Prune Your Plants

Cooperative Extension’s Andrea Kawabata (TPSS) and Stuart Nakamoto (HNFAS), along with Tracie Matsumoto from USDA ARS DKI PBARC, hosted two coffee-pruning field days at the Kona Cooperative Extension and Research Station. Almost 50 attendees learned the basics of coffee pruning and then participated in pruning demonstrations for various techniques. Information was also provided about current pruning trials being conducted at the Kona Research Station and at cooperator farms. The objectives of the station trial are to compare yields, labor requirements, harvesting considerations, and impact on coffee berry borer management of current and new methods of coffee pruning. Future field days will look at desuckering trees and harvesting. These field days were sponsored by UH-CTAHR, USDA, and the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture.