Lychee Fruit

Lychee Fruit

Lychee  (  The  king  of  fruits.)

Common names:  litchi, lichi, lichee, laichi, leechee, lechia, litschi.

          The Chinese consider the Lychee, which is a red, heart-shaped fruit, a symbol of romance and love.

          The lychee (Litchi chinensis) is the sole member of the genus Litchi in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. It is a tropical and subtropical fruit tree native to southern China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia, and now cultivated in many parts of the world. The fresh fruit has a "delicate, whitish pulp" with a fragrant flavor. Since this perfumy flavor is lost in canning, the fruit is usually eaten fresh.

        The lychee an important sub-tropical evergreen fruit crop is believed to have originated in China, where it has been grown in Southern Guangdong State for thousand of years. It is highly specific to climatic requirements and probably due to this reason its cultivation is restricted to few countries in the world. In India, lychee was introduced in the 18th century through Burma, and from there, it spread too many countries. India and China account for 90 percent of the world lychee production but it is mainly marketed locally. In India, 500,000 metric tonnes of lychee is produced annually from 65,000 hectares.

          The lychee is native to low elevations of the provinces of Kwangtung and Fukien in southern China, where it accompaniments especially along rivers and near the seacoast. It has a long and famous history having been praised and pictured in Chinese literature from the earliest known record in 1059 A.D. Cultivation spread over the years through adjacent areas of southeastern Asia and offshore islands. Late in the 17th Century, it was approved to Burma and, 100 years later, to India

          It arrived in the West Indies in 1750, was being planted in greenhouses in England and France early in the 19th Century, and Europeans take it to the East Indies. It reached Hawai in 1870, and Florida in 1880, and was conveyed from Florida to California in 1900. In the 1920's, China's once a year crop was 15 million kg. 

         The lychee is the most renowned of a group of edible fruits and subtropical plant of the soapberry family and is derived from Kwantung and Fukien province in South China, Lychees are extensively grown in China and spread to northern Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brazil,  Bangladesh, India, Japan, Taiwan, South-East Asia, Philippines, Queensland, Madagascar, Pakistan, California, Hawaii, Texas, Florida, Israel, Mexico,  Australia and sub-tropical regions of South Africa.

          The lychee tree is handsome, dense, round-topped and slow growing with evergreen leaves. Colour of leaves varies from light green to dark green. Greenish white or yellowish flowers are borne in clusters. Fruits are round or heart shaped having thin leathery skin. The colour of fruits varies with cultivar, and is red or rose or pinkish. The edible portion of fruit is the aril, which is immediately beneath the skin. Flavour of the aril varies with cultivar, which is distinctive. Seeds are bold but in some cultivars seeds are partially developed, due to failure of pollination, referred to as ‘chicken-tongue’ seed. The trees with small seeded fruits are prized because of the greater portion of pulp. 

           In structure, the fruit is a drupe; oval, heart-shaped or nearly round, measures about 3–5 cm long and 3 cm in diameter and weight about 10 gm. In appearance, the fruit has close resemblances with longan and rambutan fruits. Its outer surface is covered with rough leathery rind or peel featuring pink, red, or rose color. The peel can be easily removable in the ripe fruits. Inside, consists of edible portion or aril that is white, translucent, sweet and juicy.

Blooming and Pollination

      There are 3 types of flowers appearing in irregular sequence or, at times, simultaneously, in the lychee inflorescence: a) male; b) hermaphrodite, fruiting as female (about 30% of the total); c) hermaphrodite fruiting as male. The latter tend to possess the most viable pollen. Many of the flowers have defective pollen and this fact probably is the main cause of the abortive seeds and also the common problem of shedding of young fruits. The flowers require transfer of pollen by insects. Honeybees constitute 80% of the lychee-pollinating insects and they work the flowers for pollen and nectar from sunrise to sundown. The fruits mature 2 months after flowering.

          The fruit has sweet, fragrant flavor and delicious to savour. The pulp has single, glossy brown nut-like seed, 2 cm long, and 1–1.5 cm in diameter. The seeds are not poisonous but should not be eaten. Fresh lychees are readily available in about 120-140 days after flowering.

          Fruits are small oval-shaped and slightly rounded. Surface of the fruit skin nodule, so opened and white meat contains a lot of clear water. The sweet and refreshing flavor of the lychee fruit is ideal when eaten fresh or when used in a variety of recipes from fruit salad to lychee drink recipes. The bumpy skin is rough but is easily peeled to reveal a crisp juicy flesh that is white or slightly pink and has the consistency much like a grape.

  

          The fruit referred to as “ The King of Fruits ”, lychees have a flavor that is sweeter than a grape and is wonderfully refreshing. The lychee is filled with vitamin C, more than is found in oranges and lemons, and is loaded with potassium. One cup of fresh lychee fruit has only 125 calories. Lychees have a sub acid sweet taste and have a wonderful freshness. 

           Lychee trees are beautiful hardwoods that can grow 20 to 40 feet tall in a primarily dome shaped habit of growth with dense, evergreen leaves. 

Lychee  Seed

           Since, flower bud differentiation, flowering, fruit set, fruit quality and flavour development in Lychee is influenced significantly by temperature and humidity, it has adapted well in the sub-tropics where summer months are hot and wet and winter months are dry and cool. Hot summers free from hot wind and winters free from frost are essential. 

           Freshly picked lychees keep their color and quality only 3 to 5 days at room temperature. If pre-treated with 0.5% copper sulphate solution and kept in perforated polyethylene bags, they will remain fresh somewhat longer. In a few days, the fruit naturally dehydrates, the skin turns brown and brittle and the flesh becomes dry, shriveled, dark-brown and raisin-like, richer and somewhat musky in flavor. Frozen, peeled or unpeeled, lychees in moisture-vapor-proof containers keep for 2 years.

Yield

         The yield varies with the cultivar, age, weather, presence of pollinators, and cultural practices. In India, a 5-year-old tree may produce 500 fruits, a 20-year-old tree 4,000 to 5,000 fruits and (80 -160 kg). In South Africa, trees 25 years old have averaged 250 kg each in good years and an average yield per acre is approximately to 8,000 kg per hectare.

Starting Fruit

        Male flowers are the first to emerge and open. The fruit forms from the female flower that opens later than the male. When the flower is pollinated the ovary begins to swell. This is becomes the actual lychee fruit.

Green Stage

         As the small lychee fruit develop, many of the fruits will drop off of the tree from wind and some simply from natural attrition. A variety of insect pests can damage the stem on the newly developing fruit leading to drop off.

Red Stage

       When the fruit is ready for harvest, characteristics fruit color has changed from green to be reddish

Ripe Stage

            An excellent indicator of ripeness in lychees is the flattening of the bumps on the surface of the skin, caused by the fruit swelling with juice and very sweet. The dark red color (almost purplish) is a good indicator of maturity along with fruit size (minimum of 25 mm in diameter.)

SELECTION AND STORAGE

           Fruit must be allowed to ripen fully on the tree itself since the ripening process stops soon after harvested. Overly maturity makes them turn dark-brown in appearance and lose their luster and flavor. While harvesting, snip off entire fruit brunch, keeping a short piece of the stem attached. In the store, choose fruits that feature fresh, without cuts or molds. Fresh fruits can be kept at room temperature for up to five days and can be stored for up five weeks in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen or dried and canned for export purposes.

          Lychees are highly perishable, and begin to ferment with age. It is best to consume them as soon as possible, within a week. Store lychees in the refrigerator, wrapped in a paper towel and placed in a perforated plastic bag. If they are not to be consumed within a few days, freeze them in a zip lock bag. Place them in the freezer with their skins on. The skins may turn brownish in color, but the flavor will remain the same. The frozen lychee can then be enjoyed throughout the year. Frozen lychees are wonderfully refreshing and taste like a sorbet. They are ideal on a hot summer day or taken to a party during the holidays.

Soil

         The lychee grows well on a wide range of soils. The Chinese often plant the lychee on the banks of ponds and streams. In low, wet land, they dig ditches 10 to 15 ft (3-4.5 m) wide and 30 to 40 ft (9-12 m) apart, using the excavated soil to form raised beds on which they plant lychee trees, so that they have perfect drainage but the soil is always moist. Though the lychee has a high water requirement, it cannot stand water logging. It will not thrive under saline conditions.

          Lychee is grown successfully on a wide range of soil types, which include sandy loams, laterite, alluvial sand, and calcareous soil, but the best lychee orchards are seen in alluvial sandy loam soils with good drainage and access to the water table. The performance of orchards is very poor on clay soil with poor drainage. Lychee grown in sandy soils, have a root system network, while trees grown in clay soil have very poor root distribution. It grows well even in calcareous soil with 30 percent free lime content. 

              Lychee cultivation is highly successful in areas having minimum temperature of 10°C from December to February and 38°C from April to June (in India). However, temperature of 32° C during these months is considered to be optimum. It is highly specific to climatic requirement for its establishment, plant growth and fruiting, and consequently spread of area. A moist atmosphere, occasional rainfall, cool dry winter free from frost and hot winds are ideal for its cultivation. In lychee growing areas in India, the temperature varies from 22° C to 38° C during flowering and fruiting. It has been observed that flower initiation in lychee requires comparatively low temperature. Seasonal variation in temperature is favourable for proper fruiting. A dry climate, free from rains for about 2 months before flowering induces flower bud differentiation, blossom and consequently give high production.

            The fog free dry winter, mild sub-tropical summer and intermittent pre-monsoon showers during April-May have been observed to be highly favourable for blossoming, better aril development and improvement in fruit quality. The sub-tropical to mild temperate climate in the foothills and valleys of the Himalayas are also suitable for lychee cultivation. Depending upon the temperature rise after winter the time of flowering and maturity is determined. No fruiting has been recorded when lychee has been grown in tropical conditions. However, on hills in southern states flowering is observed and harvesting commences in November-December ( in India).

            Lychee is generally multiplied by vegetative methods of propagation as plants raised through sexual method (by seed) grow slowly, have a long juvenile period and do not produce fruit true to the type.. The most commonly practiced method of vegetative propagation is air-layering, though cutting, pot layering, grafting, budding and stooling.  Stooling have been found to be successful.

Stooling

           For large scale multiplication of Lychee seedlings, stooling is also recommended. In this method, planting is done closely at 1 x 2 m. Once the plant attains the required growth it is headed back to the stump during January-February which permits new shoot (stools) emergence from the stump within two months. A ring of 2 cm is made at the base of the newly emerged shoots and rooting hormone is applied. Then a mound of soil is raised around the shoots to encourage rooting and watering is done regularly. Profuse rooting occur in the stools within two months. These stools are detached and kept in the nursery for hardening and become ready for transplanting in July-August. In stooling, one must be careful not to allow the soil mound to dry, otherwise the rooting process is affected adversely. Therefore, the stool beds should be irrigated at weekly intervals from April-June (in Indian condition).

Spacing and planting system

           Lychee is an evergreen spreading tree, which attains the height of about 10-14 m at its full growth and development. Light penetration of its canopy is also desirable for proper fruiting, hence planting in square system at a distance of 9-10 m within and between the rows has been practiced.

Pruning

        Pruning of the plant in the initial stage is essential to provide the required framework. Unwanted branches should be pruned to provide definite shape and to promote growth of the trunk and crown of the tree. Three to four branches 60-80 cm from ground opposite to each other are allowed to form the proper frame of the tree. Further, crowded and crisscross branches are removed to facilitate better growth. The branches with narrow angles are also avoided as they are prone to breakage. Non-fruiting unproductive branches inside the canopy in growing and mature trees should also be pruned. Dried, diseased and scissors-shaped branches should also be periodically removed. Light pruning after harvest has been found congenial for better growth, fruiting and yield. While harvesting the fruit the panicle is plucked along with 8-10 cm of twig to promote new flush and better bearing for the succeeding year.

          The yield of lychee varies according to the age of the tree, agro-climatic condition and maintenance of the orchard. Usually about 80-150 kg fruit/tree is obtained from 14-16 year old trees. However, from a fully grown tree a yield of 160-200 kg/tree has also been recorded. Apart from a management practice, bee keeping in lychee orchards has been found to increase the yield of quality fruits by 15-20 percent, since lychee needs cross-pollination. Apis mellifera is the commonly used bee in lychee orchards, which also provide additional income from honey. In China, great quantities of honey are harvested from hives near lychee trees.

Health benefits of Lychee

             It is Natural Cancer treatment; lychee fruit prevents the growth of cancer cells.  Research has also shown that lychee fruit may provide impressive anti-breast cancer properties. Lychee fruits are low in calories, contains no saturated fats or cholesterol, but rich in dietary fiber which, can be very important for individuals who are concerned about their excess body weight. Research studies suggest that oligonol, a low molecular weight polyphenol found abundantly in lychee fruit. Oligonol has been found to have several anti-oxidant, anti-influenza virus actions. In addition, it helps improve blood flow in organs, reduce weight, and protect skin from harmful UV rays.

               Lychee, like citrus fruits, is an excellent source of vitamin C, and contains approximately 40 percent more vitamin C than orange. Studies suggest that consumption of fruits rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals. It is a very good source of B-complex vitamins such as thiamin, niacin and folates. These vitamins are essential since they function by acting as co-factors to help body metabolize carbohydrates, protein and fats. Litchi also contains a very good amount of minerals like potassium and copper. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids help control heart rate and blood pressure; thus offers protection against stroke and coronary heart diseases. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells. Lychee is considered Diuretic and Digestive. It even has high levels of Beta Carotene, greater than that found in carrots. ß-Carotene is stored in the liver and many other organs, strengthens the immune system. It is a good source of carbohydrates and fiber, which are quite essential for the body.

                Mineral prominent in the fruit lychee is potasium 171 mg, phosphorus 31 mg, magnesium 10 mg, calcium 5 mg. Even with a low degree, lychee substance also contains iron, Zinc, copper, selenium, and other minerals. Lychees can be used to treat coughs and can be trusted to have any effect cure gastralgia, tumor, and gland swell. Fat content in the fruit lychee very low, so very good to be consumed by all age groups, including those who are diet to maintain or lose weight. Therefore, there is no limit how many lychees that should be consumed each day. Consume fresh lychee fruit every day to refine the skin. The fruit is also believed to lychee can enrich the blood and improve physical strength. Therefore, for those who completed the recommended treatment because of illness consume fruit lychee to help restore power.

             Lychee fruit is particularly good for gastrointestinal health. Research has also shown that Lychee fruit may provide impressive anti-breast cancer properties. A study published in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology shows that Lychee fruit slows the formation and progression of breast cancer through several mechanisms including apoptosis

Nutritive value per 200 gm of Lychee

Water – 155 g

Energy – 130 kcal

Protein – 1.55 g

Carbohydrate – 32 g

Total Dietary Fiber – 2.5 g

Sugars – 26.87 g

Magnesium – 20 mg

Phosphorus – 52 mg

Manganese – 0.102 mg

Calcium – 10 mg

Iron – 0.57 mg

Potassium – 320 mg

Sodium – 2 mg

Zinc – 0.12 mg

Copper – 0.276 mg

Niacin – 1.145 mg

Vitamin C – 132.3 mg

Vitamin E – 0.12 mg

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