Alisha Adhikari , Abhishek Pokhrel

Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan, 44209, Nepal
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Horticulture, 2026, Vol. 16, No. 4   doi: 10.5376/ijh.2026.16.0020
Received: 26 Jun., 2026    Accepted: 27 Jul., 2026    Published: 10 Aug., 2026

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Adhikari A., and Pokhrel A., 2026, Evaluation of fruit characteristics of major varieties of litchi in Sarlahi, Nepal, International Journal of Horticulture, 16(4): 228-234 (doi: 10.5376/ijh.2026.16.0020)

Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is an economically important subtropical fruit crop widely cultivated in the Terai region of Nepal. This study evaluated the fruit morphological and quality characteristics of seven major litchi cultivars (Shahi, China, Seedless, Early Large Red, Calcuttia, Muzaffarpur, and Bombai) grown at the Tropical Horticulture Center, Sarlahi, Nepal, during the 2024 fruiting season. The experiment was conducted using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. Fruit morphology, physical characteristics, seed traits, and total soluble solids (TSS) were assessed using standard pomological methods. Significant differences were observed among cultivars for most evaluated traits. Seedless exhibited superior commercial attributes, characterized by larger fruits, higher aril proportion, and smaller seeds, indicating a greater edible portion and enhanced market potential. In contrast, Shahi recorded the highest total soluble solids, reflecting superior sweetness and eating quality. Considerable variation was also observed in fruit colour, shape, seed morphology, and other physical characteristics, demonstrating substantial genetic diversity among the evaluated cultivars. Overall, the findings indicate that Seedless is the most promising cultivar for commercial production because of its desirable fruit quality traits, while Shahi is particularly suitable for fresh consumption owing to its superior sweetness. These results provide valuable information for cultivar selection, orchard management, and future litchi improvement programmes in Nepal.

Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.); Fruit quality; Pomology; Cultivar evaluation; Total soluble solids