CHAMPION TREES IN FAYETTE COUNTYPAWPAWInformation on next pageEducational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race , color , age , sex , religion , disability , or national origin . PawpawIntroduction 개요 Pawpaw ( Asimina triloba ) is a unique tree fruit 포포 는 미국 동부 원산 의 매우 독 측 한 나무 다 . 열매 는 향 이 좋 고 달 며 native to the eastern United States . Its highly 열 대 과일 과 같 은 맛 이 난다 . aromatic fruit has a sweet , almost tropical - likeflavor . The large fruit is oblong and typically 큰 열매 는 장방형 이 고 하나 에서 부 터 열 개 까지 달린다 . produced singly or in clusters of two to nine . Pawpaw fruit pulp can be eaten fresh or prepared 포포 열매 는 날 로 먹 어도 되 고 여러 방법 으로 디저트 로 먹 어도 된다 . in a variety of desserts . Marketing 판촉 At present the primary outlets for pawpaws 현재 포포 가 주로 팔리 는 곳 은 파머 스마 켓 ( 농산 품직 판 점 ) 이 다 . are farmers markets . However , Kentucky 켄터키주 의 재배 농가 들 은 다른 여러 대안 을 갖 고 잇 는 데 이를 테 면 growers could also explore various alternative 틈새시장 이 그것 이 다 . opportunities and establish their own nichemarkets . For example , one Kentucky producer 예 를 들 어 켄터키 의 농가 가 포포 아이스크림 을 개발 하 면 has developed a pawpaw ice cream that hemarkets . Restaurants , especially those servingAppalachian cuisine , may also be interested inpurchasing pawpaw for various menu items . Processing pawpaws into pulp is viewed bymany as a critical step into developing a greaterfood market for this native crop . Market OutlookFew pawpaws are being produced commerciallyin Kentucky ; however , this fruit has longstandingpotential as a new high - value crop . Pawpaw fruitsold at farmers markets is collected from naturalstands in the forest or from small plantings . Because sellers often have difficulty findingsufficient wild pawpaws to meet the demand , there is a potential market for commercialproduction . In addition , wildfruit collected from some treescan have a bitter aftertaste . Fruitfrom grafted trees of namedvarieties is of a higherquality , does not havea bitter aftertaste , andhas greater marketpotential . There is also the possibility of pawpaw use in avariety of food products , including juices , wine , ice creams , and desserts . Researchers haverecently found naturally occurring compoundswith insecticidal and anti - cancer properties inthe bark , twigs , and leaves . Harvesting pawpawtissues to extract these chemicals may prove tobe a profitable business in the future . Production C o n s i d e rationsPropagationPawpaws can be propagated by seed that hasundergone either a natural or artificial coldtreatment ( stratification ) for 90 to 120 days . Actively growing seedlings that are about pencilwidth in stem diameter can be chip - budded orgrafted with dormant buds ( scionwood ) collected fromnamed varieties or superiorpawpaw trees . Agriculture & Natural Resources • Family & Consumer Sciences • 4 - H / Youth Development • Community & Economic DevelopmentUniversity of Kentucky CDBREC Home CDBREC Crop Profiles College of AgricultureTransplanting trees from the wild orfrom the field is often unsuccessful becausethe deep tap root is easily damaged duringdigging . Plants grown in containers , however , transplant quite well . Container - grown treespurchased from nurseries are generally eitherseedlings or grafted named cultivars . Based onKentucky State University research trials , thefollowing cultivars produced large fruit ( over 5 ounces ) and performed well in Kentucky : ‘ NC - 1 , ’ ‘ Overleese , ’ ‘ Potomac , ’ ‘ Shenandoah , ’‘ Sunflower , ’ ‘ Susquehanna , ’ and ‘ Wabash . ’ Site selection and plantingPawpaws prefer deep , fertile soils that are welldrained and slightly acidic . Heavy or waterloggedsoils should be avoided . Trees that areless than 1 ½ feet tall should be shaded the firstyear with tree guards or tree shelters . Treesthat are 1 ½ feet or taller do not require shadingupon planting . Fruit production in mature treesis greatest in full sun . Pawpaw trees will needregular watering during the growing season . Supplemental fertilizer should be added annuallyin late winter or early spring . Most pawpaw cultivars are believed to be selfincompatible , requiring at least two geneticallydifferent trees for cross pollination and fruit setto occur . Flies and beetles are thought to bethe pollinators ; however , since they are neitherefficient nor dependable , hand pollination can behelpful to ensure plentiful fruit set . Pest managementPawpaws are relatively disease - free and have fewinsect pests , which could make this a potentialcrop for organic production . Occasionally , Japanese beetles can damage vegetation . Sootymold , a complex of several fungi , may producea black , superficial growth that covers fruit anddetracts from its appearance . Sooty molds growon the honeydew secretions of certain insectsand can be especially troublesome on pawpaws in years of frequent rainfall . Harvest and storageTrees started from seed will normally begin tobear fruit after 5 to 8 years , while grafted treesmay bear fruit 3 or 4 years after planting . Thefruit is ripe when it is soft and gives slightly whengently squeezed . Ripe pawpaws also have a verystrong aroma . Skin color , which is not a reliableindicator of ripeness , can vary from green tobright green , eventually turning black or brown . When fruit on an individual tree begin to ripen , pawpaws from that tree will need to be handharvested a minimum of every other day for a 1 - to 2 - week period . Tree - ripened fruit has a shelflife of 3 to 5 days at room temperature , but can bestored from 1 to 3 weeks if refrigerated . Labor requirementsLabor needs for pawpaw production areapproximately 90 hours per acre ( 20 hours formowing and management , and 70 hours forpruning ) . Harvest requires a minimum of 250 hours per acre . Economic ConsiderationsInitial investments include land preparation , purchase of plants , installation of an irrigationsystem , and tree establishment . Therecommended density is 295 pawpaw trees peracre . Grafted trees may cost over $ 15 each . Forgrafted cultivars , partial crops may be obtained 3 or 4 years after planting ; trees will bear a fullcrop 5 years after planting . As with other treefruits , operators will usually not recover the fullcost of establishing pawpaws until at least 7 yearsafter planting . Production costs ( 2009 ) for a mature pawpawplanting are estimated at $ 1 , 260 per acre , withharvesting and marketing costs at $ 5 , 460 peracre . Total variable costs per acre come toapproximately $ 6 , 720 . Presuming gross returnsof $ 9 , 000 per acre , returns to land , capital andmanagement are approximately $ 2 , 280 per acre . These returns could be substantially higher thanthe $ 1 . 50 per pound wholesale price used inestimates ; pawpaws sold at the Lexington farmersmarket for $ 3 per pound in 2009 . However , profitability estimates for a minor crop such aspawpaws can vary widely , as marketing newcrops is dependent on emerging market channelsand superior product quality .