South China’s Guangzhou is home to the world’s largest lychee gene bank, where nearly 800 varieties of the fruit are cultivated and studied. The five-hectare orchard serves as both a living archive of lychee biodiversity and a centre for developing new varieties suited to future market demands.

China has cultivated lychees for more than 2,000 years and today produces around 70 percent of the world’s supply. Researchers in Guangzhou are building on that legacy through long-term breeding programmes, including the world’s first successful lychee-longan hybrid, the result of more than a decade of research.

Scientists are also developing new varieties with improved texture, flavour and resilience, while using digital technologies and big data to accelerate breeding and evaluation. Laboratory studies have further revealed the fruit’s nutritional potential, including high levels of beneficial compounds such as GABA, a functional amino acid.

With China’s lychee industry valued at about US$4.4 billion, these innovations could boost farmer incomes, expand export opportunities and offer consumers a wider range of high-quality fruit.