Author: Sheri Crabtree
Planning Unit: Agriculture and Natural Resources Programs
Major Program: Commercial Horticulture
Outcome: Initial Outcome
Many small farmers in Kentucky harvest fruit from wild pawpaw trees in woodlands or farmland, for sale at local farmers markets, or homeowners may grow seedlings on residential lots. Wild pawpaws and seedling trees produce fruit that is small and low yielding compared to improved cultivars. Wild and seedling trees may also have poor flavor and texture to the fruit, leading to poor consumer acceptance of the fruit. Two pawpaw grafting workshops were held in Frankfort, KY and Quicksand, KY, with a total of 33 and 29 participants, respectively. Participants learned the bark inlay method of grafting, and grafted 2 potted pawpaw trees to take home and plant. The information gained at these workshops will enable participants to graft their wild and seedling trees with improved cultivars, and plant 2 new trees to maximize genetic diversity. Improved pawpaw cultivars may produce up to 50 lb of fruit per tree at maturity, leading to a potential crop of 100 lb of pawpaw fruit per year for these participants. Some participants were small farmers and some were hobbyists, therefore positive outcomes should be seen both in commercial horticulture, with increased yields and fruit quality for growers that attended these workshops and grafted trees; and for homeowners that are now equipped to grow better quality fruit for home use.