Pg. 14-20 The Lychee in Australia

A description is given of production, soils, cultivars, spacing, tree management and marketing in Australia.

Summary:

• Lychee originated in southern China and northern Vietnam and was introduced to Australia about 150 years ago, mostly growing commercially in Queensland and northern New South Wales.
• Australian lychee production covers about 200,000 trees, primarily distributed between northern and southern Queensland and northern NSW, with major growing areas from Cairns to Goffs Harbour.
• Most commercial lychee production in Australia began in the last 10-15 years, with export markets including Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, several Arab countries, and contracts for Germany.
• The lychee crop cycle in Australia includes stages of flushing, panicle formation, flowering, fruit set, and fruit growth, with cultivars harvested from November to March.
• Lychee thrives in tropical and subtropical climates with warm wet summers and cool, dry winters; frost, wind, and waterlogging are major environmental challenges.
• Well-drained soils such as red loams and sandy loams are preferred; water stress is managed via irrigation to optimize flowering and fruit set.
• Major cultivars include Tai So, Bengal, Kwai May Pink, Wai Chee, and Haak Yip, with varied suitability for different climates and soils.
• Propagation is mainly by air-layering, with grafting and budding used for rapid multiplication or changing cultivars.
• Tree establishment, nutrition, and irrigation management in the early years are critical to orchard productivity; controlling vegetative flushing encourages regular flowering and fruiting.
• Pest management targets mites, beetles, caterpillars, fruit bugs, and birds, with netting used to protect crops; diseases such as algae and fungal root diseases are monitored but currently not major limiting factors.
• Harvesting involves picking mature fruit clusters early in the morning; postharvest handling includes treatments to prevent browning and decay, with punnet packaging preferred for retail.
• Yields vary by tree age, cultivar, and management, with commercial crops expected after 4-6 years; irregular bearing is common in some cultivars.
• Economic returns depend heavily on price, yield, and harvesting/marketing costs; payback period is about 8-10 years with current practices.
• Australia has good export potential due to off-season fruit production; main competitors in the southern hemisphere include South Africa.
• Industry organization includes grower associations and research institutions focusing on production improvements, pest control, marketing, and cultivar evaluation.
• Challenges to commercial development include environmental sensitivities, high costs, poor consumer awareness locally, and trade barriers in some export markets.
• Research continues on improving production, postharvest handling, and expanding markets for Australian lychee.