Red Lady (Taiwan 786)
The dominant gynodioecious hybrid — vigorous, tolerant, early and heavy-bearing with uniform red-fleshed fruit; the commercial default.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Papaya
- Type
- Hybrid
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- First pick ~8 months
- Expected yield
- Very high
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- PRSV-tolerant (not immune)
- Release
- Known-You Seed Co., Taiwan — an F1 hybrid bred in Taiwan, not an India-institute release; became the dominant commercial papaya hybrid across much of Asia including India
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Red Lady (Taiwan 786) is an F1 papaya hybrid bred by Known-You Seed Co., Taiwan — not an India-bred variety, though it has become the dominant commercial hybrid across much of Asia including India. It is a compact, early-bearing plant (fruiting at just 60–80 cm in height). It sets over 30 fruits at a time, and the red-fleshed fruit averages 1.5–2.0 kg. Seedlings split 50:50 into hermaphrodite and female plants, and the fruit can set without pollination (a parthenocarpic tendency). It is tolerant (not immune) to papaya ring spot virus (PRSV) and typically gives its first fruit around 9 months from seed.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Red Lady if you are growing papaya to sell and want the commercial standard: a compact F1 hybrid that starts fruiting while the plant is still short, sets over 30 fruits at a time and gives uniform red-fleshed fruit. The first pick comes at about 8 months, earlier than CO 7 (9–10 months) and Pusa Delicious (10–11 months). Its yield is listed only as very high, against CO 7's 900–1,000 q/ha, so there is no per-hectare figure to hold a seller to. The trade-off is that it is a Taiwanese private hybrid, so you buy fresh seed every time, and it is tolerant of ring spot virus, not immune. Choose CO 7 or Pusa Delicious if you want a public-institute variety, and Pusa Nanha for a small garden.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Things to consider
- It takes about 9 months from seed to first fruit, a little longer than the first pick at about 8 months shown above. The gap is probably the difference between counting from seed and counting from transplanting.
- It is tolerant of papaya ring spot virus (PRSV), not immune, so the virus can still reach it.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Andhra Pradesh
The cost of a hybrid: fresh seed every planting
Red Lady is an F1 hybrid from a Taiwanese seed company. The seed you buy is already the cross. If you sow seed from your own Red Lady fruit, the plants will vary, and you lose the uniform red fruit that buyers pay for.
So add seed to your cost every time you plant. Papaya blocks are short-lived crops, so a new planting comes round soon. Ask the seller for the packet label with the lot number and the germination test date, and keep the bill.
Compare that cost with CO 7 and Pusa Delicious. They come from public institutes (TNAU and IARI), but their first pick is later: 9–10 and 10–11 months against about 8 months for Red Lady. Put both on paper for one hectare before you decide.
Where the planting material comes from
This is a hybrid, so seed kept from your own harvest will not breed true. The next crop comes up uneven in height, maturity and yield. Buy fresh certified seed every season and keep the bag tag until harvest.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Papaya variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO 7 | Sweet, red-fleshed papaya for Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, with 16.7° Brix and the heaviest yield figures here | First harvest 9–10 months after planting | 900–1,000 q/ha | Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka |
| Coorg Honey Dew (Madhu Bindu) | A semi-dwarf, sweet papaya (about 13.5° Brix) for fresh sale and papain in Karnataka | No separate figure published | High | Karnataka |
| Pusa Delicious | A well-known orange-fleshed table and processing papaya for north and east India, giving 58–61 kg per plant | First harvest 10–11 months after planting | 600–700 q/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal |
| Pusa Nanha | A dwarf papaya (4–5 feet) for kitchen gardens, pots, rooftops and close planting at 1.2 × 1.2 m | First harvest 8–9 months after planting | 400–450 q/ha | Delhi, Uttar Pradesh |
| Red Lady (Taiwan 786)this page | A compact, early, red-fleshed hybrid papaya for the commercial market, bearing at 60–80 cm height | First pick ~8 months | Very high | Andhra Pradesh |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Papaya is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Papaya plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Papaya variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Papaya into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Papaya in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Papaya rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Papaya seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Who bred Red Lady (Taiwan 786) papaya?
Known-You Seed Co., a Taiwanese seed company — it is not an India-bred variety, but has become the dominant commercial papaya hybrid across much of Asia, including India.
How compact is the Red Lady papaya plant?
It bears fruit at just 60–80 cm in height — an unusually short bearing height that makes harvesting easier and lets more plants fit per unit area than taller varieties.
Is Red Lady immune to papaya ring spot virus?
No. It is tolerant, not immune. It can withstand the disease better than susceptible varieties, but it is not guaranteed to escape infection.
How many fruits does one Red Lady plant set?
Over 30 fruits per fruiting setting, contributing to the "Very high" yield rating.
What is the seedling ratio of hermaphrodite to female plants?
A 50:50 ratio — half the seedlings grow into hermaphrodite (self-fruiting) plants and half into female plants, standard for a gynodioecious hybrid like this one.
Can I save seed from Red Lady?
Not for planting. Red Lady is an F1 hybrid, and seed saved from its fruit will not give plants like the parent. Buy fresh hybrid seed from a trusted seller for every planting.
How many seedlings should I put in each pit for Red Lady?
At least two. About half the seedlings are hermaphrodite and half are female, so with two seedlings in a pit one pit in four ends up with two females, and with three seedlings it is one pit in eight. Keep the hermaphrodite plant and remove the extras.
How does Red Lady compare with CO 7?
Red Lady gives its first fruit at about 8 months and CO 7 at 9–10 months. Red Lady bears at 60–80 cm and sets over 30 fruits at a time. CO 7 has 16.7° Brix and 112.7 fruits per tree in TNAU's data. Red Lady is a private Taiwanese hybrid with new seed every time, and CO 7 is a public TNAU release.
Is the first pick at 8 months or 9 months for Red Lady?
Both are quoted. The first pick at about 8 months likely counts from transplanting, while about 9 months from seed to first fruit counts from the seed bed. For planning, count 9 months from sowing seed and about 8 months from the day you plant out the seedling, then add a week or two of margin.
Is Red Lady right for a small home garden?
It can be, but it is bred for farmers who grow papaya to sell. The plant is compact, starts fruiting at 60–80 cm and sets over 30 fruits at a time of 1.5–2.0 kg each, which is a lot for one family. It is also a hybrid, so you buy fresh seed every time. For a small garden or a pot, Pusa Nanha is the better fit.
Sourced from: Horticulture :: Fruits :: Papaya — TNAU Agritech Portal (sex types, male-plant ratio, spacing, seed rate). editorial policy.