Triploid (with one extra set of chromosomes) papayas that were derived through anther culture may be used for direct exploitation in commercial fruit production, said researchers in Japan and Kenya. The group of T. Etoh studied the characteristics of 26 anther derived papaya strains and compared them with commercial papaya cultivar ‘Wonder blight’, which is diploid.

Etoh and his group determined that triploid papayas produce fruits that are relatively heavier than the commercial diploid papaya. The fruits are also seedless. The triploids were observed to produce plants that are dwarf, semi-dwarf or tall. The dwarf and semi-dwarf strains are those that were observed to produce high yields. Combined with their short stature, these strains make harvesting the fruits manageable.

The paper published by the journal Scientia Horticulturae. The abstract, with links to the full paper for subscribers, can be accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2006.10.015.