Papaya transplant growth as affected by 5-aminolevulinic acid and nitrogen fertilization

Experiments were conducted to assess the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization and 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) on the growth of papaya for transplants. Seedlings were grown in Styrofoam containers filled with sphagnum/vermiculite/perlite growing medium. N and 5-ALA were applied at sowing and 15 days after emergence, respectively. N and 5-ALA rates affected overall growth as well as time to attain adequate size for transplanting. In general, increasing N and 5-ALA resulted in increased vegetative growth and reduced the time from papaya emergence to the transplanting stage.