Canopy Management in Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.): Improving Productivity and Quality

Contents: Foreword. Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. The art and science of canopy management. 3. Techniques in canopy management. 4. Finding better ways: some attainments. 5. Discussion on modern techniques. 6. Summary and conclusion. Literature cited. Appendices.

Litchi chinensis Sonn. (Family-Sapindaceae) has been widely used in many cultures for the treatment of cough, flatulence, stomach ulcers, diabetes, obesity, testicular swelling, hernia-like conditions, and epigastric and neuralgic pains. The ethnopharmacological history of Litchi chinensis indicated that it possesses hypoglycemic, anticancer, antibacterial, antihyperlipidemic, anti-platelet, anti-tussive, analgesic, antipyretic, hemostatic, diuretic and antiviral activities.

In the production side, the major problem is low and irregular yields due to poor flowering and fruit set. Fruit cracking, sunburn of fruits, slow tree establishment and lack of suitable varieties with early and late maturity and good quality fruits are some of the factors hindering growth of litchi in commercial scale. The litchi tree is characterized by the dense canopy. It is natural for litchi tree to attain a generally rounded dense and compact symmetrical canopy which almost touches the ground and obscures the sight of stem. Quite often litchi trees have more than one stem. The excessive vegetative growth competes for nutrition, light and air which adversely affects a number of physiological and biochemical processes resulting thereby in reduced yields and poor quality of fruits.