PT ER. Importance and

Transcription

1 PT ER HA 1 C Importance and Distribution L itchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.: Sapindaceae) is a sub-tropica evergreen fruit crop which has highy specific cimatic requirements. Probaby due to this reason, its cutivation is restricted to ony few subtropica countries in the word, where it is grown commerciay. The major itchi growing countries are China, Israe, Austraia, Thaiand, Taiwan, India, Vietnam, parts of Africa and at higher eevations in Mexico and Centra and South America. Word production of itchi is estimated to be around 2.11 miion tons, with more than 95% of the area and production share of Asia. A reativey sma amount of itchi is produced in the United States, Mexico, and Centra and South America. The top five word itchi producing countries are China, India, Taiwan, Thaiand, and Vietnam. India and China account for 91 per cent of the word itchi production but it is mainy marketed ocay. India enjoys a prominent position in the itchi map of the word both, in terms of production and productivity. Over the years, India has recorded significant growth in production and productivity of itchi, though the trend is not consistent. Both, the Indian and the word markets for itchi are fast expanding. China is the argest producer of itchi where production season extends from mid May to mid-august. India, where itchi was introduced in the 18th century, is the second argest itchi producer with reativey higher productivity compared to other growing regions having production period from the first week of May to the first week of Juy. India accounts for about one-fifth of the goba production. Taiwan is the third argest itchi producer with a production period extending from June to August. Thaiand is the fourth argest itchi producer, with a production season running from Apri to June. Vietnam is next in the order having harvesting period from May to June. Other notabe producers incude South Africa, Austraia, Mexico, Forida, Hawaii and Caifornia. Country wise major itchi cutivars are presented in Tabe-1.1. There has been substantia increase in area and production of itchi in the ast 50 years. Area has increased from 9,400 hectares in to hectares in The contribution of itchi to tota area under fruit has increased from 0.75 to 1.30 per cent. Increase in area between and (16 years) has been per cent, whie production increased during the same period is to the tune of per cent. Productivity aso recorded

2 THE 2 A Manua for Litchi Production PRODUCTION Tabe-1.1: Major itchi producing countries and major cutivars S.No. Country Major cutivars 1 China Bah Lup, Baitang-ying, Fay Zee Siu, Haak Yip, Kwai May (Red), Lanzhu, No Mai Chee and Wai Chee 2 Austraia Fay Zee Siu, Kwai May Pink, Saathie, Souey Tung, Tai So and Wai Chee 3 India Bedana, China, Cucuttia, Late Bedana, Longia and Shahi 4 Indonesia Loca seection 5 Israe Mauritius 6 Madagascar Madras and Mauritius 7 Phiippines Sinco, Tai So and ULPB Red 8 South Africa Mauritius, McLean s Red 9 Thaiand Chacapat, Haak Yip, Kom, Tai So, Wai Chee 10 USA Brewster, Haak Yip, Kwai Wai, No Mai Chee, Shan Chi 11 Vietnam Vaithieu Source: The itchi crop in Asia and the Pacific, Regiona Office for Asia and the Pacific, FAO corporate document repository. an increase of per cent during the same period. Evidenty, production and productivity of itchi is constanty increasing in the country (Tabe-1.2). Tabe-1.2: State wise Area, Production and Productivity of itchi State Area (000 HA) Production (000MT) Pdy. (HA/MT) Area (000 HA) Production (000MT) Pdy. (HA/MT) Area (000 HA) Production (000MT) Pdy. (HA/MT) Bihar West Benga Jharkhand Assam Punjab Chhattisgarh Orissa Tripura Uttrakhand Others Tota Source: Indian Horticuture Database, 2010 Being specific in cimatic and soi requirements, itchi has imited distribution. It is grown in the states of Bihar, Tripura, West Benga, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana. Of the tota production of itchi in India, 44.5 per cent is contributed by Bihar. The second argest itchi producing state is West Benga foowed by Jharkhand and Assam (Tabe-1.3). Productivity is highest in Punjab foowed by West Benga and Bihar. Cutivation intensity of itchi varies even within state. Based on cutivation intensity, the pace specific distribution of itchi is given in Tabe-1.4. In India, itchi maturity commences first in Tripura foowed by West Benga and then in Bihar. The first and second week of May is the time for harvest in the eastern region, whie itchi of Bihar matures in the 3rd-4th week of May and continues up to the first week of June.

3 Importance and Distribution 3 Tabe-1.3: Area, Production and Productivity of itchi in India Year Area (000 Ha) % of tota fruit area Production (000MT) % tota fruit production Productivity (MT/Ha) Source: Indian Horticuture Database, 2010 Tabe-1.4: Cutivation intensity of itchi in different parts of India Cutivation Production areas (District / State) Concentrated Medium concentrated Sporadic Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Vaishai, Sitamarhi and Motihari in Bihar, Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar and vaey of Pithoragarh in Uttarancha, Saharanpur and Kushinagar in U.P., Ranchi and Hazaribagh in Jharkhand, Murshidabad, Madah, 24 Parganas and Coochbehar in West Benga. Darbhanga, Shivapuri and Begusarai in Bihar, West Tripura in Tripura; Ghorakhpur and Basti in Uttar Pradesh, Guma and Lohardaga in Jharkhand, Sarguja in Chattisgarh, Kangara vaey in Himacha Pradesh. Gurudaspur in Punjab, Kachhar in Assam, Garhwa in Uttarancha, Ootty and Nigiri in Tami Nadu; North and South Tripura in Tripura, Nadia in West Benga, Panchmarhi in Madhya Pradesh, Angu in Orissa, Ambikapur in Chattisgarh Source: Litchi: M. Rai, Visha Nath and P. Day (editors), CHES-IIHR, ICAR, Pandu, Ranchi Litchi in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab is ready for harvest during the 2nd-3rd week of June. In Himacha Pradesh, itchi of the same cutivar is harvested in the ast week of June. Litchi is known for its taste and favour and rues the domestic market as Queen of fruits during the season. However, set of fruits ike mango and grapes dominate the domestic and export trade and have strong competition with itchi fruits during the same season. This can be attributed to numerous factors incuding research and deveopment efforts, production technoogies, infrastructure and institutiona support extended by the government poicy and cooperation among cutivators for earier crops. Absence or underpay of simiar institutiona and infrastructure faciities for a number of other fruits having simiar production advantage is responsibe for impeding the diversification of the Indian export fruit basket. Litchi is one such fruit, which is widey grown and has a vast untapped potentia in the domestic and goba market. It offers immense scope to boost exports, through appropriate institutiona support and has major demand in Midde East countries. A imited quantity of itchi is aso exported to European market. Less than 5% of the word s itchi production, or approximatey 100,000 tons, enters into word trade on an annua basis which is expected to increase in the coming years. During the Indian itchi season (May to June), good quaity itchi is not avaiabe from other parts of the word except from Thaiand (May and June) and Israe (Juy). In spite of these advantages, India has negigibe share (ess than 1%) in the word trade.

4 THE 4 A Manua for Litchi Production PRODUCTION The fresh fruit market dominates the trade, foowed by dried and canned fruit. The main importing countries are the European Union, the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and Canada. The main exporting countries are China, Taiwan, Thaiand, Madagascar, South Africa, Austraia, and Mexico (Tabe-1.5). Tabe-1.5: Export of itchi from India (Vaue in akh and Quantity in tonnes) Country name Quantity ( ) Vaue ( ) Quantity ( ) Vaue ( ) Quantity ( ) Vaue ( ) Nepa U.A.E U.K Bahamas Bahrain Canada Oman Saudi Arabia Vietnam Germany Others Source: APEDA, Website, Litchi is a deicious fruit having aromatic pup with sweet and acid taste. Litchi is argey preferred as tabe fruit. It is aso used for canning, which has made its impact in internationa trade. Litchi Nut a dried product of whoe itchi fruit is aso potentia product word wide. High quaity favoured squashes can be prepared from itchi. Litchi is a non-cimacteric fruit hence; it is not expected to increase in soube soids once it has been picked. Depending upon variety and cimate, the fruits contain 60% juice, 8% rag, 19% seed, and 13% skin. The moisture varies from per cent with variabe eve of TSS ( Brix). The acid content varies from 0.2 per cent to per cent. Litchi is not a significant dietary source of protein (ony per cent) and poor source of fat ( per cent). It is not a good source of thiamine, ribofavin, cacium, phosphorus and iron. It acks provitamin A. It is a good source of ascorbic acid with a eve of 27.8 mg/100 g. The daiy vitamin C requirement for the average adut can be met by consuming itchis. The consumption of a itchi fruit woud meet 2-4% of the dietary reference intakes (DRI) for P, K, Mg, Fe, Zn and Mn and provide 22% of the DRI for Cu. Most of the energy in a itchi is in the form of carbohydrate (sugar). Litchis are high in heart-heathy poyphenos, containing 15% more than grapes, a fruit commony referenced as high in poyphenos. A new pharmaceutica composition and processes have been prepared for treating and preventing diabetes. The pharmaceutica composition of itchi is composed of three ingredients i.e. Oeanoic acid, Saponins and Kuguasu which is nontoxic. It appears that the high ascorbic acid and sugar content are the chief nutritiona constituents of itchi as presented in Tabe-1.6. Litchi is said to reieve coughing and to have a beneficia effect on gastragia, tumors and enargements of the gands. Chinese peope beieve that excessive consumption of raw itchi

5 Importance and Distribution 5 causes fever and nosebeed. In India, the seeds are powdered and administered in intestina troubes. Decoctions of the root, bark and fowers are garged to aeviate aiments of the throat. Litchi roots have shown activity against one type of tumor in experimenta animas in the United States Department of Agricuture/Nationa Cancer Institute Cancer Chemotherapy Screening Program. Now-a-days, many farmers in North India wish to invest in itchi as this crop has ready market, high yied and demand in oca as we as export market and can be easiy grown in suitabe cimate. Today, the itchi cutivating areas are being notified as itchi bet for commercia production. In Tabe-1.6: Nutritiona components of Litchi ari (Food Vaue Per 100 g of Edibe Portion*) Constituents Fresh ari Dried ari Caories Moisture % % Protein g g Fat g g Carbohydrates g g Fiber g 1.40 g Ash g g Cacium mg mg Phosphorus mg Iron 0.40 mg 1.70 mg Sodium 3.00mg 3.00 mg Potassium mg 1,100 mg Thiamine mcg Nicotinic Acid 0.40 mg Ribofavin 0.05 mg 0.05 mg Ascorbic Acid mg mg *According to anayses made in China, India and the Phiippines. these areas, reguatory norms are being deveoped to provide safe environment and ogistic support system to have better production and marketing as specia zone. Litchi is sensitive to the growing environment; therefore, any change in environmenta factors severey affects the productivity and fruit quaity. In some areas, itchi is the iveihood for many peope as it provides both on-farm and off-farm empoyment. Sma and margina farmers get additiona income from itchi pants in their homesteads. Thus, itchi cutivation is the iveihood security for a arge popuation, especiay in the state of Bihar. Commercia itchi pantation creates a source of job opportunity for the peope associated with growing and managing orchards, harvesting and post harvest handing, packing, transportation, export and vaue addition. Commercia itchi production is attaining the status of an industry in certain pockets with forward and backward inkages. On the production side, the major probems are poor pant estabishment, ess fruiting span, ow and irreguar yieds due to poor fowering and fruit set. Likewise, fruit cracking, browning and rotting of fruits, fruit borer and mite, poor shef ife and ack of suitabe varieties with eary and ate maturity and good quaity fruits are some of the factors hindering the growth of itchi industry at commercia scae. A profitabe itchi industry depends on the production capacity of orchards. Lack of proper panning at initia stage and orchard management practices at ater part may ead to various kinds of production reated probems in the estabished itchi orchard. Trees must be in position to produce sufficient quantity of fruits every year for market baance. Therefore, it is important that the trees are managed with scientific tree management system. Besides, the crop growing conditions, the cutura practices and the cutivar seection determine the quaity of

6 THE 6 A Manua for Litchi Production PRODUCTION itchi at a particuar ocation. Minera deficiencies, improper water and nutrient management, poor pest management and cutura negect eventuay affect the yied and quaity. The present eve of itchi production with increased quantum of post harvest osses due to fast deterioration and ack of quaity produce are attributed to be the main reason not to meet the demand as we as economic return to the grower. The major production and post harvest constraints in itchi production in India have been isted as under. Sow rate of adoption of improved techniques Poor orchard management Tendency of imbaance bearing in few eading cutivars Incidence of pests and post harvest diseases Loss due to physioogica disorders Difficuty in harvesting as poor status of mechanization Low yied potentia and decine in quaity production of existing orchards Greater post harvest osses due to poor infrastructure and market support system The foowing factors may cause future probem and oss to any farmer having a itchi pantation, or panning to venture into itchi industry. Poor understanding of itchi growth pattern and behavior eading to unscientific pant, pest and produce management. Litchi cutivation under unsuitabe geographica ocation and unsuitabe cutivars under poor growing conditions. Poor orchard panning, such as deciding appropriate spacing based on requirement ike high density or reguar density, methods of ayout, pit preparation, pit mixture and pit fiing, improper production or procurement of panting materia, odd time of panting, post panting negect, fauty tree frame and fruiting arms, etc. Non adoption of proper orchard management techniques ike tree basin and orchard foor management, pruning, weeding, methods for ensuring reguar bearing and its further impact on tree heath, water and nutrient management methods and schedue. Poor ski of pest and disease identification and their management. Poor knowedge about maturity standard, harvesting time and method, anticipated production voume at particuar time and prices at farm gate, whoesae and retai markets. Unscientific post harvest handings at fied eve and at packing house. Poor knowedge about methods to withstand the post-harvest abuses of the marketing and distribution process as markets can accept ony imited quantities. Unawareness of pest cinic information services, directory information services, poicy information services and market information services. Poor market and transport infrastructure from site of production to pace of disposa.

7 Importance and Distribution NURSERY STAGE NURSE PLANTING STAGE STA T GE 6 GE P POST HARVEST STAGE PROBLEMS IN LITCHI INITIAL STAGE 3 T GE HARVESTING STAGE STA BEARI\NG STAGE BEAR 5 4 Fig. 1: Probabe probems and osses in itchi Mounting pressure of cimate change and reated impact on itchi fushing behaviour and fruiting pattern and quantum. Considering the importance of this fruit crop in the country, efforts have been made to provide technoogica support through research and promoting production, post-harvest management and marketing, incuding export, through various deveopment programmes and schemes. Keeping the constraints that prevai and opportunities that exist in India as a whoe and Bihar, in particuar, the FAO has initiated a Technoogy Support Project for Improving productivity and quaity of itchi in Bihar which has been impemented at custer eve in itchi growing districts of Bihar. Based on up to date knowedge, and experience gained during the impementation of the project an effort has been made to deveop this book perceiving the

8 THE 8 A Manua for Litchi Production PRODUCTION good horticutura practices as toos for prevention of probems and osses at ater stage in itchi production. Attempts have aso been made to enighten the readers regarding preventive practices that can be adopted to avoid the osses and curative options that can mitigate the probems. The information furnished in the manuscript is based on the working experience, survey of avaiabe iterature and appied aspects of core research.