Increasingly, public debate on ban of use of synthetic chemicals for pest control has been unabated,
due basically to the hazards posed by such chemicals to the ecosystem and environment. Biological
control using natural products presents as alternative and a viable means of control of pests. Effects of
extracts from Carica papaya. L (seed and papain) on mycelial reduction of the most occurring fungal
pathogen causing pawpaw fruit rot were investigated. Different fungi isolated were Rhizopus spp,
Aspergillus spp and Mucor spp. The aqueous seed extract and papain exhibited remarkable mycelial
inhibition with mean zones of inhibitions between (0.23 - 1.73 mm). Using ANOVA at 5% (P < 0.05) there
seem to be no significant difference in activity between the extracts (aqueous seed extract and
papain).The importance of these findings is hinged on non- chemical means of shelf life elongation of
harvested pawpaw fruit in Africa
