Abstract
AbstractThe production of Carica papaya L. in Kenya is seriously affected by the Moroccan watermelon mosaic virus and lack of improved varieties leading to the importation of expensive seeds for the resource‐scarce farmers. To curb these challenges, new papaya hybrid lines were recently selected and bred, but their growth traits and performance against papaya diseases were not evaluated. Therefore, we assessed the growth, development, and production characteristics of these new hybrid lines 1–8, with Sunrise Solo as control using the International Board of Plant Genetic Resources papaya descriptor in the field at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Juja. The hybrid trees matured 6–15 days before Sunrise Solo and fruited at heights of 23–37 cm lower than controls at the end of the harvesting stage, showing they could be harvested longer than the controls. Hybrid line 4 had larger fruits preferred for local markets and industrial use, while hybrid lines 1, 2, 5, 7, and 8 and Sunrise Solo had smaller and medium‐sized fruits suitable for exports. However, only hybrid lines 6 and 7 showed more tolerance to MWMV disease and powdery mildew. Therefore, normal agronomic practices are important for seed multiplication purposes to improve papaya production in Kenya.
Published Version
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