Effect of phosphorus on growth, yield and nutrient use efficiency of litchi grown on Alfisol

Abstract

The litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is an evergreen subtropical fruit commercially grown in parts of North Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Dehra Dun Valley of Uttarakhand (Dey et al., 3). It has been identified as one of the potential fruits for export. Hence, production of quality fruit of international standard is of utmost importance. Fertilizer is one of the most important inputs for improving production and productivity of litchi orchards. Inadequate nutrition often attributed to low yields in litchi (Menzel and Simpson, 6) and poor quality of litchi fruit. To ensure high economic productivity and to sustain the available nutrient status in the soil at the desired level, correct doses of manures and fertilizers must be applied by use of reliable diagnostic tools designated to avoid nutrient imbalance (Bhargava and Chadha, 1).