Influence of nitrogen and potash fertilizer on yield and quality of papaya cv. red lady under alluvial soil of Bihar

Abstract

Papaya (Carica papaya L.) cv. Red Lady, a high-yielding gynodioecious tropical fruit of the Caricaceae family, was studied to evaluate the effects of various fertilizer doses on its yield and quality attributes. Neem-coated urea (0, 100, 200 g/plant), calcium nitrate (0, 100, 200 g/plant), and muriate of potash (0, 200, 400 g/plant) were applied in different combinations. The results showed significant variation in yield parameters, with the number of flowers ranging from 16.125 to 23.125, fruits per plant from 11.50 to 20.50, and fruit yield per plant from 10.649 to 18.412 kg. Quality attributes such as total soluble solids (TSS), acidity, and carotenoid content of ripe fruits varied from 7.150 to 9.600 °Brix, 0.305 to 0.350%, and 1.637 to 3.795 mg/100 g fresh weight, respectively. Fruit firmness ranged between 7.500 and 10.500 kg/cm², while fruit volume was recorded between 820.00 and 973.750 ml. This study highlights the influence of balanced fertilizer management on optimizing yield and improving fruit quality in papaya cultivation.