Cultivation of Litchi

1
Topic : Cultivation Practice of Litchi
Presented By :
Dr. Amrinder Singh
Department of Agriculture

Botanical Name: Litchi chinensis
Family: Sapindaceae
Chromosome. No: 2n = 30
• Litchi is a popular subtropical
evergreen fruit; the white
translucent flavored aril is liked
very much and is used for table
purpose in India
Introduction

Uses;
 Litchi, is commonly consumed as a table fruit, but in China it
is very popular in dried (litchinut) or canned, which is famous
among Chinese foods.
 A highly flavored squash is also prepared from the fruits. The
Chinese use the leaves for making poultice;
 the seeds are used for treating skin disorders.
 Flowers, bark and roots decoction are used for gargling of
throat infection.
The fruits are rich in sugars (10-22 per cent), acid (0.2-0.6 per
cent), protein- 0.7 per cent, fat-0.3 per cent minerals -0.7 per
cent, TSS-20-30 per cent vit-C-64mg/100g, pectin-0.4 percent

• Litchi is a native of southern China.
• It is cultivated in India, Myanmar, West Indies,Australia,
South Africa, Hawaii, Thailand, Mauritius and Hong Kong.
• India is the largest producer of litchi in the world after
China and is grown in an area of more than 12,000 ha.
• The important states growing litchi in India are Bihar, West
Bengal, Uttar Pradesh,Punjab, Haryana, Assam, Tripura,
Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Karanataka
Origin and Distribution

Fig. External and internal structure of a litchi fruit

• It is a sub-tropical fruit,
• High relative Humidity is desirable, while hot winds are not
favourable and rain fall during flowering reduces fruit set.
• Successfully grown up to an elevation of 1000m from Mean
Sea Level.
• The maximum temperature during the flowering period varies
from 21°C to 38°C.
Climate ;

• The family sapindaceae and sub family Nepheleae has about 125
genera and more than 1000 species.
The genus Litchi has two species.
1. Litchi philippinesis- It is a wild type mostly used as rootstock
2. Litchi chinensis- It is a commercial important species.
The other members of the subfamily are,
• i. Euphoria longana- Langan/Anshpal-Small fruits, inferior
quality.
• ii. Nephelium lappaceium- Rambutan- hairy fruits
Species ;

• Shahi ;
This is one of the commercial cultivar cultivated for table
purpose in Muzaffarpur area of Bihar,Fruits are oval and
oblong conical in shape and crimson-red tubercles appear on
uranium-green background at maturity. It is heavy bearing
variety with large fruits and average yield of 90-100kg/tree
• Swarna Roopa:
It is a selection in litchi identified and released by CHES,
Ranchi with high T.S.S and resistant to fruit cracking. This is
the first variety developed in India.
Varieties

• China: It is commercially cultivated for table purpose in
Muzaffarpur area of Bihar. It is a semi-dwarf variety with
fruits ripening from the third week of May. Average yield is
80-100 kg/tree. Fruits are medium-large, globose, with a
mixture of red and orange colour
• Elaichi : The tree is moderately vigorous, attaining an
average height of 5 to 6 m and spread of 6-7 m. Fruits are
conical and orange-red in colour. The variety is cultivated for
table purpose with an average yield of 50-60 kg/tree

• Purbi :It is mostly grown for table purpose in eastern part
of Bihar. Fruits are medium-large, oblong-conical in shape,
which ripen at the end of May or first week of June. At
maturity red tubercles appear on pinkish brown background.
The average yield is 90-100 kg/tree.
• Early Seedless (Syn. Early Bedana) : It is the earliest
variety and is mainly grown for table purpose and processing
in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. The yield of fruit varies from 50-
60 kg/tree. Fruits are small to medium in size, heart to oval in
shape with carmine red tubercles at maturity. Pulp is creamy
white with T.S.S. 19.8%. Over all fruit quality is good.

• Rose Scented : Besides high fruit quality, it is famous for
distinct rose aroma and hence called Rose Scented. It is a mid-
season variety that starts ripening in the first week of June.
Average yield is around 80-90 kg/tree. Fruits are medium to
large in shape mostly oval or heart shaped and deep rose pink
in colour. Pulp greyish white soft moderately juicy with T.S.S.
20%.
• Gulabi: It is a late-season variety and fruit ripens in fourth
week of June. It bears profusely and regularly with 90-100 kg
fruits/tree. T.S.S. 18.2%.

• Late Seedless (Syn. Late Bedana): not
completely devoid of seed but it is rather shrivelled and small
in size. It can be successfully cultivated even in hotter areas
provided there is protection from strong hot winds , The
average yield is 80-100 kg/ tree. T.S.S. 20% Overall quality is
very good. It is cultivated for table and processing purpose.

• Propagation: Commercially propagated by grafting or
air layering (500ppm IBA), stem cutting, semi-hard wood
cuttings, stooling are also practiced.
• Wind break: The growth of litchi plant is adversely affected
due to hot wind in summer and cold waves in winter. It is
advisable to plant suitable wind breaks around the boundary

• Planting is done in rainy season or even just after the
monsoon. The litchi trees are planted by following square
system at 8x8m or 10x10m apart in 1m³ pits.
• Each pit provided with 30-.40 kg FYM + 2 kg bone meal +
300 g MOP.
Irrigation: The plant is highly sensitive to moisture stress,
supplementary irrigation is provided in hot season & mulching
also practiced
Planting and irrigation

• The grafted or layered litchi tree comes to bearing in 3-4 years, while the
seedlings take 8-12 years to flower. Flowering starts from Jan-Feb and
fruits ripen in April & May.
• Temperature has direct relation on flowering, night temperature of 15-16
°C for 2 months is essential to induce flowering and for vegetative growth
the ideal temperature is 30°C. Flowers are terminal and appear on current
season wood.
• Fruit set is very low and flower drop is also common due to water stress,
Fruit drop occurs 4 weeks after fruits set which may be due to failure of
fertilization, embryo abortion, high temperature and low humidity.
• To control fruit drop NAA at 20-30ppm, GA3 at 20-50ppm or 2-4-D-
20ppm, to be applied before flower opening. Apart from this girdling and
centering also increases flowering.
Flowering and fruit set

• Litchi is non-climacteric fruit and harvesting is to be done at
full mature stage. The tree starts bearing from 3-4 years after
planting with proper care and management under suitable
environmental conditions.
• It takes about 55-60 days from flowering to harvest. The fruits
are harvested during May and June.
• The maturity indices are flatness of tubercles and smoothness
of epicarp and colour development (Green-Pink). The whole
bunch is harvested manually
• Yield: About 80-150 Kg of fruits/tree in Indian conditions
Harvesting and yield

Storage:
• The fruits cannot be stored for more than 2-3 days under room
temperature. It can be stored for 5 weeks at a temperature of
1.6-7.2 °C in perforated polythene bags.
• Dipping of fruits in 250ppm ethrel improves the fruit colour

• Fruit cracking: The whole fluctuations in diurnal
temperature, heavy irrigation/rain after prolonged dry spell,
hailstorms during fruit development, Boron deficiency causes
injury to the fruit skin.
• To avoid fruit cracking: The field to be irrigated during
fruit growth and in early summer.
• Spraying with 2, 4, D (10ppm), GA3 (20 ppm) and Boron (0.4
per cent) reduces fruit cracking.
Physiological disorder

Cultivation of Litchi

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Cultivation of Litchi