LITCHI

It is a juicy fruit having excellent quality. It is a rich source of Vitamin C along with B complex Vitamin. Its origin is from Southern China. India is second largest producer of litchi in the World after China. In India its cultivation is restricted to Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh but due to increasing demand its cultivation is spread to other states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Punjab and Haryana, Uttaranchal, Assam, Tripura and West Bengal.

To meet the increasing demand of litchi, the state governments of Uttar Pradesh and other state have programs for the propagation of planting material.
 

It can be grown on variety of soils. Deep, fertile, well drained, medium texture soils are suitable for litchi cultivation. pH of soil should be 5.5 to 7. Litchi crop cannot tolerate high pH and saline soils.  

Calcuttia: Fruits are large, attractive and ready to harvest in third week of June. It is a heavy bearing crop with excellent quality. Fruits are moderately juicy having good flavor.

Dehradun: Early and regular bearing variety. Fruits are ready to harvest in second week of June. Fruits are of attractive color but prone to splitting. Fruits are sweet, soft and moderately juicy having good flavor.

Rose Scented: Flowers have rose fragrance, medium maturing variety, matures in end-June to first week of July, heart shaped fruits which is pink in color, small seeds, fruits have cracking nature. Gives average yield of 100-150kg per tree.

Early Bedana: Early ripening variety with small seeds. Trees are medium size, regularly bears fruits. And gives yield of 50-60kg per tree. Flesh is creamy white, sweet, soft and juicy.

Late Bedana: Also known as late seedless. Late maturing variety gives average yield of 60-80kg/tree. Seeds are small and its flesh is creamy white, sweet, soft and juicy. 

Gulabi: Late maturing and Regular bearing variety. Fruits are medium to large.

Early Large Red, Late Large Red, Late Bedana, Calcuttia, Extra Early, Pickling, Khatti, Dehra Dun, Piyazi

Other States Varieties:

Seedless Late: Contain greater portion of flesh. Fruits are deep carmine red, sweet in test and juicy. Fruits get mature in third week of June.

Ajhauli: Early maturing variety. It gives yield of 80-100kg/tree. Under irrigated conditions, prone to less cracking of fruits.

Bombai: Early maturing variety. It gives yield of 80-90kg/tree.

Ellaichi: Mid-season variety gives average yield of 50-60kg/tree. Fruits are marigold-orange red in color.

Longia: Late maturing variety, medium size tree with small leaves. Fruits are medium size with excellent taste.

Kasba: Fruits are attractive with medium size. Fruit having excellent aroma.

Litchi is commercially propagated by Air-Layering method. Seed propagation is not common one and takes long time for tree establishment. For air layering, select branches of 2-3 cm diameter and 30-60 cm long free from pest and disease. Remove 4 cm wide ring of bark with help of sharp knife. Place wet moss on exposed portion and then wrapped polythene sheet around it tightly. Root development will start after 4 weeks. When good number of roots is developed detached "gootee" from mother tree. After then immediately plant it in nursery. Then apply irrigation to it. Air layering can be done in middle of July to September.

Time of sowing
Planting can be done just after monsoon in month of August-September. For planting select two-year-old plant.

Spacing
Use distance of 10meter for row to row and plant to plant in case of square method planting. In dry climate and less fertile soil, use row to row and plant to plant distance of 8meter.

Sowing Depth
Dug pits of 1m x 1m x 1m and expose to sun for some days. Then fill the pit with top soil with 20-25 kg of well decomposed cow dung, 2 kg of bone meal and 300gm of MOP. After filling sprinkle, some water on it. Plant seedling in the middle of pit.

Method of sowing
Transplanting method
 

Initially training is needed to give definite shape. But pruning is not much needed for Litchi plants. Light pruning is needed after harvesting of fruits to promote new shoots.

To protect young crops from hot wind in summer and cold waves in winter plant suitable wind break trees around litchi plantation up to 4-5 years. Growing of Dhaincha around litchi plantation will protect plant during summer and winter, for that grows Dhaincha seeds in middle of February. To protect crop from heavy winds grow tall trees seedling like Mango, Jamun etc. around litchi plantation.

Fertilizer Requirement (kg/acre)

Apply fertilizer along with well decomposed cow dung, in two equal splits, apply first fertilizer dose during monsoon season and second fertilizer dose after monsoon. 

Apply irrigation at all stage of development. At early growth stage frequent irrigation is needed. During summer, apply irrigation twice a week to young plants and once a week for plant older than 4year age. Give irrigation after completing fertilizer application. To protect crop from frost injury, apply water at November end or December first week. Fruit development stage is critical for irrigation. At this stage apply irrigation twice a week; it will help to reduce cracking of fruits to greater extent.

• Pest and their control:
  

Fruit borer: It feeds on pulp and thus damage fruits and make unfit for human consumption. Small pin head hole can be seen on fruits.

Keep orchids clean. Destroy affected and fallen fruits away from the field. Release Trichogramma @ 20,000 eggs / acre. Take combine spray of Nimbicidine@50gm/10Ltr of water + Cypermethrin 25EC@8ml/10Ltr and Dichlorvos@20ml in 10 Ltr water at fruit set and color development stage. Repeat the spray at interval of 7 days. Spraying of Diflubenzuron 25WP@2gm/Ltr of water at fruit development stage is also effective. Take last spray 15 days before harvest.

Mite: Serious pest of Litchi. Nymph and adults suck sap from the under surface of leaf, shoot etc. Due to mite infection, leaves turn yellow to greyish yellow. Affected leaves get curl, twisted and later get defoliate.

Remove and destroy affected portion. Take two spray of Dicofol 17.8EC@3ml/Ltr or Propargite 57EC@2.5ml/Ltr of water with interval of seven days. Take spray of these insecticides on new shoots and before panicle emergence.

 

Leaf miner: If infestation is observed, remove affected leaves.

At new flush development stage take spray of Dimethoate 30EC @200ml/150Ltr or Imidacloprid 17.8SL@60ml/150Ltr. Take second spray with interval of 15 days.

• Disease and their control:
  

Downy Mildew: It is also known as brown blight. Brown lesion along with white powdery growth observed on leaves, flower and immature fruits. It attacks also on ripen fruits. Higher temperature at day and lower temperature at night, high humidity, continuous rain are main cause of spread of this disease. 

After harvesting, maintain proper cleaning in orchards. In winter take spray of Copper oxychloride and in spring take copper sulphate spray to keep check on this disease.

Anthracnose: Deep chocolate color irregular spots are observed on leaves, branches, flower and fruits.

Do pruning operation and avoid overcrowding of branches. Take spray of bordeaux mixture in February, April and October month or Captan WP@0.2% as preventive measure.

Tree decline and Root Rot:  In tree decline, Incidence can be observed on whole tree or on one - two branches. Sudden wilting of tree is main symptom. Root rot kill tree quickly and no control measure found effective for it.

Before planting new orchards, clean field and remove roots of harvested crops. Provide proper drainage system and avoid water logging around tree. Carry out pruning operations and remove extra branches.

Red Rust: Small dark algae is observed on patches on lower side of leaves. Spread quickly and later on develope velvet reddish brown to orange color growth. Affected leaves show curling of leaves.

As a preventive measure, take spray of Copper Oxychloride@0.3% in June and october month, If infestation is observed in field, take spray of Bordeaux Mixture in September-October month and February-March month. Depending upon intensity repeat spray with 15days interval.

 

Fruit rot: It is serious disease of litchi after harvesting. If storage is not proper, large water soaked lesions are developed on fruits and later on give odour of fermentation.
 
After harvesting, store fruits at low temperature. Low temperature slow down rate of roting.

Change in fruit color, from green to pink along with smoothness of skin is indication of fruit maturity. Fruits are harvested in bunch. While harvesting, take little portion of leaves and branches. It possess poor shelf life. For local markets, do harvesting at ripening stage while for distant markets, harvesting is to be done when they start to turn pink.

After harvesting, do grading of fruits depending upon fruit color, size. Remove damaged, cracked fruits. Use small baskets or creates lined with green leaves of litchi. Store litchi fruits at temperature of 1.6-1.7°C with relative humidity between 85-90%. At this temperature fruits can be store for period of 8-12weeks.