Submitted to: HortTechnology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/14/2016
Publication Date: 12/28/2016
Citation: Goenaga, R.J., Jenkins, D., Marrero Soto, A.R. 2016. Yield Performance of six lychee cultivars grown at two locations in Puerto Rico. HortTechnology. 26(6):748-753.

Interpretive Summary: The globalization of the economy, increased ethnic diversity and a greater demand for healthy and more diverse food products have opened a window of opportunity for the commercial production and marketing of tropical fruit, including lychee. Little is known about the performance of lychee cultivars grown in the tropics and subtropics. This study was conducted to evaluate yield performance and fruit quality traits of six lychee cultivars grown at two locations in Puerto Rico. At UPR-Adjuntas, and La Balear, cultivar Groff had a significantly higher production (257,296 fruits/ha) of total fruit than other cultivars whereas ‘Salathiel’ had the lowest. However, at La Balear total fruit production of “Groff” was not significantly different than ‘Kaimana’ and ‘Bosworth-3’. At UPR-Adjuntas, cultivars Groff and Bosworth-3 had significantly higher number of marketable fruit per hectare than the rest of the cultivars averaging 171,760 fruit/ha. At La Balear ‘Kaimana’ had a higher number of marketable fruit but it was not significantly different than that of ‘Groff’, ‘Bosworth-3’, and ‘Mauritius’, averaging 291,360 fruit/ha. At both sites, individual fruit weight of marketable fruit was higher in ‘Kaimana’ than the rest of the cultivars however, at La Balear, there were no significant differences between ‘Kaimana’ and ‘Mauritius’. This study provides for the first time information from replicated trials on yield and fruit quality traits of various lychee hybrids that should be useful to Extension Agents and growers.

Technical Abstract: The globalization of the economy, increased ethnic diversity, and a greater demand for healthy and more diverse food production have increased the demand for tropical fruits. There is a lack of formal experimentation to determine yield performance and fruit quality traits of lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) cultivars. Six lychee cultivars (Bostworth-3, Brewster, Groff, Mauritius, Kaimana, Salathiel) grown on Mollisol and Inceptisol soils were evaluated for 8 years at the Adjuntas Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR-Adjuntas) and La Balear farm, Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, respectively. At UPR-Adjuntas, and La Balear, cultivar Groff had a significantly higher production (257,296 fruits/ha) of total fruit than other cultivars whereas ‘Salathiel’ had the lowest. However, at La Balear total fruit production of “Groff” was not significantly different than ‘Kaimana’ and ‘Bosworth-3’. At UPR-Adjuntas, cultivars Groff and Bosworth-3 had significantly higher number of marketable fruit per hectare than the rest of the cultivars averaging 171,760 fruit/ha. At La Balear ‘Kaimana’ had a higher number of marketable fruit but it was not significantly different than that of ‘Groff’, ‘Bosworth-3’, and ‘Mauritius’, averaging 291,360 fruit/ha. At both sites, individual fruit weight of marketable fruit was higher in ‘Kaimana’ than the rest of the cultivars however, at La Balear, there were no significant differences between ‘Kaimana’ and ‘Mauritius’. At both locations, cultivars exhibited erratic production patterns which were characterized by lower production during 1 or 2 successive years following cropping.