The effects of four soil water potential regimes under greenhouse conditions on growth, development, and yield of 'Homestead selection' pawpaw were investigated. The objectives were to determine the critical soil water potential regime and the moisture sensitive stages of growth of pawpaw. Repeated cycles of stress to -6.0 bar soil water potential imposed as from vegetative phase prevented fruit formation by constantly causing flower abscission. The stressed plants were stunted in size. The -2.0 bar soil water potential value was considered the critical level for normal growth and reproductive development of pawpaw. The mid-vegetative, flowering and fruit enlargement phases were moisture sensitive.
At Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria, papaya trees were imercropped with okra, watermelon, sweet potato, bush greens, jews' mallow and Solanum gilo Raddi. The aim of the experiment was to select crops suitable for intercropping in the alleys of papaya plants in orchards. Sweet potato and Solanurn gilo Raddi caused marked reduction in the yield of papaya. Land Equivalent Ration (LER) for papaya intercopped with okra, water-melon, sweet potato, bush greens° jews' mallow and Solanum gilo Raddi were 3.86, 3.13, 2.06, 1.86, 1.60 and 1.54, respectively; indicating that all the combinations were more advantageous than the monocrop of papaya. Monetary value of the mixtures, however, indicated that the inclusion of intercrops of sweet potato or Solanum gilo Raddi, is disadvantageous.Although intercropping in papaya orchards is beneficial, it should be limited to the early vegetative and late fruiting phases of papaya when the Leaf Area Index (LAI) of papaya is low. A relay of okra followed by watermelon or bush greens followed by jews' mallow (or sweet potato grown for fodder) is considered suitable for intercropping the alleys of papaya.
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