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Livestock and Collaboration in China

Livestock and Collaboration in China 22 August 2018

Livestock and Collaboration in China

Rajesh Jha (HNFAS) recently returned from China after teaching the summer intensive course “Livestock Ecology” to the students of Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University in Xianyang. He has been serving as a visiting professor at the university for last three years. 

Pesticide Risk Reduction Education Short Course: October on Oahu

20 August 2018

Pesticide Risk Reduction Education Short Course: October on Oahu

This in-depth two-day short course is about handling pesticides, including herbicides, in ways that will reduce risks to people and our environment. It would benefit people who want to be better informed about handling pesticides properly or prepare for the Hawaii Department of Agriculture’s examination for restricted use pesticide certification. (Certified applicators will not earn re-certification credits by attending this course.) (The course does not include the exam for restricted use pesticide certification.)

Food Safety in Aquaponics

Food Safety in Aquaponics 15 August 2018

Food Safety in Aquaponics

There will be a free online webinar on “Challenges and Opportunities for Implementing Food Safety Programs in Commercial Aquaponic Production of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables” on Friday, August 24, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. via Zoom, featuring present and former faculty and staff from the college.

On the Wings of Song

On the Wings of Song 15 August 2018

On the Wings of Song

The Hawaii Symphony Orchestra will again be performing the successful multimedia collaboration Symphony of the Hawaiian Birds, spearheaded by Melissa Price (NREM), on October 31 and November 1 for students in grades 4 through 12. If you know any teachers who might like to bring their classes to a performance, make sure to let them know!

From Indonesia, With Love

From Indonesia, With Love 15 August 2018

From Indonesia, With Love

Samir Khanal (MBBE) recently returned from Indonesia, where he was invited to deliver a summer course and special lectures at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta. He also participated in discussions with university representatives about research collaborations and student exchange possibilities.

New Faces: Robert Cating

New Faces: Robert Cating 15 August 2018

New Faces: Robert Cating

New Extension agent Robert Cating is stationed in Hilo, attached to Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences and focused on floriculture, nursery and related industries statewide.

Pigs on the Big Island

Pigs on the Big Island 15 August 2018

Pigs on the Big Island

Over 40 participants attended Swine AI School, put on by Extension agent Mike DuPonte, specialist Halina Zaleski (HNFAS), and MS student Brittany Castle in Hilo, and a swine time was had by all!

The Busy Bee House

The Busy Bee House 9 August 2018

The Busy Bee House

The new Bee House at Maui County Cooperative Extension’s  Research and Education Demonstration Center provides an observational hive to augment youth and community educational projects on beekeeping and the importance of bees to Island agriculture.

A Mixed Bag of Ag

A Mixed Bag of Ag 9 August 2018

A Mixed Bag of Ag

CTAHR agents and researchers, along with other agricultural professionals, partnered to host a well-attended and well-received conference on August 1 at Leeward Community College.

Extension Bounty

Extension Bounty 9 August 2018

Extension Bounty

Cooperative Extension helps everyone, but sometimes they need some help themselves! Now they’ll be getting it: with the support of the State Legislature, HDOA, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Hawaii Farmers Union United, and many external partners and stakeholders, CTAHR is able to offer 10 new positions in four counties for immediate hire!

4-H Has Fun With Bugs

4-H Has Fun With Bugs 1 August 2018

4-H Has Fun With Bugs

State 4-H leader Jeff Goodwin has produced a short video to highlight the work of the 4-H program “Connect Kids to the Nature,” funded by a grant from the Disney Conservation Fund. It includes fun activities like learning about entomology, insect pheromones, and butterfly gardens at the O‘ahu Urban Garden Center.

What to Do About the Vog

What to Do About the Vog 1 August 2018

What to Do About the Vog

An Extension bulletin by Scot Nelson (TPSS) and Associate Dean of Extension Kelvin Sewake, “Volcanic Emissions Injury to Plant Foliage,” was quoted and recommended in a recent Big Island Now article. The bulletin is all too relevant to those living in areas of the Big Island affected by the opening of the new vents on Kīlauea Volcano.

Fishing for Knowledge..and Fertilizer

Fishing for Knowledge..and Fertilizer 25 July 2018

Fishing for Knowledge..and Fertilizer

This past weekend, associate Extension agent Andrea Kawabata dove in a spearfishing event to gather roi, ta‘ape, and to‘au for research into fish disease, age, and reproductive status, as well as the impact of these species on the reef. Over 210 pounds of fish was then donated to Big Island farmers for compost and compost-tea fertilizers. 

Extension Excellence

Extension Excellence 25 July 2018

Extension Excellence

The college’s Extension agents recently got some well-deserved props in a laudatory article in Hawai‘i Magazine. The article focuses on Andrea Kawabata, Glen Fukumoto, and Jari Sugano, painting a picture of skilled, dedicated, and enthusiastic Extension workers making a huge difference in Island agriculture—one farm visit, variety trial, or workshop at a time.

 


Project Is No Lemon

Project Is No Lemon 25 July 2018

Project Is No Lemon

CTAHR faculty and Master Gardeners helped Jefferson Elementary students with Project Lemon Tree, which established CO2-reducing trees, an arbor, and student gardens on a campus site vandalized in 2016.

Making Life Better in Maui County

Making Life Better in Maui County 19 July 2018

Making Life Better in Maui County

Congratulations to all CTAHR faculty who were successful in the recent Maui County FY19 grant competition! The projects funded included education in reproductive technologies, establishing a trial garden for ornamentals, investigating dispensing pesticides from drones, continuing breadfruit research, and more.

For the Bees

For the Bees 19 July 2018

For the Bees

Scott Nikaido and Ethel Villalobos (both PEPS) were featured in a Ka Leo article on the class on beekeeping that they teach, Beekeeping in the Tropics: Introduction to Honeybee Health and Management. It is offered through the UH Manoa Outreach College, though Scott hopes to offer classes for credit at UH in the future.

Celebrate Celery

Celebrate Celery 12 July 2018

Celebrate Celery

Joshua Silva and the rest of O‘ahu Cooperative Extension will be holding a Celery Variety Trial Field Day on July 26, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Poamoho Research Station. Participants will be able to observe nine commercially available celery varieties and discuss production practices.

Grow With Them!

Grow With Them! 12 July 2018

Grow With Them!

All growers are invited to a day-long educational workshop: “CTAHR Ground Support: Research-Based Support for O‘ahu’s Fast-Paced Edible Crop Industry,” to learn about current agricultural research, practices, and information from CTAHR faculty and other agricultural partners on Wednesday, August 1, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Volunteer to Share Your Volunteer-Management Experiences

Volunteer to Share Your Volunteer-Management Experiences 12 July 2018

Volunteer to Share Your Volunteer-Management Experiences

The volunteer development team is interested in learning more about people’s experiences as volunteer managers and is asking those who currently manage Extension volunteers for their input via a 10- to 20-minute anonymous and voluntary online survey. Responses may be used to improve the volunteer experience for faculty, staff, and volunteers.
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22 June 2020

The Care and Feeding of Your Lawn

Turfgrass expert explains how to keep your lawn green and happy

The Care and Feeding of Your Lawn

“I fought the lawn, and the lawn won…” If that’s your theme song, it doesn’t have to be. By sticking to a few simple principles, you can create, maintain, and manage a beautiful green lawn on your property.

Turfgrass Selection. Make sure to select turfgrass species or cultivars suitable for your growing conditions and expected use. Here are the most common species in Hawai’i, and their best selling points:

  • Bermudagrass does very well in the heat
  • Zoysiagrass is relatively low maintenance
  • St. Augustine grass has the best shade tolerance
  • Seashore paspalum can handle very high water or soil salinity.

If you don’t mind some variation in color or texture, you can try using a turf blend or turf mix, combinations of two or more cultivars of the same species or even two or more species, to get the best of both worlds.

Establishment. The best time to make major preparations and modifications to the soil is before you establish your lawn. Now’s when you can incorporate amendments like fertilizer and other nutrients, based on soil test recommendations, to provide the best possible growing conditions.

There are four main ways to establish a home lawn in Hawai‘i:

  • Growing from seed is the least costly, and it offers a variety of seed options. However, it takes the longest time, and you may run into the most weed issues during establishment.
  • Sod is fully grown turfgrass you can buy from sod farms—it unrolls over the ground like a carpet. This method is the most expensive, and selection is limited to the varieties that are locally available. On the plus side, sod offers instant lawn coverage and almost no weed issues during establishment.

The other two methods are compromises:

  • Plugs and sprigs are small pieces of turfgrass sod installed in the soil that grow together for eventual coverage. Plugs require consistent spacing between them; sprigs don’t need to be installed in any particular pattern. These methods work because all warm-season turfgrasses used in Hawai‘i spread horizontally by rhizomes (below-ground runners) and/or stolons (above-ground runners). Both cost less than sod and take less time than establishing a lawn from seed.

Weed control is essential during lawn establishment, especially when seeds, plugs, or sprigs are used.

Caring for Your Lawn. You can maintain high-quality turfgrass and minimize pest problems with appropriate mowing, irrigation, fertilization, and other cultural practices.

  • Mowing: If possible, follow recommendations for mowing height and frequency for your turfgrass. Usually the higher the mowing height, the more robust the root system and the better the overall health of the grass.
  • Irrigation: Too much or too little water can leave turfgrass vulnerable to pest problems. Deep and infrequent irrigation is usually better, while shallow and frequent watering promotes shallow rooting. If possible, water in the early morning rather than the late afternoon or early evening.
  • Fertilize your turfgrass as necessary, but avoid excessive nitrogen, which could stimulate some fungal diseases or result in weak grass blades that are susceptible to insect attack. When feasible, consider organic fertilizers, as they are typically slow release and could support soil microorganisms and improve soil food web health.
  • Thatch should be managed when feasible, and clippings can usually be left onsite.

Pest management. Insects, weeds, fungal diseases, and plant-parasitic nematodes are some of the most common turfgrass pests. Some common insect pests in Hawai‘i include the webworm, armyworm, cutworm, and fiery skipper caterpillars; frit fly; rover ant; mealybug; and bill bug. Common turf weeds are broadleaf weeds, grassy weeds, and sedges. Some common fungal diseases include dollar spot, rust, take-all patch, and fairy ring.

Try an integrated pest management approach, which includes deciding on an acceptable pest threshold, monitoring and early detection, and effective treatments to control target pests. If possible, try to manage lawn pests through a system approach: try cultural, mechanical, and biological control approaches before resorting to chemical pesticides. When using biological control products or chemical pesticides, always read and follow labels strictly. If you’re not sure about your lawn problems, ask a turfgrass expert or your local UH Extension service before taking any major actions.

Now, sit back and enjoy your lawn with a picnic or a game of bocce ball!

Zhiqiang Cheng, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources