Effect of mulching, drip irrigation scheduling and fertilizer levels on plant growth, fruit yield and quality of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.)

An experiment was conducted during 2006–08 to study the effect of integrated nutrient and water management under drip irrigation system on growth, fruit yield and quality attributes of young litchi orchard. The treatments comprised factorial combinations of two levels of mulch (black polyethylene mulch and no mulch); one level of conventional irrigation and three levels of drip irrigation maintained as 50, 75 and 100% of estimated irrigation water requirement and four levels of fertilizer doses (no fertilizer and 75, 100 and 125% of recommended dose of fertilizer). In general, drip irrigation treatments in combination with mulch at each level of fertilizer doses were more effective in improving plant height, plant spread and tree volume. In the first year, the highest fruit yield (14.8 kg/tree) was recorded in treatment MId3F3 (Mulch + drip irrigation at 100% of estimated irrigation water requirement + 125% RDF). In the subsequent year, treatment MId3F2 (Mulch + drip irrigation at 100% of estimated irrigation water requirement +75% RDF) gave the highest fruit yield (40.4 kg/tree). Under MId3F3, a better quality fruits having large fruit size, higher fruit weight, pulp weight, TSS, ascorbic acid content and lower peel weight, stone weight and titrable acidity were also obtained.