Lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.): Pre- and Post-harvest Disease Management

Abstract

Lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) belongs to the family Sapindaceae and is an esteemed member amongst the commercially important fruit crops. This delicious fruit is widely grown in tropical and subtropical regions of the world and is famous for its sweet fragrance, pleasurable taste and attractive colour. China is the largest producer of lychee in the world followed by India and Taiwan. Lychee tree is susceptible to various biotic stresses which include algae, fungi, insect pests, etc. These factors often become a hindrance for profitable fruit production. Moreover, post-harvest damage such as pericarp browning and desiccation ultimately declines the commercial value and shelf life of the fruit. Effective and timely approaches and post-harvest management practices are prerequisites in order to sustain the premium fruit quality, fruit yield and shelf life and also to control the pre-harvest diseases. Development in biotechnological techniques also provides an alternative approach for the crop improvement by introducing exotic genes with desirable characters. These genetically modified varieties hold a promising potential to upgrade the fruit quality standard in terms of disease resistance, increased shelf life and seedless character. The post-harvest practices in lychee production and their impact on fruit quality need more improvement. This chapter encompasses various diseases that downturn the yield, quality and market value of the lychee fruit and the strategies to check the pre- and post-harvest crop losses.