Litchi
India is the 2nd largest producer of litchi in the
world. It is one of the most famous fruit crops and mostly cultivated in the
Eastern part of the country. In India, 568,200 metric tons of litchis are
produced annually from 93,300 hectares. The average productivity of litchi in
the country is 6.1 t/ha, which is much lower than the potential productivity
of the crop. Chemical fertilizers are extensively used in litchi crops which caused various threats to environmental, human, and soil health
over a period of time. However, soil microorganisms play a significant role in
regulating the dynamics of organic matter decomposition and the availability of
plant nutrients. Hence, the application of biofertilizers is becoming popular
these days as an important alternative to chemical fertilizers. On the
basis of the application of bio-fertilizers, it can be broadly classified as:
- Nitrogenous
(N) bio-fertilizer
- Phosphatic
(P) bio-fertilizer
- Potash (K) bio-fertilizer