It’s the tree with numerous names and even more uses: Moringa oleifera, also known as kalamungay, malunggai, drumstick tree, ben oil tree, or horseradish tree. Most recently, however, it’s been dubbed “miracle tree” in the popular press, and that’s not surprising. Now CTAHR is working to help bring its many benefits to a larger group of growers and consumers.    ... more >>

The last of the state’s pineapple canneries closed in 2007. But the reasons for Big Pine’s decline were economic, not agricultural; the Islands’ soils and climate are ideal for the fruit. Pineapple is still a very viable crop; all that’s required is a different economic model…and a different pineapple. Two CTAHR-associated pineapple businesses thriving under these new    ... more >>

The time for breadfruit is now,” says Noa Lincoln of the Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences. The Islands are heading for an ‘ulu renaissance: at least 5,000 trees have been planted here in the last five to seven years. Soon they’ll start fruiting, eventually producing 500 pounds of breadfruit per tree per year, a total of 2.5 million pounds annually! Dr. Lincoln    ... more >>

Though the anthurium has become one of Hawai‘i’s most iconic flowers, it’s a relative newcomer. The industry began in the Islands in the 1940s; in 1950, researcher Haruyuki Kamemoto initiated anthurium research at what would become CTAHR with a breeding program for the commercial development and release of cultivars to growers. Over the next three decades, the industry gained momentum,    ... more >>

A little-known fact is that one of Hawai‘i’s most lucrative agricultural exports is queen bees. The Islands’ favorable climate and absence of many pests and diseases of bees make them a natural place to nurture bee queens, which sell for up to $25 each on the Mainland and internationally. However, due to quarantine laws, importing bees to the Islands is not possible. This makes it even    ... more >>

After a hiatus of more than three decades, oysters are starting to be grown commercially in Hawai‘i. Global warming-induced changes such as seawater acidification have made oyster production in parts of the Mainland problematic, and so far Hawai‘i is less affected by this trend. The state’s warm and nutrient-rich waters are ideal for the bivalves, allowing them to mature faster, and the    ... more >>

Growers know it’s not just what you grow; it’s how you grow it. Basil, especially the Thai and sweet varieties, is integral to much local cooking. The fragrant herb is also one of Hawai‘i’s most lucrative crops, with a farm-gate value of over $5 million both in the state and as an export. However, it’s host to a number of pests as well, including basil downy mildew. Many    ... more >>

Peaches aren’t a new crop in Hawai‘i…but good peaches just might be. The tasty and popular fruit hasn’t previously done well in the Islands. A CTAHR publication from 1973 discourages growing peaches in the Islands, explaining that fruit flies would damage the crop too severely and there were few varieties not requiring chilling temperatures rarely found here. A    ... more >>

What’s in your ground? Representative areas for the various soil types have been generally established, and knowing them is an important first step. But there’s so much more to learn about any individual plot of soil: does it harbor fungi, viruses, or other pathogens? Has it been tainted by chemicals, such as pesticide residues or gasoline spills? Is there a high buildup of salt? What is its    ... more >>

You may never have heard of a mollisol or a dystric inceptisol or be able to tell one from the other, but these and other soil types are literally the basis of all life, in the Islands and beyond. It’s vital to understand what soil you’re dealing with and what its characteristics are, whether you’re growing an orchard, digging a fishpond, or building a road or house. Varying physical,    ... more >>

What grows—or won’t grow—in the soil, and why, is at the heart of natural resource and environmental management (NREM). Travis Idol, associate professor in NREM, focuses on nutrient cycling, conservation agriculture, and sustainable intensification, making him the ideal advisor for Aliza Pradhan in her research into the increasing problem of low crop yield due to poor soil fertility and erosion in    ... more >>

The humble soil’s status has undergone a dramatic shift in recent years. Once it was considered little more than a physical matrix, providing a place for roots to develop— the bulk of the plant’s needs were thought to come from external applications of chemical fertilizer and water, and its defenses from chemical pesticides. However, yield declines after growing the same crops on    ... more >>

Most people are familiar with vermicomposting, using worms to break down garden and kitchen waste and boost the fertilizer content of the resulting compost. But as Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering researcher Samir Khanal explains, larvae generate a similar high-quality soil amendment while eating more, and more diverse, waste. And they also create two further products: fuel and feed. Food    ... more >>

The new foodie trend of “snout to tail” cooking utilizes all parts of the pig for sustainability and waste reduction as well as gastronomic pleasure. But pigs themselves are masters of resource optimization: they can be fed a dizzying variety of feedstuffs, much of which might otherwise become refuse. It’s this capability that Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences researcher    ... more >>

Dressmaking may not be high on most people’s list of waste-generating activities, but in fact, between 15 and 20 percent of each bolt of cloth ends up being discarded when garment pieces are cut out. Between that and clothing that’s worn and then discarded, the US throws away up to 21 billion pounds of textile waste a year! But Assistant Professor Ju-Young Kang is leading her fashion design    ... more >>

Schoolchildren learn about the natural water cycle: clouds, rain, streams, ocean, evaporation. In the municipal water cycle, water from the tap is used for drinking/ cooking, bathing, washing, and irrigation; the resulting “graywater” runs to the sewer, is taken to a wastewater treatment plant, and is purified to be used again. It’s in the purification process that things can    ... more >>