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Table 7.1. Nutritional comparison of pawpaw with other fruits.2

2Derived from Peterson et al. (1982) and Jones and Layne (1997). Mean value per 100 grams edible portion. Pawpaw analysis was done on pulp with skin, although the skin is not considered edible. Probably much of the dietary fiber, and possibly some of the fat, would be thrown away with the skin.

yRetinol Equivalents—these units are used in National Research Council Recommended Dietary Allowances table (1989).

xInternational Units.

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and an industry begun (Popenoe 1916, 1917; Peterson 2003). However, an industry did not develop. Pawpaw enthusiasts noted that the rapid perishability of pawpaw fruit was the major factor inhibiting commercialization.

Beginning in the 20th century, elite pawpaw selections from the wild were assembled in extensive collections by various enthusiasts and scientists, including Benjamin Buckman (Farmington, Illinois, circa 1900 to 1920), George Zimmerman (Linglestown, Pennsylvania, 1918 to 1941), and Orland White (Blandy Experimental Farm, Boyce, Virginia, 1926 to 1955) (Peterson 1986; Peterson 1991; Peterson 2003; Zimmerman 1941). From about 1900 to 1960, at least 56 clones of pawpaw were selected and named. Fewer than 20 of these selections remain, with many being lost from cultivation through neglect, abandonment of collections, and loss of records necessary for identification (Peterson 1991). Since 1960, additional pawpaw cultivars have been selected from the wild or developed as a result of breeding efforts of hobbyists. More than 40 clones are currently available (Table 7.2) (Jones et al. 1998). The loss of cultivars over the last century may have led to erosion in the genetic base of current

Table 7.2. Commercially available pawpaw cultivars.2

(continues)