Question
QUESTION: The maradol papaya sufferes from this disease antracnosis that causes holes in the fruit.  I've read of certain baths and treatments for this fruit to dampen the effects of that illness?  

Supposedly it can be controlled with handling but still its a problem for the import distribution farming of this item.  

I would like to know how to rid of this problem.

Do you have any suggestions or references?

Thanks

ANSWER: Is this a big farm or just a few trees around your house.  My recommendation will be based on how may plants you have.  Please provide that information and I will try to address the problem.  Thanks.

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QUESTION: big farm, production is low now.. but within a couple of months the farm will be producing some trailerloads per week.  I have research that suggested certain chemical baths, but no guarantees, not completely affective.  

I've heard of plastic coating sprays didn't sound quite right.

I wonder if a special seed can be engineered but don't even know where to start.

Were currently tring out a wax coating bath with special wrapping paper but I doubt it makes any difference.

Thanks, any suggestions are appreciated.

Answer
The disease anthracnose can be extremely damaging to your fruit production.  It will be most harmful following harvest and while the fruit is in storage and transportation.  These cultural practices should help minimize the disease: harvesting fruit when in early maturity, destroying infected fruit and even leaves on trees around infected fruit, avoid overhead irrigation and just cleaning up all diseased debris and destroying it.  There are chemical sprays that can be used.  Abound and Kocide are effective in preventing further spread of the disease.  I do no know if you can find these where you are.  If you have a source of copper sulfate (blue stone) and lime (calcium carbonate) you can make your own Bordeaux Mixture.  The ratio is a 4:4:50 with 4 lb of each of the above mixed with 50 gallons of water.  This would work OK.  The wax you speak of is for coating the fruit after harvest and will actually make the fruit more susceptible to the fungal disease by covering up the breathing holes and excluding air.  Start now with your sanitation procedures.  Clean up all harvesting bins and anything that the fruit will touch using a 1:5 bleach to water solution.  Rinse metal surfaces well after treatment to prevent rusting.  Let me know of your availability of the fungicides I mentioned.  There are others that can be purchased from the US that also will work.  Good Luck.