General Information

• Botanical Name: Litchi chinensis
• Family: Sapindaceae
• Origin: Native to China, also grown in Taiwan, Thailand, India, South Africa, Australia, and Madagascar.
• Economic Importance:
  • Rich source of sugar (6-20%), vitamin C (64 mg/100 g), and minerals (Ca-10 mg, P-35 mg).
  • Used in squash, pickles, wine, dried nuts, and canned forms.
  • Major commercial fruit in India, China, Thailand, and Australia.

Soil and Climate Requirements

Climate:

• Prefers a warm subtropical climate with cool, dry winters and a hot summer.
• Temperature requirements:
  • Minimum: 15°C (Winter)
  • Ideal: 16-22°C (flowering), 18-24°C (fruit set), 24-28°C (harvest), 28-30°C (new flush).
  • High humidity and light rainfall are required during flowering and fruit development.
• Sensitive to frost and strong winds.

Soil:

• Prefers well-drained, deep, loamy soil with high organic matter.
• Ideal pH: 5.5 to 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral).
• Requires good access to the water table due to its weak water transport ability.

Cultivars/Varieties

International Cultivars

• Haak Yip (China, Thailand, Taiwan) – Heart-shaped, soft purplish-red skin, sweet aroma.
• Taiso (Australia, South Africa) – Egg-shaped, bright red, sweet flesh.
• Waichee (China, Australia) – Small, deep red, abundant juice.

Indian Cultivars

• Rose Scented – Deep pink skin, aromatic, commonly grown in India.
• Muzaffarpur – Orange-pink, medium-sized, sweet and juicy.
• Bombai (West Bengal) – Heart-shaped, carmine red with green interspace.
• China (India) – Large fruit, orange-red color, sweet, and highly aromatic.

Propagation and Planting

Propagation Methods:

• Seed propagation is not recommended due to high variability and long juvenile phase.
• Vegetative propagation is preferred:
  • Air layering (Gootee) – Done in spring and early summer (commercial method).
  • Hardwood cuttings (15-20 cm) – Treated with 10,000 ppm IBA + Ferulic acid for rooting.
  • Other methods: Apical grafting, approach grafting, shield budding, stooling.

Planting:

• Land Preparation: Deep ploughing and leveling; windbreaks (Eucalyptus, Casuarina, Jamun) are planted a year before orchard establishment.
• Pit Preparation:
  • Size: 1m × 1m × 1m.
  • Filling material: 25 kg FYM, 2 kg bone meal, 300 g MOP, and mycorrhizal fungi from old litchi orchards.
• Spacing:
  • Fertile, moist areas: 10m × 10m.
  • Dry, less fertile areas: 8m × 8m.
• Staking: Young plants should be supported with stakes.

Nutrient and Water Management

Manuring & Fertilization Schedule (g/tree/year):

• Fertilizer should be applied before flowering and after harvest.
• Organic manures like FYM, vermicompost, and green manure improve soil fertility.

Irrigation Management:

• Frequent irrigation is needed, especially during flowering, fruit set, and fruit development.
• Water stress leads to fruit cracking and reduced yield.
• Mulching with sorghum stubble, wheat straw, and groundnut shells conserves soil moisture.

Special Cultural Operations

Training & Pruning:

• Remove narrow crotch branches.
• Pinch terminal buds of long branches to encourage branching.
• Avoid excessive pruning, as it delays flowering.

Physiological Disorders

• Fruit Cracking – Caused by moisture fluctuations, remedied by consistent irrigation and mulching.
• Sunburn – Due to high temperatures, mitigated by shade nets and whitewashing trunks.
• Poor Fruit Set – Caused by nutrient deficiency or low pollination, managed by balanced fertilization and bee pollination.

Pest and Disease Management

Major Pests & Their Control

• Bark Feeder (Indarbela tertonis) Damage: Tunnels in bark, reducing sap flow. Control: Plug holes with carbon disulfide or formalin.
• Leaf Roller Damage: Rolls and feeds on leaves. Control: Spray Nuvan (dichlorvos), which has fumigant action.
• Eriophyid Mite (Aceria litchi) (Leaf Gall Mite) Damage: Causes leaf galling and reduces photosynthesis. Control: Pruning and spraying Avermectin compounds (spinosyn, emamectin, spiromesifen).

Major Diseases & Their Control

Red Rust (Algae Disease) Symptoms: Reddish-brown spots on leaves, stems, and branches. Control: Lime-sulfur spray (three times in autumn and spring).

Flowering, Harvesting & Yield

Flowering:

• Begins in 3-5 years for vegetatively propagated plants.
• Spring flushes lead to inflorescence development.

Harvesting & Storage:

• Harvest when fruits fully ripen on the tree.
• Harvest as bunches, pre-cool, and store at 0-1°C to extend shelf life.

Yield:

• 8-12 years old tree: 80-150 kg/tree/year.
• 20-30 years old tree: 200-300 kg/tree/year.