Effect of INM on litchi (Litchi chinensis) for enhancing quality fruit production

An experiment was conducted to find out the effect of integrated nutrient management (INM) on quality litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) production at the National Research Centre on Litchi, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, during 2010–12. The treatments having Azotobactor (250 g/tree) with half of the recommended dose of fertilizers, 5 kg of vermicompost and 25 kg of FYM proved to be the most dynamic and suitable substrate recording maximum fruit yield and super quality grade (extra class). The wastage of fruits due to diseased/damaged category was also low in all the treatments having biofertilizers along with organic manures. The treatments having biofertilizers (Azospirillum, Azotobactor, Aspergillus, Trichoderma and Pseudomonas) with chemical fertilizers and organic manures, clearly indicated the possibility of reducing the dose of chemical fertilizers to the tune of 50%, with quality fruit production in an economically-viable mode. The combined use of biofertilizers, chemical fertilizers and organic manures showed the overall improvement in physico-chemical characteristics of the soil. The judicious blend of organic and inorganic fertilizers with biofertilizers was encouraging, indicating that it is an eco-friendly approach for quality fruit production with enhanced productivity from 1.35 to 2.34 tonnes/ha in merely young bearing orchard.