Exploring the impact of different rooting media on the growth and development of protray grown papaya (Carica papaya L.) var. Red Lady

This study investigates the effect of various rooting substrates on the growth and development of Pro-tray grown papaya (Carica papaya L). var. Red Lady under nursery conditions. The objective was to screen the most suitable rooting media in seedlings for better vigour, uniform growth and high survival percentage after transplantation, which will ultimately provide an advantage for higher productivity and early fruiting. Five different rooting medium constitutions, viz., cocopeat + vermicompost, cocopeat + vermicompost + Trichoderma asperellum and soil + sand + farmyard manure (FYM), were applied to the plots laid out in a Complete randomized design with four replications. Compared with other media, the highest seedling height, stem diameter, and root length were observed in cocopeat + vermicompost + Trichoderma asperellum. This medium provided the best aeration and water retention as well as the highest nutrient accessibility required for early and aggressive root establishment. The control (soil + sand + FYM), on the other hand, gave less uniform root development, having probably become compacted and non-uniform in moisture content. These results can be useful to commercial papaya growers and nursery managers for choosing rooting media that will improve seedling quality.