Rose Scented
A Muzaffarpur-area table litchi famous for its distinct rose aroma (NHB). Starts ripening in the first week of June, 80–90 kg a tree, deep rose-pink fruit with 20% TSS.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Litchi
- Type
- Air-layer (clonal variety)
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- Mid-season, starts ripening in the first week of June (NHB)
- Expected yield
- 80–90 kg/tree/year at full bearing
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- No special resistance claimed
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Rose Scented is grown for the table around Muzaffarpur in Bihar. NHB says that besides high fruit quality, it is famous for a distinct rose aroma, and that is where the name comes from. It is a mid-season variety, starting to ripen in the first week of June. Fruits are medium to large, mostly oval or heart-shaped, and deep rose-pink. The pulp is greyish-white, soft and moderately juicy, with 20% TSS. A tree averages 80–90 kg.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Rose Scented if you sell to buyers who want the rose aroma and high sweetness (20% TSS), and you already grow a main variety such as Shahi. It gives 80–90 kg a tree, less than Shahi (90–100 kg), and starts ripening in the first week of June, after Shahi and China. Pick Shahi if you need the heavier crop and the GI name. Pick Early Bedana if you want sweetness and the earliest slot instead.
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
- A distinct rose aroma, the trait the variety is named for
- 20% TSS, the highest figure NHB gives for these seven varieties
- Deep rose-pink fruit, medium to large
Things to consider
- Yield is 80–90 kg a tree, below Shahi's 90–100 kg.
- The pulp is soft and only moderately juicy (NHB).
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Bihar (Muzaffarpur belt)
A small Rose Scented block beside Shahi
Rose Scented gives 80–90 kg a tree against Shahi's 90–100 kg. It earns more than Shahi only if buyers pay more for the aroma and the sweetness.
Do not guess. Plant one small block, sell it to the buyers you already have in the first week of June, and write down the price per kg beside your Shahi price. After two or three seasons you will know whether the aroma pays.
On NHB's dates it follows Shahi by roughly ten days to two weeks, so it also gives you a second picking window. The dates move with the year, so keep your own record.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bombai | 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 Scentedthis page | 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
Why is it called Rose Scented?
NHB says that besides high fruit quality, the variety is famous for a distinct rose aroma, and so it is called Rose Scented. NHB gives the aroma no score or measure, so judge it by smelling your own fruit and by what your buyers say.
Is Rose Scented the same as Dehra-Rose?
No. NHB says Dehra-Rose is the Bihar name for Dehra Dun, a late litchi that starts in the third week of June with 17% TSS. Rose Scented is a mid-season litchi that starts in the first week of June, with 20% TSS. The two names sound alike, so check the variety on the bill.
How does Rose Scented compare on sweetness?
NHB gives 20% TSS for Rose Scented, 19.8% for Early Bedana, 18.17% for Calcuttia and 17% for both Bombai and Dehra Dun. It gives no TSS figure for Shahi or China. So on paper Rose Scented is the sweetest of the ones with a figure.
Does the rose aroma hold outside Muzaffarpur?
NHB describes Rose Scented as grown commercially in the Muzaffarpur area. It gives no result from other places. So there is no published proof that the aroma holds elsewhere. Try a few trees first, and ask your KVK if anyone near you has grown it.
How do I know a Rose Scented fruit is ready to pick?
Use NHB's general signs for litchi: red colour, at least 25 mm across, flattened tubercles and a smooth shell. Litchi does not ripen after picking, so pick ripe fruit. Cut whole bunches with a bit of twig and a few leaves, because loose fruit tears at the stem end and rots quickly.
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.