Papaya Hermaphrodites Sought By Farmers, Researchers

LA Times:

Papayas, it turns out, have not just one but three sexes: male, female and hermaphrodite. The third produces the yummy fruit, but the male and females are mostly useless to farmers.

Read the whole story: LA Times

Comments

[gosolar]

Sigh. Bigger, better, faster, more, I guess.

[ObamAtomic]

The best Papaya is the natural one!

[PlanoBlue]

I guess repiglicans can no longer eat papayas.

[grn1]

"If successful, the research will allow papaya growers to save on production costs and use less water and fertilizer. The cost savings could be passed to consumers." says Ray Ming. Sure Ray we've all heard how the biotech gurus such as yourself will make nature a better service to our desires. Change careers

[Futisaba]

Actually, rural farmers in the southern region near Mulanje, Malawi already know how to do this. At an early stage one can tell whether the tree is female or male, and once sex is determined the trunk is spiked with a maize cob, the cob is pushed all the way thru the trunk. The stress on the tree changes it and enables it to produce tasty fruit!

[DannyEV]

my god...is that for real?

[hottingers]

EEEEEEEEWW­WWWWWWWWWW­W. That picture, I have never seen such a diseased vagi......­..........­......oh..­..... I see........ It's a picture of a papaya. Never mind.

[gosolar]

LMAO!

[Aranxa]

Wow, learn something new everyday.