Vol. 118 (2005): Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society
Krome Memorial Institute (Tropicals)

Papaya transplant growth as affected by 5-aminolevulinic acid and nitrogen fertilization

J. Pablo Morales-Payan
University of Florida
2005 Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society

Published 2005-12-01

Keywords

  • carica papaya,
  • biostimulant,
  • growth regulator,
  • transplant,
  • tropical fruit

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to assess the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization and 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) on the growth of papaya for transplants. Seedlings were grown in Styrofoam containers filled with sphagnum/vermiculite/perlite growing medium. N and 5-ALA were applied at sowing and 15 days after emergence, respectively. N and 5-ALA rates affected overall growth as well as time to attain adequate size for transplanting. In general, increasing N and 5-ALA resulted in increased vegetative growth and reduced the time from papaya emergence to the transplanting stage.