An article describing the genesis of ‘Dawn Delight’ papaya and its micropropagation was published in the highly reputed journal ‘HortScience’ from the American Society for Horticultural Sciences on 30 Sept. 2021. This article can be downloaded from the journal site: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI16218-21
Abstract: ‘Dawn Delight’ is a unique female line of papaya with parthenocarpic fruit-setting capability independent of pollination, generally giving seedless fruits, thus saving on the male plant population needed as pollinizers. Propagated exclusively through tissue culture, ‘Dawn Delight’ gives relatively dwarf trees suitable for high-density planting. Field plants commence flowering in 3-4 months at 30-60 cm from soil level giving the first harvest in 6-8 months. ‘Dawn Delight’ is suitable for open field cultivation, yielding 60-100 fruits per tree in 12 months under ideal field conditions. Fruits weigh about 1 kg, roundish to ovoid-oblong with 11-16 mm thick orange-red flesh and 12-14°B TSS. Typically seedless, fruits show slow ripening with firm flesh offering 8-12 days shelf life. Nearby pollinizer sources could impart larger seed-bearing fruits. Fruits are ideal for table purposes and for processing. The hallmark features of ‘Dawn Delight’ tissue-culture papaya include stable female sex form, prolific bearing, medium size roundish to ovoid-oblong fruits, slow ripening, generally seedless fruits, orange-red flesh, and extended keeping quality.