also necessary for optimal growth. Usually in loose soil with a pH between 6 to 7.

Because the size is not too large, it makes the California papaya cultivation process easier in terms of transportation and packaging. The shape is oval, the skin of the fruit is thick enough to protect.

While the texture of the flesh is also thick, very smooth and chewy on the tongue. When ripe, the color will turn yellow with a sweet fruit taste. The fruit can last up to 5 days without the help of preservatives.

This California papaya has a short tree trunk. This of course facilitates the process of care and harvesting later.

As a classy papaya fruit, this California papaya is suitable for home dining to hospitality. In any event, it is also okay to present this one papaya variety on the dining table.

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With these many advantages, the demand in the market for California papaya is increasing. That is why the cultivation of California papaya can be a profitable agribusiness opportunity.

Land Suitable for Planting California Papaya

Climate is an important thing to be able to cultivate this California Papaya plant. A good climate will also affect the growth of papaya.

Moreover, the California papaya has a shorter life span than other types of papaya, which is only about 4 years. Therefore, choosing the right land can optimize cultivation yields as well.

In this California papaya cultivation, it's a good idea to choose open land with a good irrigation system. It is even better if you plant it on land that has a loose soil texture.

Also try not to plant in areas with lots of weeds. After finding the right land location, you can immediately clean it first.

You can adjust the beds (dykes) to the available land area. Then start by making a planting hole measuring 60x60x50 cm. 1 hectare of land will probably be enough for 1500 to 1700 California papaya trees.

Don't forget to give a distance between one hole and another, about 2.5 x 2.5 m. Prepare this hole 15 days before you start the California papaya cultivation period.

Good Seeds California Papaya

After preparing the land, maybe you will switch to thinking about superior California papaya seeds. It's not hard to find it, because you can get it from other farmers who also cultivate this plant.

If you already have a California papaya tree, at least one tree, you can propagate the seeds yourself. The way to make these seeds is not difficult, namely the procurement of seeds that you can sow.

For the manual seeding process, you just need to take the seeds from the papaya fruit that you deliberately leave to ripen on the tree. Next, dry the seeds and then soak them in water.

If you find any seeds floating, you should set them aside. Because these seeds are seeds that are not suitable for planting for California papaya cultivation.

After that, place the seeds in a newspaper that you have moistened and then store in a shady place where only shoots appear. When the shoots grow, immediately transfer them to polybags that are complete with planting media such as soil and fertilizer.

Steps to Planting California Papaya

There are things you should pay attention to before the process of planting papaya in the field. One of them is that you have to irrigate the planting area first, usually one day before planting.

Transfer the California papaya seeds and their polybags into the planting hole. Just be careful not to damage the polybag. That way, the seeds will stay alive, not wither or die.

To cover the hole, you can use compost or manure. This process will be better if you do it in the afternoon.

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One thing you need to remember in this California papaya cultivation, transfer the seeds to the planting hole when the seeds are at least 5 months old.

California Papaya Treatment Process

In any cultivation, the treatment process is a reference for success. Same is the case with this California papaya plant. Maintenance and care is very important.

First of all, you can do the maintenance of this papaya variety with embroidery. This is a treatment where when you find wilted or dead seeds, you can replace them with new, healthier seeds.

Well, the important point is that you also need to prepare spare seeds to anticipate such things. For maintenance that runs continuously and regularly, there is watering and fertilization.

California papaya cultivation usually requires watering using irrigation canals. Chances are, you'll have to do it in the first place. Avoid watering directly on plants. This can end up rotting papaya tree trunks.

While fertilization aims to balance the nutrients in the soil. A good type of fertilizer for California papaya plants is compost or manure.

After a week after planting, you can give NPK fertilizer. California papaya cultivation has a good dose, per tree about 200 grams.

Entering the age of 3 months of planting, add more NPK fertilizer at a dose of 300 grams per tree. At the planting age of 6, 9, and 12 months, give NPK fertilizer at a higher dose, which is 500 grams per tree.

Only when the California papaya tree has begun to bear fruit, you replace the fertilizer with KCL fertilizer. Its main function is so that the plant has a stronger resistance. On the other hand, the application of this fertilizer can also affect the taste. The sweet taste is more or less contributed from this KCL fertilizer.

Overcoming Weeds and Disease

California papaya cultivation is not always a smooth process. Problems that often haunt the plant business are pests, weeds, and similar diseases.

The type of pest that most often attacks papaya is the type of mealybug pest. You can't just let this happen, because it can result in losses later.

To overcome this, you can use spraying efforts on papaya plants. Use regent, bestox, and akothion pesticide interchangeably.

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As for the type of mite pest, you can overcome it by using mesurol, acaricide, or the pesticide curacron. If you don't take care of this mite pest, it will suck up the liquid contained in the young papaya leaves.

The farmers of California papaya cultivation, there are pests that they are most worried about, namely the types of pests Phytium, Colletotrichum, Phytora parasitica, and Palmivora.

This pest often comes with the rainy season and attacks all sides of the papaya plant, starting from the leaves, stems, roots, and even the fruit.

Efforts to overcome this, you can do by spraying a solution of fungicide in a mixture of 1 liter of water. Do this control until the papaya tree heals.

California Papaya Harvest Masa

Entering the last stage of California papaya cultivation, namely the harvest period. There are signs that appear on the California papaya fruit when it is ready to harvest.

Generally they will show a visible yellowish color at the end of the fruit. Chances are you will find this period after 7 months after planting.

Each tree can produce 20 to 50 fruit. Its weight may be equivalent to approximately 3 tons. Meanwhile, the download process can use scissors and then cut it at the fruit stalk. After picking, immediately place it in a room that is protected from direct sunlight.

It's a good idea to give plastic or newspaper. In California papaya cultivation, this method aims to maintain the freshness of the papaya fruit that you just harvested.

New Challenges in California Papaya Cultivation

As a profitable agribusiness, behind it comes a number of new challenges for California papaya farmers. In some cases, this cultivation has been proven to increase income.

In fact, the demand and export value of Californian papaya has not decreased, it is even increasing. The selling price can reach 3 thousand per kg in traditional markets and 10 thousand for supermarkets.

The saying that California papayas are not suitable for perching in traditional markets may be true. Given the price difference is quite significant.

With the enthusiasm of California papaya farmers stemming from high demand, there is actually a risk of excessive production enthusiasm.

In addition, recently there have been facts in the field which say that a new disease has been discovered, such as the rotting bacteria Erwinia Maltovora. No one has found the technology to destroy it.

The next challenge is in terms of the low efficiency of the national logistics system. To increase the competitiveness of Indonesian fruits, distribution and market can be a problem.

In order to meet these challenges, it is likely that there will be a need to provide better infrastructure and regulations. So that California papaya cultivation can run better.

Thus the review of agribusiness with California papaya. If you are interested in trying, make sure you don't miss every detail of the steps. Hopefully useful and welcome to see you again in the next article.