Greenhouse cultivation of subtropical varieties such as papaya

Papaya cultivation is booming worldwide, making it the third most produced tropical fruit on the planet after mango and pineapple, with nearly 12 million tons. The main producing countries are India and Brazil. In Spain, the Canary Islands are the region that produces and exports the most of this variety, thanks to their subtropical climate.

Greenhouses have great potential for this type of cultivation, since under plastic it is possible to work with species that are not viable or profitable outdoors, such as papaya.

Research is also underway into a molecular biology method for determining the sex of papayas. This species has male, female, and hermaphrodite varieties, with the latter being the only one with commercial value and export quality.

The objective of this research is to promote the diversification of crops with subtropical varieties.