Papaya Cultivation; Chapter 2 - History & Origin

  

The history of papaya spread was initiated approximately in 1500, when the Spanish conquerors carried seeds to Panama and Dominican Republic. Papaya was first described in 1526 by the Spanish chronicler Oviedo, who found it first on Panamanian and Colombian coasts. The fruit was rapidly propagated in the tropics, most likely due to the abundant and highly viable seeds. The crop has adapted quite well to tropical areas with fertile soils and abundant rainfall. During the following century Spanish and Portuguese sailors took the seeds to the Phillipines, Malaysia and India. For 1600 the fruit had been produced in warm regions of South and Central America, Southern Mexico, the Antilles, Bahamas, Bermuda Florida. In the same century pawpaw seeds were taken from India to Naples in Italy. 

The crop reached Hawaii between 1800 and 1820. Until 1900, papaya seeds were taken to Florida, probably from Bahamas' plantations. The Solo variety has been cultivated in Hawaii since 1911, probably brought from Barbados and Jamaica. The first seeds of the Maradol 1 variety were introduced into Mexico in 1978, through CONAFRUT, in Xalapa, Veracruz.

 

Origin and Spread

1. The original home of the papaya is tropical America.

2. The studies in the areas of archaeology, history and

   etymology to trace the origin of papaya are limited.

3. Most of the evidence about its origin are based on the  

   species distribution, records of world travels and limited 

   etymology.

4. It is said to have been introduced into India by about the  

   middle of the 16th century.

5. The family Caricaceae as a whole was practically reported to 

   be restricted to continental America, though it was known in 

   the West Indies namely Jamaica at least in 1756.

6. Subsequently, Spanish and Portuguese sailors had 

   disseminated the papaya to other tropical and sub-tropical 

   countries.

7. Since the papaya seeds have a moderate period of longevity, 

   it is likely that the papaya spreads rapidly throughout the 

   tropics following the discovery and exploration of the new 

   world.

8. It has existed nearly everywhere in the tropics practically as 

   long as man has recorded the modern history.

    

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