Papaya Ringspot Virus, (PRSV) is a major constraint in papaya production and marketing in the Caribbean. This disease weakens the plant, stunting its growth and causes disfigured mottled leaves and fruit. The productive life of a tree is reduced from three years to one year or less. Tolerance, but not resistance, has been observed in a few papaya varieties. Papaya varieties have been selected that begin fruiting within three feet from the ground which allows for production before this virus takes its toll. Since natural resistance to PRSV does not exist in Carica papaya, to control this viral disease, papayas are being genetically engineered with the coat protein (CP) gene from local PRSV strains. Six gene constructs of PRSV-CP have been made from two PRSV strains on St. Croix, USVI that are being used to genetically engineer cultivars of papaya. In vitro somatic embryos, derived from immature zygotic papaya embryos, has been successful in 20 papaya cultivars. Through the application of recombinant DNA technology and in vitro selection, transgenic somatic papaya embryos are being propagated, matured and germinated. Transgenic seedling are being evaluated for stable incorporation of PRSV-CP and resistance to PRSV under greenhouse and field conditions. Controlled papaya breeding is being used to incorporate PRSV resistance into other papaya cultivars of importance to the USVI.