Pg. 75-76 Litchi cultivar importation

The South African Litchi Growers’ Association (SALGA) is looking for suitable, high quality litchi cultivars to extend the short harvesting period. During the past two decades, the importation of litchi genetic material into South Africa was very limited. Furthermore, unreliable sources sometimes lead to confusion with names and origin of importations. With doors to the eastern world now opening for the South African litchi industry, more specifically to China, a new era for litchis is currently unfolding. A vast amount of information on cultivars recently became available from the Chinese industry, where cultivation of the litchi, indigenous to the country, stretches over hundreds of years. During recent visits of delegates of both the Agricultural Research Council – Tropical and Subtropical Crops (ARC-TSC) and the industry to countries such as China, Australia and Israel, relationships were established that will greatly benefit the local litchi industry in years to come. These relationships opened the door to some of the best cultivars currently available in the world. 

The new cultivars will, apart from expanding the current limited range of commercial cultivars in the local industry, also enable litchi researchers to utilise some of the best litchi genetics to fast forward the local breeding programme.

Summary:

• The South African Litchi Growers Association (SALGA) aims to extend the short harvesting period of litchis by introducing high-quality cultivars from global sources, particularly opening avenues with China, Australia, and Israel.
• Since 2013, the Agricultural Research Council – Tropical and Subtropical Crops (ARC-TSC) and SALGA initiated importation projects, successfully importing 30 new litchi cultivars and 4 longan cultivars from Australia and Israel after overcoming quarantine challenges.
• Imported cultivars include those with superior traits such as earlier and later harvest times, small seeds, large fruit size, and precocious bearing, which have the potential to enhance the local litchi industry’s global competitiveness.
• Evaluation and propagation of these new cultivars are underway in different South African climatic zones, with attention given to rootstock compatibility for optimal growth.
• Partnerships, including a recent MoU with South China Agricultural University and links with litchi-producing countries, provide opportunities for joint breeding projects and access to premier litchi genetics, promising significant advancement in South African litchi cultivation and research