Bombai
An early West Bengal table litchi, ripening in the first to second week of May (NHB). Large, obliquely heart-shaped fruit, 80–90 kg a tree, TSS 17%.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Litchi
- Type
- Air-layer (clonal variety)
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- Early, ripens first to second week of May (NHB)
- Expected yield
- 80–90 kg/tree/year at full bearing
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Eriophyid (leaf) mite attack is severe on Bombai (NHB)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Bombai is an important commercial table litchi of West Bengal. NHB puts its ripening in the first to second week of May, which makes it the earliest of the seven varieties here with a published date. NHB gives Early Bedana no date. The trees are vigorous, about 6.7 m tall and 7–8 m wide, so give them room. Fruits are large and obliquely heart-shaped, with carmine-red tubercles on a green background. The pulp is greyish-white, soft and juicy, with 17% TSS. A full-grown tree averages 80–90 kg. Each fully developed fruit has a tiny, under-developed fruit attached to its stalk, which helps you recognise the variety.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Bombai if you grow in West Bengal and want fruit in the first to second week of May, before the Muzaffarpur varieties. NHB gives it 80–90 kg a tree and large heart-shaped fruit, but only 17% TSS, so it is not the sweetest. Pick Early Bedana if sweetness (19.8% TSS) and processing matter more than yield. Pick Shahi if you can sell from the third week of May and want more fruit per tree (90–100 kg).
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timePlant in August–September, after the monsoon has set in (NHB).
- Spacing8 × 8 m square. Keep 10 m apart where the tree spread is large (NHB).
- Sowing methodPlant an air-layered (gootee) plant, 6–9 months old, in a 1 m³ pit filled with top-soil, 20–25 kg FYM, 2 kg bone-meal and 400 g sulphate of potash. Water straight after planting (NHB).
- IrrigationWater young plants often, in a basin. Stop irrigation four months before flowering. The critical period is the end of January to the start of the monsoon, while the fruit grows. Missing it causes fruit drop and cracking (NHB).
- FertilizerPer tree (NHB): FYM 10–20 kg in the planting year, adding 4 kg every year up to 60 kg on a mature tree. A mature tree also gets 2.2 kg ammonium sulphate, 1.2 kg superphosphate and 1.2 kg potassium sulphate. Give FYM, superphosphate and potash in September, and the nitrogen in two parts: mid-February and after harvest.
- HarvestingPick fully ripe fruit: red colour, at least 25 mm across, tubercles flattened and the shell smooth. Cut whole bunches with a piece of twig and a few leaves. For a distant market, pick slightly early, when the colour has just started to turn (NHB).
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Deep, well-drained loam rich in organic matter. Sandy loam and clayey loam also suit (NHB).
- pH
- 5.5–7
- Irrigation
- Water table at least 1.5–2 m below the surface (NHB).
Climate
- Temperature
- About 21°C (February) to 38°C (June) maximum in litchi tracts
- Rainfall
- >125 cm, well spread through the year
- Climate
- Winter frost and dry summer heat damage the plant and crack the fruit. Constant rain at flowering interferes with pollination. Litchi grows up to 800 m, but does best at lower elevations (NHB).
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Ripens in the first to second week of May (NHB), earlier than the Muzaffarpur varieties
- Large fruit and an average of 80–90 kg a tree
- Easy to recognise: a tiny, under-developed fruit sits on the stalk of each fruit
Things to consider
- NHB says the eriophyid mite attack is severe on Bombai, China and Kasba. Check the young leaves every season.
- TSS is 17%, lower than Early Bedana (19.8%), Rose Scented (20%) and Calcuttia (18.17%).
- Trees are vigorous, about 6.7 m tall and 7–8 m wide, and will crowd each other at close spacing.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- West Bengal
Look for the second small fruit on the stalk
NHB points to one trait that is easy to check: on Bombai, each fully developed fruit has another tiny, under-developed fruit attached to its stalk.
Use it when you pick mother trees or check a nursery. Ask to see the mother tree in fruit in May, and look for the extra little fruit on the stalk. If you cannot see it, ask the nursery to show you where the layers came from.
Young air-layers of every litchi variety look alike. Write the variety name, the mother tree and the date on the bill.
Where the planting material comes from
This variety is raised by layering: a branch is made to root while still attached to the tree, then cut away and planted. Seed out of its fruit will not give the variety back. Take layers from a known mother tree of this variety, or buy plants from a registered nursery or a government farm.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Litchi variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bombaithis page | An early West Bengal table litchi for fresh sale in the first half of May | Early, ripens first to second week of May (NHB) | 80–90 kg/tree/year at full bearing | West Bengal |
| Calcuttia | A late, very sweet table litchi for hotter northern areas, if you can give wind protection and water | Late, ripens in the last week of June (NHB) | 80–100 kg/tree/year at full bearing | Northern India, Hotter areas with wind protection and irrigation |
| China | A semi-dwarf litchi for Muzaffarpur-belt orchards where a yearly mite check is part of the routine | Ripens from the third week of May (NHB, Muzaffarpur) | 80–100 kg/tree/year at full bearing | Bihar |
| Dehradun | A late, rose-pink litchi for farmers who can keep soil moisture steady through fruit growth | Late, ripens from the third week of June (NHB) | 80–90 kg/tree/year at full bearing | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab |
| Early Bedana (Early Seedless) | The earliest litchi for table sale or processing, when a regular crop matters more than the biggest crop | The earliest variety (NHB gives no date) | 50–60 kg/tree/year at full bearing | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab |
| Rose Scented | A sweet, rose-scented table litchi to grow beside Shahi for buyers who ask for aroma | Mid-season, starts ripening in the first week of June (NHB) | 80–90 kg/tree/year at full bearing | Bihar (Muzaffarpur belt) |
| Shahi | A heavy-bearing Muzaffarpur-belt table litchi, sold under the 2018 GI name 'Shahi Litchi of Bihar' | Ripens from the third week of May (NHB, Muzaffarpur) | 90–100 kg/tree/year at full bearing | Bihar (Muzaffarpur belt) |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Litchi is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Litchi plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Litchi variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Litchi into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Litchi rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Litchi seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Does Bombai ripen before Shahi?
On NHB's dates, yes. Bombai ripens in the first to second week of May in West Bengal. Shahi starts in the third week of May at Muzaffarpur. These are two places, so compare them in your own district before you plan around the gap.
How much room does a Bombai tree need?
More than most. NHB says the trees are vigorous, about 6.7 m tall and 7–8 m wide. Its general spacing is 8 × 8 m, with 10 m where the spread is large. For Bombai, 10 m is the safer choice.
Is Bombai suited to Bihar or Jharkhand?
NHB lists Bombai as a commercial variety of West Bengal. It gives no yield or ripening figures for Bombai in Bihar or Jharkhand. If you farm there, ask your KVK how it has done in local orchards before you plant a block.
Is Bombai sweet enough to sell well?
NHB gives Bombai 17% TSS, with greyish-white, soft, juicy pulp. That is lower than Rose Scented (20%), Early Bedana (19.8%) and Calcuttia (18.17%). Its selling point is the early date and the large fruit, not sweetness. Taste your own fruit before you promise sweetness to a buyer.
How many years until a Bombai tree fruits?
NHB says 3 to 4 years with proper care in one place, and at least six years to flower and fruit in another. Plan for six. Meanwhile, NHB suggests legumes, vegetables, papaya or banana between the young trees, kept away from the litchi.
Sourced from: Varieties — NHB, Litchi, Planting — NHB, Litchi, Soil and climate — NHB, Litchi, Irrigation — NHB, Litchi, Manuring and fertilization — NHB, Litchi, Harvesting — NHB, Litchi. editorial policy.