Litchi : Preventive Practices and Curative Measures

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Understand the Growth and behaviour of litchi plant 3 Cultivate the litchi where soil and climate 4 Produce and use the quality planting 5 Select the suitable variety 6 Adopt scientific orchard establishment practices 7 Care and rear the developing plants 8 Avoid moisture stress and weed excess 9 Maximize land output through high density planting and orchard floor management 10 Feed the plant as per need and schedule 11 Manage the canopy and rejuvenate the old trees 12 Ensure regular production in bearing orchard 13 Adopt a schedule to keep orchard healthy and productive 14 Learn the role of pest management in litchi orchard 15 Identify the pests and manage them to avoid direct loss 16 Prevent the diseases to avoid direct loss 17 Manage the psychological disorder 18 Specific problems and their remedy 19 Reduce harvest handling and marketing losses 20 Reduce post harvest losses and convert into value added products 21 References 22 Colour PhotographsCommercial Litchi farming so far is done by large farmers who are capable of sustaining long gestation period and failure of crops When the tree is full of vigour the dominance of vegetative phase prevails over reproductive phase in some varieties and at some locations which adversely affects flowering fruit set and fruit growth and some times fruit drop due to high competition for photosynthates also become limiting factor to litchi production Besides there are many pests diseases and disorders which affect the economic cultivation of litchi It has been observed that orchardists owner or contractors are active in their orchards only when flowers or fruits are present on the trees for rest of the period the take little care of their orchards To maintain vigour growth and productivity is necessary to perform proper operations throughout the year The main reason behind poor productivity and low profitability of litchi is the poor knowledge of farming communityIn litchi some problems arise due to growers? negligence and other s are brought about by pests disease disorders plant physiology and climate Growers? negligencemistakes may occur in setting up an orchard drainage irrigation systems selecting varieties planting fertilizing shaping the plant weed control mulching pruning and canopy management use of growth regulators harvesting packing marketing and quality management Other problems such as pest disease and fruit disorders may occur by their own or may aggravate due to negligence of farmers Many books and information bulletin on litchi are available however most of them are of facts oriented which often lack in operational guidelines This book has been prepared in problem solving mode in such a way as readers can easily understand and adopt the litchi technology which have been developed by different knowledge groups for betterment of the litchi industry We hope that this book would serve the purpose of farmers and those who are engaged in litchi industry 324 pp.…