Tips and Guides

If you are considering, Papain Production, then you must have a Papaya plantation. Papaya is a luscious fruit that has been taken for granted. The total crop area in the Philippines planted to papaya amounts to only 8,720 hectares or 0.1 percent of our agricultural land. Yet no one can deny its tastiness as a dessert or as an indispensable vegetables dish of various recipes. Papaya fruits are good sources of Vitamin A, B and C. It is a familiar meat tenderizer because for clearing fruit juices, on fermenting liquors, pre-shrinking the quality of wool and as soap for washing clothes. Papaya possesses medicinal values.

Papaya can be easily grown in home yard gardens. It can also be a profitable enterprise. Under ordinary farm condition, production cost amounts to only P2,700 per hectare on the first year and P1,500 per hectare on the second year. The net profit on the first year may be less than P400 per hectare; but in the second year the returns can reach as high as P4,000 per hectare. The productive life of a papaya plant is about 3-1/2 years. This means that after establishing the plantation, income will flow with little effort provided you have a ready market.

VARIETIES

There are several cultivars you can choose from whether for backyard or commercial planting:

“Cavite Special ” is a popular semi-dwarf type that blooms 6 to 8 months after planting. The fruit weighs from 3 to 5 kilos each and mainly eaten fresh.

“Sunrise Solo” is a new improved high quality selection with reddish orange flesh, each fruit weighing half a kilo.

“Waimanalo” is high quality variety with orange yellow flesh, each fruit weighing from one-half to one kilo.

“Sinta” is the first Philippine-bred hybrid papaya, semi-dwarf, profile, sweet and flesh and weighs 1.2-2.0 kg./fruit.

LAND PREPARATION AND PLANTING

Land preparation for papaya orchard is similar to other upland crops. First clear the fields; then plow and harrow alternately about 2 to 3 times to kill weeds and provide good internal drainage. The distance of planting papaya ranges from 2 to 3 meters depending on the variety.

Papaya plants are usually planted by direct seedling in the field. Place 5 or more seeds in each hole; then cover with ¼ inch of soil. When fresh seeds are used, seeds will germinate in 10 to 14 days after planting. Seed germination is better and faster if the gelatinous envelope (sarcotestae) surrounding the seed is removed by means of the fingers. In some cases, seedlings are started in the nursery by sowing seeds in seed plots or individual containers such as in cans or plastic bags. Sow 3 to 4 seeds per container. Use sterilized soil to avoid nematode infestation and damping-off. Seedlings in the nursery should be grown under full sunlight to produce vigorous and hardy seedlings. Care should be taken not to disturb the root system. Constant watering is essential until plants are well-established. Seedlings are transplanted when there are 3 to 4 leaves.

THINNING

Thin papaya seedlings in the field 4 to 6 weeks after emergence. Leave only 3 of the strongest seedlings in each hole. Save plants that are spaced far enough from one another to allow minimum competition for sunlight and nutrients.

The second and final thinning in the field should be done as soon as flowers appear. This is usually 4 to 6 months after seed germination. At this stage, leave one tree seedling per planting hole. In plantation where female trees are grown, some pollinating trees of either male or hermaphrodite forms should be preserved during the thinning process. Allow one male plant to grow for every 15 to 20 female trees for pollination purposes.

CARE OF PAPAYA PLANTATION

Establishment of Windbreaks

Windbreaks are necessary in areas where strong winds prevail. Local materials used as windbreaks are ipil-ipil and madre de cacao. The distance between windbreaks varies with location. Where winds blow horizontally across the plantation, a common rule of thumb is to space windbreaks at a distance of 20-30 times the height of windbreak trees. Where winds come in different directions and angles, it is necessary to have windbreaks half as close.

In general, a good windbreak should be permeable, allowing some air to pass through.

Fertilization

Factors such as soil types, rainfall, locations, cultural practices, and age of plant influence fertilization practices. Start fertilizing when seeds are planted or when seedlings are transplanted in the field. Mix a handful (5-10gms.) of complete fertilizer (14-14-14) with the soil at the bottom of the hole before planting. As papaya seedlings grow larger, more fertilizer is applied.

Guide for papaya fertilization in the Philippines:

1. Apply 60 grams of ammonium sulfate as soon as plants are well-established and show new growth.
2. Apply the same amount at intervals of six weeks until plants are one year old.
3. Thereafter, apply 225 grams of ammonium sulfate per plant every three months.
4. Apply 450 grams superphosphate per plant at the start of rainy season every year.
5. In potassium-deficient soils, complete fertilizer with ratios 2:1:2 or 2:1:3 is recommended.

Weed Control

Weeds can be controlled by mechanical and chemical means. Hand-weed when papaya plants are less than 2- ½ meter high. Always keep one meter area around the trunk free from weeds.

In large commercial papaya plantation, weed control is done by using herbicides. Spray pre-emergence herbicide to hinder weed control for six months without much damage to plants. Spray post-emergence herbicides such as Paraquat of Gramoxone plus a surfactant, at intervals between sprays 5-6 weeks. Since papaya seedlings are very sensitive to chemical sprays, remove weeds close to the seedlings manually.

Intercropping

Papaya can be grown as intercrop with coconuts, coffee, pineapple or assorted vegetables. Intercropping with papaya increases total farm income and reduces weeding expenses. It is important to provide fertilizer requirement of the intercrop.

Harvesting

Harvesting is a simple operation when papaya trees are short and the fruit can be reached by hands. The first harvesting starts on the 7th to 8th month after planting. Pick all fruits showing a tinge of yellow at apical end.

Place harvested fruits in picking bags, galvanized containers or pails. Allow fruits to mature more fully to develop better flavor. However, this shortens shelf life and make them more susceptible to fruit fly infestation.

When papaya trees grow older, harvesting is done with the use of ladder. It is a tedious, time-consuming and costly method of harvesting. Farmers in Cavite use a long pole to strike the apical end of the papaya fruit to detach it from the tree while the fruit is caught by hand.

The papaya plant will keep on fruiting for many years but production declines rapidly as it grows older. Old trees grow slower and produce lesser fruits. The productive life span of papaya plantations end after 3-1/2 years. The yield of well-managed papaya plantation is 35 to 40 tons of fruits per hectare which is roughly 4 times the average yield (national) of 10 tons per hectare per year.

COMMON DISEASE AND PESTS OF PAPAYA AND THEIR CONTROL

Phytophtora blight – caused by Phytophtora palmivora. Common symptoms are found on stems and fruits. Small, water-soaked, discolored spots may occur anywhere on the stem, around the fruit or leaf scars, especially during fruit production. These infected areas enlarge and often completely encircle stems of young trees. Green fruits are resistant to infection but can be invaded through the wound or through the peduncle from the stem cankers. Infected mature fruits that hand on the tree shrivel as disease progresses, turn dark brown, become mummified and fall to the ground. Mummified fruits become reservoir for fungus and source of infection.

Control – remove rotting fruits from the tree as these serve as reservoir of spores from fungal mass which is carried by rain or wind to healthy parts of plants. These spores may infect non-injured leaf tissue, stems or fruit. Good drainage conditions reduce infection and use of protectant spray such as copper sulfate or DithaneM-45 fungicides limit extent of injury.

Anthracnose – Affects both plants in the field and the fruits at harvested. First symptom is usually a small, round, water-soaked area on ripening portion of the fruit. As fruit ripens, these spots enlarge rapidly, forming circular, slightly sunken lesions; these enlarge up to 2 inches in diameter as fruit matures. Fungus frequently produces large, light orange or pink masses of spores in the center of the lesions. Sometimes spores are produced in concentric rings similar to a bull’s eye. In addition to producing this surface damage, the fungus also advances into the fruit.

Occasionally, green portions of the papaya become affected with anthracnose. Disease first appears as a small, water-soaked lesion. Soon after fungus penetrates the fruit, latex comes out in sticky mound of horns. These lesions enlarge to ½ inch in diameter as fruit remains green and eventually plant dies. Infected petioles may act as source of inoculum for infection of fruit.

Control – Control of this disease can be achieved only by means of a thorough spray program. In rainy areas with high temperatures, spray Dithane M-45 at 7 to 10 days intervals. Copper-based fungicides also provide good control.

Papaya mosaic – Initially, leaves develop rugged appearance. Undersides of leaves show thin, irregular, dark-green lines etching the borders of cleared area along veins. Younger leaves of crown are generally stunted and severely chlorotic with veins banding; transparent oily areas are scattered over leaf or along leaf veins. In mature leaves, chlorotic patters is light color between veins accompanied by numerous small rinds ranging from transparent yellow to tan yellow. In several affected areas, defoliation progresses upward until only a small tuft of leaves remains at the crown. Stems of infected plants show pinpoint-sized, water-soaked spots may develop into linear or concentric ring patterns, w/c become larger and more intense in color. This is generally transmitted by green peach aphid, Myzuz persicae.

Control – The only satisfactory way of controlling mosaic is by destroying source of the virus. A strick roguing program should also be followed:
- Spray all infected trees with insecticide to kill aphid carriers.
- Cut all infected trees and remove them from growing trees and other cucurbit plants.
- Avoid nearby cultivars of cucurbit plants.
- Control aphids with pesticides since they are disease-carriers.

Insect Pests:

Mites – They colonized on different parts of plants and feed on plant, causing premature leaf drop, reduce tree vigor and produce external blemishes on fruit. They puncture plant tissues with their needle-like mouthparts and feed on tissue juices. Some mutiply rapidly throughout the year and cause widespread damage in a very short time.

Control – Control mites by sulfur dustings. Spray Malathion at rates recommended by manufacturers.

Fruit fly – These infest papaya when fruits are allowed to ripen on the tree beyond recommended picking stage. Fruits harvested in the mature green stage are not infested due to the milky substance they exude when fruit is punctured.

Control – Sanitation is important. Destroy all dropped and pre-mature ripe fruits and suspected of being infested to prevent larvae from developing into adults flies.

MEDICINAL VALUES OF PAPAYA

Bruised papaya leaves are used as poultice in treating rheumatism. In nervous pains, leaves can be dipped in hot water or warmed over a fire and applied. As purgative, one tablespoon of the fresh fruit juice mixed with honey and 3 to 4 tbsp. of boiling water is taken one draught by an adult; two hours later, it is followed by a dose of castor oil. This treatment is repeated for 2 days, if necessary, for children aged 7 to 10 years old. The children under 3 years, half the dose is given.

Corn has many uses. It can be used as feed for livestock, forage, silage or grain. Industrial uses include transforming the corn into plastics and fabrics. Other uses are in the production of syrups, such as the high fructose corn syrup, a sweetener. It can also be fermented and distilled to produce grain alcohol such as the bourbon whiskey. Recently, with the increase in the prices of oil, corn has been used a source of ethanol as an additive in gasoline (gasohol) for motor fuels to increase the octane rating. Human consumption of corn and cornmeal constitutes a staple food in many regions of the world.

This post will show how corns can be made into soap. Farmers who grow corn may not realize that they can make use of the corn they grow instead of selling it to local merchants. They can add value to their product by making cornmeal soap. The family can use this at home, or they can sell it to their neighbors and earn some money.

About Cornmeal Soap

Cornmeal soap is made from high-quality natural ingredients, including various kinds of vegetable oil, cornmeal and sesame seed. For this reason, this kind of handmade soap is very mild on the skin.

Cornmeal is added to the recipe to improve the quality of the soap. Cornmeal soap helps to unclog the pores and remove excess oil. The rough granules of cornmeal scrub dirt and oil from the skin.

Farmers can make their own cornmeal using the following recipe.

Recipe for Cornmeal Soap

Ingredients

* Coconut oil – 220 g
* Olive oil – 100 g
* Palm oil – 80 g
* Lye – 73 g
* Water – 140 g
* Cornmeal – 20 g
* Sesame seeds – 2.5 g
* Glycerin – 25 g
* Vitamin E – 2 g
* Fragrance – 8 g

Method

* Pour the lye into the water and stir well. Set aside until the temperature falls to 42 C.
* Mix the coconut oil, olive oil and palm oil together in an enamel pot. Heat the oils to a temperature of 42 C.
* Slowly pour the lye solution into the oil mixture and stir well. If the temperature of the mixture falls, heat the mixture up to 42 C again.
* Stir the mixture for up to one hour until it becomes ‘trace’, (i.e. clear). Then add the glycerin, Vitamin E, cornmeal and sesame seed. Stir for five minutes, then add the fragrance.
* Pour the soap into molds. Leave for at least six hours or overnight.
* Remove the soap from the molds, and cure in a shed for one month. This is to make sure there is no residual effect from the caustic lye.

POINTS FOR BEGINNERS

* The corn should be ground to a fine powder, otherwise it may irritate the skin.
* The sesame seed should be cut into small pieces rather than crushed. This is because crushing squeezes the oil out of the seed, and the ground sesame clumps together.
* You should wear an apron, rubber gloves, and safety goggles to protect yourself from the caustic lye solution.
* Avoid using utensils made of aluminium or other metals, because they react with the caustic lye solution. An earthenware pot should be used to treat the mixture.
* After the lye has been poured into the water, stir it immediately. Otherwise, the lye will clump together and be difficult to dissolve.
* When you pour the caustic lye solution into the oil mixture, make sure that the temperature of the lye and the temperature of the oil are the same.
* Protect the surface of the table you are using with old newspaper.
* The molds should be made of plastic, because it is easier to get the soap out.
* If it is difficult to get the soap out of the molds, put the molds into a freezer for three or four hours. You can then remove the soap easily.
* This recipe yields nine bars of soap, each weighing 60 g. The production cost is approximately US$0.25 per bar. This cost is calculated from the ingredients only, and does not include the cost of kitchen utensils. The recipe can be doubled or tripled, depending on the amount required.
* After the bars have been cured for one month, check the pH of the soap with litmus paper before it is used. The soap should have a pH of 8-10.

This method is not difficult to follow. It may be awkward at first, but when you get used to it, it becomes quite enjoyable. People often enjoy experimenting with the recipe. In Thailand, many groups of farmers from many provinces have become interested in making cornmeal soap.

Source: Dr. Chutima Koshawatana Nakhon Sawan Field Crops Research Center Tak Fa, Nakhon Sawan 60190, Thailand; FFTC; wikipedia.

HOW TO MAKE CENTURY EGGS

1. Preparing the pickling solution:
* Water 1L
* Sodium chloride(NaCl) 72g
* Sodium hydroxide(NaOH) 42g

Dissolve the NaCl and NaOH completely in water. Bring the solution to a boil and allow it to cool down before use.

2. Submerge the eggs in the saline solution, and store at 15 to 20oC for about 10 days.
3. Pick out the pickled eggs and rinse them. Then allow them to dry naturally.
4. Coat with PVA (polyvinyl acetate) or some other non-ventilated packaging material. An alternative is to add red soil to the saline solution after the pickled eggs are removed. Coat the eggs with the mud, and roll them in rice husk. Age for about 2 weeks.
5. Crack the eggs lightly and remove the shell. The white of the egg will have a grayish, translucent color, and a gelatinous texture. The yolk, when sliced, will be a grayish-green color.
6. To serve, cut into wedges and serve with bean curd (tofu) as an appetizer, or as a condiment for dishes such as rice gruel (congee).

CAUTION

Numerous entrepreneurs have successfully adopted this technology. However, the market demand for century eggs may be low in some areas. Promotional activities may be helpful. Ammonia (NH3) is sometimes emitted, especially from cracked eggs, which has an unpleasant smell.

Whey…..balut….balut kayo dyan.

WHAT IS BALUT ?

Balut (Pilipino) or hot vit lon (Vietnamese) are incubated fertilized duck eggs, which are boiled for 20-30 minutes when the embryo is 16-18 days old. The embryonated eggs are incubated in a balutan or some other kind of artificial incubator. A typical balutan is a low building with walls of bamboo or nipa palm and a corrugated iron roof. Small windows are provided for ventilation. Rice hull or sawdust is spread on the floor to absorb excess moisture.

HOW TO MAKE BALUT

1. Select eggs that are fit for incubation. Eggs should come from mated flocks, and be not more than five days old. They should have thick shells without any cracks.
2. Preheat the selected eggs under the sun for three to five hours.
3. Heat some unpolished rice in an iron cauldron or vat until it reaches a temperature of about 42 to 42.5 degrees C (107 to 108 degrees F).
4. Put 100 to 125 eggs into a large cloth made of either abaca (sinamay) or nylon.
5. Place a layer of heated rice at the bottom of a cylindrical bamboo incubator basket (45 cm in diameter and 60 cm deep), and place a bag of eggs on the rice. Alternate the bags of eggs with the bags of heated rice. Eight bags of eggs will fit into the basket. Bamboo baskets can be arranged either in a single row along the wall of the balutan, or in double rows placed in the middle of the balutan. Rice hull is firmly tamped down between baskets as an insulator.
6. Turn the eggs at least two or three times a day.
7. Heat the rice in the morning and in the afternoon on cool days.
8. Candle the eggs on the 7th, 14th and 18th day to select infertile eggs; i.e. dead embryo on first candling and dead embryo on second candling. The infertile eggs are removed, hard-boiled, and sold as a snack.
9. Eggs containing a normal embryo candled on the 16th to 18th day should be hard boiled and sold as balut or hot vit lon.

CAUTION

Numerous entrepreneurs have successfully adopted this technology. However, marketing aspects such as demand for the product, promotional activities and pricing need to be considered. The shelf life of balut is one day, but this may be extended to one week if the eggs are kept in a refrigerator.

Papain is a proteolytic enzyme that tenderises meat and can act as a clarifying agent in many food industry processes. It is a common ingridient in brewery and meat processing. Although synthetic substitutes are available at lower cost, the demand for papain isstill strong as a food ingridient since it is percieved as a natural product.

Investment Requirements

Investment for a papaya grower that harvests latex will be minimal: incisors, collection trays, plastic buckets, and wooden scrapers.

Production

Harvesting the Latex. The latex is collected from the oldest, yet still green, fruits. The best collection time is during the morning on misty/cloudy days or after a rain. The best seasonal time is when there are both warm temperatures and high humidity. Make three vertical incisions in the lower sections of each fruit (tap fruits layer by layer) and collect the latex in a collection bag. Trays or other containers can also be used. All equipment should be clean to prevent the contamination of the latex with foreign matter. The latex must be quickly processed or it will start to lose its enzymatic activity.

Processing. Sun drying of latex produces the lowest grade powder (cream-brown in color), with the lowest activity. To produce papain flakes, latex normally is dried in batches of at least 500 kilograms (which will produce 50 kg of flakes). First, the latex is whisked in a tank to produce a homogenous liquid. The liquid is then filtered through muslin (raw cotton) to remove waxy components. The liquid is then poured onto shallow trays which are placed in a drying house. Dry at 60oC for 3 to 4 days or until flakes are dry. Oven drying after filtration will produce a lighter color powder or flake with a higher activity level than produced by sun drying.

More advanced processing options involve spray drying. The latex is filtered and centrifuged to produce a 45% solid concentration. A white to cream coloured powder is produced with two to three times the activity levels.

The papain powder or flake may be further purified in the importing country. Papain loses its strength relatively quickly, particularly if not stored under cool conditions. A loss of enzyme activity will mean a reduction in price. Contact with air and metals should also be avoided. Therefore, papain should be sent relatively quickly to the buyer.

Time to First Harvest/Seasonality

Production of green papaya fruit starts about 10 months from transplanting . Fruit is usually tapped for latex 75 to 90 days after fruit set. An oven drying operation takes about 3 to 4 days.

Product Specifications

Papain is sold in both liquid and powdered form. It is commonly imported in a raw form and processed according to the end users’ specifications. The strength of papain is measured in Tyrosine Units (TU). According to one papain dealer in the UK, 70-75 TU liquid papain is commonly used by breweries. However, some buyers require strengths of up to 500-700 TU.

One of the biggest problems for papain buyers is low enzyme activity, usually caused by storing latex for more than a day while sufficient stock is accumulated to start processing.

Packaging

Plastic containers are normally used to pack crude papain powder/flakes, as metal containers will cause a loss of enzyme activity. If possible, flush the container with an inert gas to remove oxygen. The plastic containers are often put into a tight cardboard container. More highly purified papain may be packed in 10 kg to 50 kg fibreboard drums that have been lined with polyethylene.

Customers

Papain is purshased and distributed by specialist food ingridient companies mainly in Europe and the US and redistributed to many other countries. The number of companies involved in primary purshase is relatively small and all have their traditional sources. Before inveting in papain it is therefore essential to obtain a contract from at least one of them. Further more since quality particularly the enzyme activity of extracted papain , varies tremendously, it is essential to agree a specification on the type of papain to be supplied.

Source: ADC Commercialisation Bulletin