Pg. 27-28 Establishment of a management program to increase fruit retention, size and yield: Preliminary report

The South African litchi industry is predominantly export orientated and fruit size is of great importance. Furthermore, litchi yield is affected through alternate bearing. Therefore, an attempt was made to establish a management program to increase litchi yield and fruit size by combining and optimising existing management strategies. Five management programs, which consist mainly of additional foliar fertiliser and plant growth regulator (PGR) applications, were developed and are currently being compared with each other according to their effects on yield and fruit size. No yield or fruit size data is available yet, but will be reported on in the coming season. At the end of this three to five year research, the most successful program will be included in a software program, which should assist the farmer in managing his orchard optimally.