April 2014. Deformed papaya fruit Gujarat, India.

A member replied: It seems to be boron deficiency, which often appears on tender stem tissue, young fruit and peduncles as dark cracks and oozing sap, particularly during the cooler months of the year, and can disappear in warmer months so there can be some developing fruit on the trunk with symptoms and some without. Commonly it causes distorted bumpy fruit but can also appear as pitting and cracking of fruit. It can be remedied by foliar sprays of borax (sodium tetraborate) 0.25%.