Evaluation of Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) Cultivars for Growth, Yield and Fruit Quality in the Sub-tropics of Himachal Pradesh

摘要

The present studies were undertaken on nine litchi cultivars (Dehradun, Calcuttia, Seedless Early, Large Red, Rose Scented, Muzzfarpur, Saharanpur, Seedless Late and Mclean) to identify the most suitable cultivar(s) for cultivation in the state. RoseScented was the most vigorous, while Dehradun was observed to be the least vigorous. Dehradun was observed to be the most susceptible to fruit cracking, whereas the Calcuttia was the least susceptible or fairly tolerant. Dehradun was the earliest to mature (first week of June), while the Seedless Late matured later (last week of June). Fruit yield was maximum (38.3 kg/tree) in Dehradun, while Seedless Late (11.6 kg/tree), Muzzafarpur (12.3 kg/tree) and Mclean (12.2 kg/tree) were found to be low yielder.Panicle emergence occurred in the second week of February (Dehradun and Seedless Early) and ended by the last week of February (Caluttiia and Seedless Late). Earliest flowering (in the third week of March) was observed in the cultivars Dehradun, Large Red, Rose Scented, Seedless Early, Saharanpur and Mclean, whereas the cultivar Seedless Late flowered late in the first week of April. Maximum (25.5 cm) panicle length was recorded in Saharanpur and the minimum (15.4 cm) in Seedless Late. The sex ratio was noticed to be lowest (1.89) in Calcuttia and the highest (7.13) in Rose Scented. Cultivar Dehradun was found out to be the best in terms of fruit size and weight, TSS and total sugar content compared to other cultivars. Fruits of the cultivar Large Redwere the least acidic, while those of Dehradun were the most acidic. The highest (12.9%) reducing sugar was recorded in Rose Scented and the lowest (8.2%) in Calcuttia. Total sugar content was observed to vary from 12.2 (Calcuttia) to 14.8 (Dehradun). Cultivar Dehradun was the earliest (first week of June) in maturity, while the Seedless Late was late to mature (last week of June). Dehradun, Large Red, Rose Scented and Seedless Early were found the most suitable early cultivars as they excelled in mostof the growth, yield and quality parameters and can be recommended for commercial cultivation in the state. The cultivar Calcuttia appeared to be the best option for the areas with limited irrigation facilities.